Phoenix will be without helicopter hoist rescue capabilities for several weeks during one of the hottest stretches of the year after the Phoenix Police Department sent its helicopter out of state for an extended maintenance overhaul.
The Phoenix Police Department’s Firebird helicopter, which Phoenix Fire relies on for technical mountain rescues, has been taken out of service for what Fire Captain Rob McDade described as perhaps the longest maintenance absence the department has experienced.
The timing is significant. Phoenix is entering August, historically one of the most dangerous months for hikers on the city’s mountain trails.
Rescues could take three times as long
McDade said the helicopter’s hoist capability has been critical in cutting down rescue times, particularly for patients near the summit of a mountain who are critically injured…