Orange County Fire Authority gets two new state-of-the-art helicopters
The California Fire Protection District got two new helicopters in May, with both being the first of their type in the region.
The CFA, which represents the nearly 9,000 members that provide fire protection and fire suppression services and has two fire stations, purchased two new helicopters called the P3s. The P3 is a state-of-the-art aircraft that combines the P3X and P3M models in a single machine.
The CFA also purchased one new fixed-wing aircraft, with the help of funding from the U.S. Dept. of Defense. The fixed-wing aircraft is now known as the P4C. The P4C replaced the P4B, which the CFA began using in June 2012, as the Fire Protection District transitioned to the new equipment.
The P3s are the P3E, which entered service in June 2012 and the P3K, which entered service in August 2012.
“We are very excited about being the first district in the state to receive two state-of-the-art aircraft,” CFA Capt. Richard Estrada, who is in charge of the new helicopters, said in a press statement. “They are very important, because, with these state-of-the-art aircraft, we can now be the first district in the region to have a fully automatic and fully automated aircraft, and we can be the first district to have a helicopter with a full state-of-the-art flight deck with more than 25 interactive displays.”
The CFA uses the P3’s to assist with fire suppression, and to conduct aerial surveys and aerial searches of land fires. It also can be used to provide aerial video, to provide aerial weather observations and to provide aerial reconnaissance.
For more information on the Fire Protection District’s P3s, click on the video below. The next video will be a review of the new P4C.
http://youtu.be/j1jwqFVjfEQ