Baltimore County Police recently received their newest asset, a fully equipped Airbus Helicopters H125. The unit wanted to add aerial firefighting capability to their mission profile capabilities, so they recently engaged Volo Mission to perform the training.
Volo Mission provides flight training on external loads and firefighting operations and is a certified trainer for the operations and maintenance of SEI-Bambi Buckets.
The training took place over the course of a week-long program in Baltimore, working with the unit's management, pilots, and TFOs on basic firefighting techniques and procedures using a Bambi bucket at a local training area. Adding to the training level of realism and wanting to involve other agencies in the training process, Baltimore County's fire department was also involved in the training; members of the county fire department sat in on classroom instruction and then coordinated drops with the pilots/TFO’s during the operations portion of the training, building the relationship between the two agencies so that the full potential of aerial firefighting capability and the ability to work as a team in a fire environment is maximized.
In an uncommon occurrence, the unit's training was quickly put into action as the unit was called out to a live fire in the local area. Although still new to aerial firefighting, permission was granted for the unit to perform initial attack duties on the fire with assistance from ground units.
Pilots and TFOs then spent a couple of hours honing their newfound skills, performing their first water drops (20 drops) while working with the fire department on the ground and flying in unison with an Air National Guard Unit Blackhawk.
Shortly after the fire was brought under control, due to the severity of the fire in the local area, Chief Pilot Sergeant Brandon Branham was asked to give interviews to local media. This enabled the unit to explain the training and show how it was immediately put into action in the unlikely scenario, demonstrating the value of the training and the purchase of the new aircraft shortly after its arrival.
