Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is refreshing their fleet with AW139 helicopters

They have received three of the four ordered so far

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Helicopter #1, an AW139, N911RZ
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Helicopter #1, an AW139, N911RZ. Photo by Jon Goldin.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) has received three of the four Leonardo AW139 helicopters that they ordered in December, 2019, with the fourth due in April. As we noted in a 2015 story about the department’s helicopter fleet, they have been operating four Bell 412 EPs.

The MDFR will use the fleet of four AW139s in a multitude of missions which include emergency medical services, firefighting, search and rescue, and disaster relief.

Two of the new helicopters have shown up so far in the FAA aircraft registry.

MDFR helicopters, FAA registrations
MDFR helicopters, FAA registrations, March 29, 2021
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Helicopter #3, N208LC
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Helicopter #3, an AW139, N208LC. Photo by Jon Goldin.

Leonardo has received over 1,100 orders for AW139s in more than 70 countries since their first delivery in 2004. The AW139s built for MDFR have the ability to quickly reconfigure the cabin interior based upon which mission the crew will be executing. These new aircraft are equipped with a Goodrich hoist, fast roping, cargo hook, and Bambi bucket for firefighting missions, a Trakka searchlight, a Forward Looking Infrared unit, a mission console in the cabin linked to the 5th display in the cockpit, broadband radios to include USCG Comms, weather radar, and other avionics systems such as traffic alert and collision avoidance (TCAS), obstacle and terrain avoidance, obstacle avoidance detection, and they are compatible for NVG.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Helicopter #4, N911RA
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Helicopter #4, an AW139, N911RA. Photo by Jon Goldin.

The AW139 is able to fly in all weather conditions with advanced protection against icing. It is the only model capable of 60 minutes of flight without oil in the transmission, double the time set by certification authorities.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Helicopter #1, an AW139, N217LC
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Helicopter #1, an AW139, N217LC. Photo by Jon Goldin.

Miami-Dade’s aviation program

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue helicopter
Miami -Dade Fire Rescue’s helicopter base at Tamiami airport in south Florida. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) Air Rescue Bureau has four Bell 412 EPs that are used for fighting wildland fires in south Florida as well as providing regional aero-medical transport, search and rescue, and tactical support to MDFR operations. Jim Hunter, an Aircraft Commander, said about 80 percent of their responses are for medical aids, with the remainder being rescue and firefighting support.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue helicopter
Miami-Dade’s Bell 412 on duty at Tamiami. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

The Bureau operates out of two facilities in south Florida, the Tamiami Executive Airport and the Opa-locka Airport. Maintenance, administration, and training is conducted at the Tamiami facility.

There is always an “alert aircraft” helicopter staffed 24/7 at each location, along with two pilots and two paramedics for each. The other two helicopters are used for backup when an aircraft is down for maintenance. The day we were there, a backup ship was ready to be wheeled out on a dolly to the ramp if needed, and the fourth was undergoing heavy maintenance, which included removing the engines, rotors, and many other components.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue helicopter
The backup helicopter is available if needed. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

During the dry season, January or February through May, the helicopters are equipped with a 350-gallon Simplex belly tank for firefighting, which takes about an hour to install, Mr. Hunter said. The tank has three doors which can be opened independently or all at the same time depending on the need. While the helicopter is hovering, the tank is filled through a snorkle with a 5 gallon per second pump powered by an electric motor.

They also have a 240-gallon Bambi Bucket.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue helicopter
A Simplex 350-gallon belly tank is usually mounted during the busy part of the fire season. It takes about an hour. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue helicopter
They prefer to use the 350-gallon fixed belly tank, but a 240-gallon Bambi Bucket is also available. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

Each aircraft is equipped with the following:

  • Patient loading systems normally configured allow the transport of two critical-care patients, with the option to reconfigure for up to six patients in Mass Casualty Incidents (MCIs).
  • An external hoist for helicopter-borne rescues.
  • An external high-power searchlight, “The Night Sun,” is used for night operations.
  • MCI Command and Control suitable radio suite.
  • Night Vision Goggle compatible lighting.

They are also equipped with weather radar, but Mr. Hunter said the pilots prefer to use an iPad connected to the Internet, since it can show troublesome weather at a longer range than their radar.

(More photos are below.) Continue reading “Miami-Dade’s aviation program”