FDNY Union Wants FDNY Helicopter

In the wake of the Deutsche bank fire and death of two FDNY members Union President is once again making
noise about the need for the FDNY to have its own helicopter to fight fires. Supposedly two years agao a
"helicopter proposal" was introduced to the FDNY brass but was knocked down for a number of reasons, one of them being it would be too dangerous to use a helicopter to fight fires in Manhattan for high rises.
Right now FDNY has a protocol with NYPD Aviation where a Battalion Chief goes airborne for Command & Control
during major fires throughout the city. That was what was done during the Duetsche Bank fire and the steam pipe
explosion. NYPD also aids FDNY with the use of their bambi bucket during brush fires and is ready to assist FDNY/EMS
for medevacs.
LA County FD operate two Sikorsky S-70A helicopters for fire fighting but are primary used for brush fires and NOT
urban/high rise fires.
Firehawk Helicopters in Florida operate at least three firefighting helicopters
http://www.firehawkhelicopters.com

And of course you have the Erickson Air Crane http://www.ericksonaircrane.com

Story: http://www.firerescue1.com/news/310596/

interesting. i don't know if bambi bucket operations out of the east or hudson rivers would be a good idea in a high-rise situation. also i don't know if the simplex mfg. pods that install under the belly of the helo have directional nozzles. i don't think they do. i'd love to see some red-and-white Bell 412s flying around. even though i'm a huge UH-60 guy i think that the firehawk is simply fugly! not only that, but i doubt that FDNY's budget could accomodate them.

FDNY has wanted a copter for a long time. They hate that they have to ask NYPD for help. NYPD Aviation does do observation by picking up a FDNY Chief and has used bambi buckets for brush fires.

Bring on the Erickson Skycrane! :) - in FDNY colors of course...

anyone wanna come up with a fantasy livery? hope they stick to something similiar to the rest of thier apparatus.

> i don't know if bambi bucket operations out of the east or hudson rivers would be a good idea in a high-rise situation. <

Unless the fire is on the roof the bambi bucket or belly pods would be useless. And if it is below
can you imagine a UH60 or Skycrane trying to maneuver between the large buildings and
adjusting for the downdrafts. Disaster there in the making.
I read one comment somewhere that they would use the Hudson River for water but this poster
says "sure and along with the water they would be scooping out dirty diapers and bodies". Ouch!!

>Gerard"]In the wake of the Deutsche bank fire and death of two FDNY members Union President is once again making
noise about the need for the FDNY to have its own helicopter to fight fires. <

BTW during the 1993 WTC bombing the NYPD Aviation Unit flew 28 people off the roof of the
North Tower. A month later a FURIOUS NYC Fire Chiefs Association sent an angry letter to
then Mayor Dinkins and were all over the media denouncing these rescues as a "cheap publicity
stunt" and "these people were in no danger until the police department arrived and gravely
jeopardized their safety with this stupid stunt".
Lots of chicken-little stuff about copters crashing and burning also.
NYPD AU also flew many missions UP to the towers including ESU, Bomb Squad detectives and elevator mechanics amongst some.
Though FDNY was in charge that day it seemed that they and NYPD conducted seperate ops.
Kinda like what happened 8 years later.
Hopefully they have learned a lesson.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gerard

> i don't know if bambi bucket operations out of the east or hudson rivers would be a good idea in a high-rise situation. <

Unless the fire is on the roof the bambi bucket or belly pods would be useless. And if it is below
can you imagine a UH60 or Skycrane trying to maneuver between the large buildings and
adjusting for the downdrafts. Disaster there in the making.
I read one comment somewhere that they would use the Hudson River for water but this poster
says "sure and along with the water they would be scooping out dirty diapers and bodies". Ouch!!

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the bambi bucket would only work for small residential buldings and brush fires as they've been used in the past. flying anything between high-rise buildings isn't a good idea. even if there is a pod that has a directional nozzle on it, you'd still need to get between the buildings to be able to use it and then you'd only reach the fire if it were near the edge of the building. using human firefighters is the best and most efficient way of putting fires out. standpipes are good ideas also, but only if they work. them not working is the reason those two firefighters died in the deutsche bank building.