San Diego County acquires new rotorcraft
California’s San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has unveiled two new helicopters – a Bell 412EPX and a Bell 407GXi
The Bell 412EPX, which cost approximately $15.7 million, according to a report by the Ramona Sentinel newspaper, is equipped for night-time operations.
The twin-engine aircraft will be used to boost aerial firefighting and rescue provision in the region. It will replace one of the Sheriff’s Departments’ existing Bell 205s, which is due to be retired.
The $5.5 million Bell 407GXi will be used to track suspects, as well as participating in search and rescue (SAR) operations.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a $3.75 million federal grant to support the purchase of new firefighting aircraft earlier this month.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.