For anyone who doesn’t live in or near the San Francisco Bay Area counties of Alameda and Contra Costa in the northern half of California, it may come as a surprise that this highly populated and dense urban environment of some 2.4 million people is surrounded by sizable amounts of parkland. In fact, that parkland represents the largest urban regional park district in the United States — and the organization that administers it, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), just happens to be the largest local park agency in the U.S.
Created in 1934 to acquire and maintain regional parkland, EBRPD now owns and/or manages 1,750 square miles of territory. Within that area are 65 regional parks, covering some 113,000 acres; 1,200 miles of trails; large recreation areas, shorelines, preserves and wilderness; and lakes, beaches, rivers, fishing docks, picnic areas, campsites and equestrian camps.
This extensive territory needs to be patrolled, and that falls to the EBRPD Police Department (which is part of the district’s public safety division, along with fire and lifeguard services). With a force of only 64 sworn officers, the department is stretched thin. As such, it relies heavily on the force-multiplying ability of its Air Support Unit (ASU or Regional Parks ASU), which is based at Hayward Executive Airport, about 14 miles (22 kilometers) southeast of Oakland, which is home to the unit’s two Eurocopter AS350 AStars.
The Equipment
The first of the ASU’s two AStars is a 1999 AS350 B2, call sign “Eagle 6,” and the second is a 2008 AS350 B3, call sign “Eagle 7.” Before acquiring these helicopters, the unit operated a 1986 AS350 BA AStar and a series of Hughes 500s. The 500s were capable patrol ships, but the AS350 turned out to be the best single-engine helicopter for the unit’s continually expanding mission profile, which went from strictly law enforcement to include firefighting, emergency medical services, search and rescue, and logistical services.
While both the B2 and B3 fit the mission, they do differ in some key areas. Said chief pilot Bill Probets: “The B2 is an excellent helicopter and has enough performance for most of our missions. The highest landing we are likely to perform is a little under 4,000 feet, so the B2 can get it done in most cases. That said, the B3, with its extra engine power and higher gross weight, lets us simply do more. It will let us carry an extra person, extra fuel or a larger Bambi Bucket on the hottest days of the year.”
For mission equipment, both AStars have a law enforcement equipment package and a medical interior conversion kit. Both are equipped with the FLIR Systems Ultra 8500 XR forwardlooking infrared camera with video and laser pointer. And, both have a Spectrolab SX-16 Nightsun searchlight, digital video recorder, BMS microwave downlink system, AeroComputers moving map system, stabilized binoculars, satellite phone, 600-watt public address system, LoJack system and the newstandard 406-megahertz emergency locator transmitter.
Each helicopter is also equipped for night-vision-goggle (NVG) use, and ASU crews utilize the latest ANVIS-9 NVGs, which can be incredibly helpful on a number of missions. Said Officer Doug Jackley, the unit’s U.S. Federal Aviation Administration designated NVG certified flight instructor: “When operating at night in the more remote part of the parks, we fly into very dark places. Obviously, with NVGs it just gives us a substantial increase in situational awareness and collision avoidance. During law enforcement missions, they allow us to find suspects, animal poachers and vehicles that are off road and in remote places where they shouldn’t be in the parks. During night search-and-rescue missions, the NVGs have helped us numerous times to find lost and injured hikers the instant they turn on a light source, such as . . . cell phones, key lights or even a lighter. We have found NVGs to be invaluable and the increase in safety we have experienced is truly incredible.”
The equipment packages differ for the two helicopters, Eagle 6, the B2, does not have the more modern avionics, DART Aerospace litter system or custom LifePort interior of Eagle 7, the B3.
Still, with Eagle 6 having undergone a systems and equipment upgrade about three years ago, both aircraft are expected to stay in service for the foreseeable future. Although, when budgets allow, the unit is hoping for a few specific additions. First, it would like to have an effective rescue capability. Where these aircraft go, a hoist and the ability to lift people out in a timely manner can be a great boon. A light, twin-engine helicopter also wouldn’t go amiss. As good as the AS350s are for the unit’s missions, a light-twin such as the Eurocopter EC135 would provide an increase in cabin size, a reduced noise footprint, improved mission flexibility and an extra margin of safety.
