The Ventura County Air Unit is adding a new bird to the flock.
County officials approved the $14.5 million acquisition of a Bell 412EPX helicopter to be used for search-and-rescue missions by the aviation unit as well as for general law enforcement operations. The decision was passed unanimously during a Board of Supervisors meeting last week.
The new helicopter will replace one of the unit’s current search-and-rescue aircraft, a 1969 Bell UH-1 Iroquois, better known as a “Huey.” The new copter is currently scheduled to arrive in October.
“It’s like buying a 2022 Chevy instead of a 1955 Chevy,” said Capt. Randy Downard, a Ventura County Sheriff’s deputy who currently oversees the air unit, which jointly serves the sheriff’s agency and the county fire department.
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