SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - The Orange County Fire Authority’s helicopter crews are now working around the clock.
Under a six-month pilot program that started March 20, each of the agency’s four choppers will rotate 24-hour shifts to cover day and night calls.
Under the program, one aircraft will be staffed with a pilot and crew chief - with a firefighter/paramedic rescuer added on the weekends - at an annual cost of $1.5 million.
The Orange County Register reports Friday (https://bit.ly/1Ck465q ) that the Fire Authority has also received military-grade night-vision goggles and training for its pilots to fly helicopters on night missions.
The newspaper says the move comes six years after an independent auditor recommended the agency could improve after the 2007 Santiago Fire that destroyed 14 homes.
___
Information from: The Orange County Register, https://www.ocregister.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.