The Maintenance
On top of being well-suited for the ASU’s missions, the AStars have key maintenance strengths, as well. Said ASU chief mechanic Brian Gardner: “From the maintenance side, the [AStars are] great aircraft. Sure, they have a problem here or there, but overall they go from 100-hour [inspection] to 100-hour [inspection] with minimal issues. I try my best to keep everything that rotates in balance, and I think that’s why ours run so well.
“As far as the engines, prior to purchasing our first Turbomeca-powered Eurocopter AStar [we] operated two Hughes 500s with the [Allison] 250 series engines. Budgeting for maintenance on the [model 250] engine was on an as-needed basis, this meant [in] some years costs were low and [in] some years [they were] high. When the [department] bought its first AStar in 1986, Turbomeca offered us a program that would level out our engine maintenance budget and provide engine support all the way through overhaul and beyond. That agreement, the first in the U.S.A., which was then called ‘Power by [the] Hour,’ was signed in December 1987. We have been a satisfied customer of Turbomeca’s now-called ‘Support by [the] Hour’ program ever since.”
Lt. Jon King, unit manager (and one of two watch commanders for the department’s operations division), then added: “Our decision to embrace the Turbomeca Supportby- the-Hour [SBH] program was a stroke of genius. This allows us to have constant manufacturer support while eliminating the sometimes-insurmountable, one-time cost of engine replacement. By combining the SBH program with our quality in-house maintenance program, we are able to guarantee airship availability 365 days a year.”
Overall, the unit does almost all maintenance tasks inhouse, except for avionics, engines, gearboxes and major component overhauls, which go out to the appropriate manufacturer or to vendors.
The Crews
To fly the AStars, the Regional Parks ASU has a chief pilot and two line pilots, with two more line pilots currently being recruited. Chief pilot Probets, who has been with the unit for 16 years, told Vertical 911 that “having the additional pilots will give the unit more flexibility and the ability to cover all the hours [that] we are on call with our preferred two-pilot, [one] flight-medic crew structure. The unit operates seven days a week, and each crewmember does a 10-hour shift four days a week. Availability is normally 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 [a.m.] to 8 p.m. during the weekends. This, of course, can flex for NVG training or if the helicopter is needed during off hours for special missions and occasions.”
In the two-pilot set-up, one pilot acts as pilot-incommand, while the other functions as the tactical flight officer (TFO); they then rotate roles on subsequent flights. Given the unit’s propensity for off-airport operations and remote-area landings, having that extra pilot in the cockpit is a worthwhile additional safety measure.
To supplement pilot staffing, the unit also has four nonpilot TFOs: a primary/lead TFO — Officer Gary Hirata — and three part-time TFOs (who are department patrol officers). Hirata, who actually is a retired law enforcement pilot himself but doesn’t fly with the ASU, came to the unit in December 2007. He shared with us a little bit of what it’s like to be a TFO with the Regional Parks ASU: “My experience flying with East Bay Regional Park District has been diverse and very enjoyable. The fact that we operate within a huge area of city and urban interface and [can] within minutes be literally inside a large and desolate park can prove a challenge to our ground officers. . . . Our ground officers [however] know they can rely on us and [can] have overhead support with both our FLIR and radio communications. We also carry an automatic rifle aboard and can provide assistance if we need to land and help. Additionally, the aeromedical and aerial firefighting missions we fly [have] added another dimension to my aviation experience. During both day and night missions, I enjoy being a part of such a diverse aviation operation.”
Rounding out the crew complement are the unit’s 25 or so dedicated volunteer flight medics. Most are local paramedics from the area’s fire and ambulance services, but there are also nurses and doctors who volunteer for these coveted positions. All have at least two years solid front-line experience, and will receive aviation and water survival training once chosen for the unit.
The Missions
Much of the mission diversity that Hirata spoke of (along with the difficulties that crews encounter) comes from the direct interface EBRPD has between its parks and the 2.4 million or so area residents.
