Is it mere irony the community that can rally around supporting multimillion-dollar sports facilities can be so slow in supporting a rescue vehicle that could save hundreds of lives and thousands of dollars in both personal and business property each year? Is it only irony, or something worse?
San Diego remains the only major city in Southern California without a fire/rescue helicopter. The city’s Department of Fire and Safety Services, which includes the fire department, lifeguard service and paramedic services, has proposed an innovative program to fund a fire/rescue helicopter with corporate contributions. Similar programs have been used successfully in Australia and New Zealand, but the concept is untried in the United States.
While public safety officials report great interest from the business community, they say potential supporters are taking a wait-and-see attitude until the project garners more government support, particularly from the county.
That, unfortunately, is the kind of lackadaisical thinking that has prevented not only the city of San Diego, but the county as well, from having an adequate in-county aerial firefighting capability.
Following the tragic 1985 Normal Heights fire , in which firefighting aircraft had to be called in from Ventura County with great delay , the city considered acquiring a fire/rescue helicopter. It never came about. When fire struck the Alpine area this winter, firefighting aircraft again had to be called in from great distances.
With more than 330 square miles of canyons, sea cliffs and dense vegetation , not to mention large areas of high-rise buildings , the city of San Diego provides local firefighters a wide variety of challenges in providing for the public’s safety. Each year, San Diego firefighters respond on average to more than 1,000 wildland fires, nearly 50 high-rise fires, nearly 60 cliff rescues and a dozen swift-water rescues. Expand this across the county, and the challenges increase proportionately.
A helicopter equipped to fight fires from the air, rescue injured people from inaccessible canyons or offshore waters, and transport firefighters to the roofs of burning skyscrapers, would be an invaluable asset not only for the city’s rescue services, but also for those belonging to the county and other local municipalities.
The city and county of Los Angeles have long had such capabilities, as does Orange and Riverside counties. But America’s Finest City and County do not.
The city’s Fire/Rescue Helicopter Program seeks corporate sponsors to underwrite an expected $1.6 million a year contract with a private aviation firm to provide a multipurpose helicopter, complete with specially trained flight crews and maintenance crews, for use in aerial firefighting and rescue.
Corporate sponsors of the helicopter would be able to use the program’s logo on their marketing material, and the title sponsor could receive exclusive signage rights on the helicopter itself. Publicity from media coverage of the program, future news events and community goodwill would more than pay back the sponsors.
As we’ve pointed out before on this page, there are many more tangible benefits to business as well. How many of your offices overlook picturesque but potentially flammable canyons? How many are located in high-rise buildings where workers in the upper floors could be stranded by fire? Imagine the impact to local tourism, one of our largest revenue generators, if one of our skyscraper hotels caught fire and our firefighters were not able to respond immediately with a helicopter to rescue tourists trapped on the upper floors.
Qualcomm Inc. anted up millions for the right to put its name on the stadium in Mission Valley, hoping for public exposure at each sporting event. But imagine how much greater the return would be in public good will if, for a much smaller contribution, the “Qualcomm chopper” swooped in on live TV to save dozens of homes threatened by a wildfire?
This is not the time to hem and haw about where to put your money. This is the time to show leadership for the public good and the public safety. We urge you to support the city’s Fire/Rescue Helicopter Program.