“The East Bay Regional Park District has a variety of rural, urban/suburban and city interactions,” said Hirata. “Some of our 65 parks are small, open recreation areas surrounded by populated communities. Some of the parks are vast desolate areas [that] are intertwined between multiple East Bay communities. However, the parks within the rural and urban [interfaces are what create] the greatest demands on the Air Support Unit.
“Park users escaping from city stresses can enjoy a day or weekend respite into the wilderness, all within a few minutes of their homes. But this can occasionally bring problems, with visitors becoming crime victims. We normally see a car break-in or other forms of theft or destruction of property. We also locate stolen cars or get calls about people shooting guns at signs or other objects within the parks. Being so close to civilization is a unique quality of the East Bay Regional Park District, and presents challenges to us as a police department.”
Regional Parks ASU also provides support to police and sheriff’s departments in the area, and to other key public agencies, including the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection. Although this support function only amounts to approximately 10 percent of the unit’s total flight time, it adds even more mission diversity. Said Probets: “I must say, it’s quite interesting to go from fighting a wildfire, to a city car chase, and back to the parks to find an injured hiker, all on one tank of fuel.”
With some 1,200 miles of trails featuring such potentially precarious activities as mountain biking and horseback riding, finding lost and injured park visitors is a familiar task for the unit. And, key to this search-and-rescue/air medical function are the unit’s aforementioned volunteer flight medics. Said chief flight paramedic Jon Kaplan: “The volunteer flight medics play an invaluable role in the emergency medical service [EMS] mission of the unit. For the medical and trauma issues that occur, we are one of the first, and many times the highest level of care, to reach patients located in the remote wilderness areas of the Park District.
“As a public service, there is no charge for patient transport, however, we do our best not to compete with paid EMS helicopter providers, such as CALSTAR [California Shock Trauma Air Rescue] or REACH [Air Medical]. By California state law, we are considered a rescue aircraft and will defer to air ambulance services if they are available. Our previous chief flight medic was able to get the unit certified to an advanced life support program back in 1999 and [we] have provided this [level of] medical care ever since.”
Another important mission for the unit is firefighting. During the fire season, it is critical to attack fires as soon as possible, especially with the rural/urban interface of some of the parks. “With thousands of acres of openspace wildlands adjacent to millions of people living on the border of the urban interface, we have no choice than to get on top of fires immediately,” explained Officer Kevin Iacovoni, one of the unit’s line pilots. “We learned this after the devastating Oakland Hills firestorm in 1991. After that fire, it was decided to provide our aircraft with firefighting capability. Today, both the AS350s are equipped with Bambi Buckets, and during the fire season [they] are carried aboard all flights. The B2 carries a 144 [US] gallon bucket, while the B3 carries a larger 210-gallon bucket. On daily patrols, we routinely see fire starts and try to get on scene to investigate. If it is a working fire, we will deploy the bucket and start fighting the fire, many times before the ground firefighting units arrive. Over the years, there is no doubt Regional Parks ASU [has] prevented many fires from getting out of hand by our ability to work the fire immediately.”
Of course, even while focusing on helping others, the unit is careful not to take unnecessary risks. “Our primary focus is always safety,” said Probets, “And in our constant effort to self-improve, we are participating in the Public Safety Aviation Accreditation Commission [PSAAC] accreditation process.” (PSAAC was originally the Airborne Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, but changed its name when it started focusing on enhancing the flight safety of all airborne public-safety programs.)
Understandably proud of his people, Lt. King offered a few closing thoughts at the end of our visit, speaking to both the unit’s successes and its focus on officer safety: “The department chose a model of two police officer/ pilots to solidify the multi-mission capability and safety of the unit. Unlike many units, our crews routinely do off-site landings and handle law enforcement issues when ground officers have extended response times. . . . Additionally, we have literally saved hundreds of homes through our firefighting efforts, as well as assisted thousands of victims in our EMS role.”
For a unit with only two helicopters and barely a half-dozen paid personnel, the East Bay Regional Park District Police Department’s Air Support Unit is a most valuable force multiplier that performs an array of key missions and has for many years been a vital part of protecting the public in and around the vast and growing regions of the EBRPD.
