August 16, 2022
New Helicopter Gives Tactical and Safety Advantages
 by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
One of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’s (PCSO) best resources to support its deputies and law enforcement partners is the Flight Unit. As the only law enforcement aviation unit in the county, PCSO’s Flight Unit is a critical piece of public safety infrastructure. Our eyes in the sky can safely track suspects or search a heavily wooded area for a missing person in minutes. Now, a new higher-tech helicopter will help keep the county and our pilots safer.

The Airbus H125 is a high-performance helicopter with enhanced capabilities that make it a perfect replacement for a 31-year-old helicopter that is the oldest in the fleet. This model was the first helicopter to land at the top of Mount Everest and though here in Pinellas County it might not have to endure the extreme weather conditions and low oxygen of the world’s highest mountain range, its strength and safety features will be an asset while patrolling our skies.

“It has a more powerful engine and upgraded avionics which will help us fly more effectively and increase safety tremendously,” said Sergeant Bryan Smith. “It has a new fuel system that has been designed to prevent post-crash fires, an autopilot to deal with emergencies related to weather, updated aircraft traffic and terrain (i.e. towers and wires) collision avoidance, and the most modern seats and cabin structure for occupant protection.”

Corporal Paul Rogers explained a little more about the helicopter’s autopilot. “This helicopter is 100 percent safer. The average survival time if a helicopter goes in the clouds is 90 seconds.” This is what happened in the Kobe Bryant crash. If a helicopter goes into clouds or dense fog a pilot must immediately switch from visual to instruments or the helicopter will start to tip. “However, our autopilot takes care of that with one button,” he said, immediately leveling the helicopter and removing any danger of pilot error.

The new helicopter also has something none of our other helicopters ever had – the power to lift cargo. “Not only can we lift cargo, but we could use this capability to rescue people, such as from floodwaters. SWAT could also rappel from this helicopter.” Long-line rescue gear could be used to pull people from areas that are inaccessible after a hurricane hits.

The helicopter has the latest version of the high-definition camera, searchlight, and mapping system. “The mission equipment can be used on any of our current aircraft if we need to switch anything out for maintenance needs or if a mission requires the highest capabilities we have to offer.”

Sergeant Smith said that the new high-definition camera system “works wonderfully at altitudes two to three times higher than we used to fly, which is safer for us and quieter for the community. The camera is tied into a mapping system that tells the operator the roads, addresses, or even GPS position of where they are looking.” If they’re searching for a missing person, they can just plug in the coordinates of the person’s last location and the camera will automatically point there. Corporal Rogers added that with the search and rescue package the helicopter can then initiate a search pattern in a circle, expanding square, or a grid pattern.

“The mission of the PCSO Flight Unit has always been to support ground operations,” said Sergeant Smith. “The main way we do that is by reducing risk in patrol operations. We give critical information to ground units so they can apprehend suspects or find missing people in a safer and more efficient manner.” From their high vantage point the Flight Unit can give tactical information to deputies below so they don’t have to approach a dangerous subject blindly, or follow a fleeing vehicle to avoid a high risk pursuit. “The better we are at keeping our ground units safe, the better they can in turn keep the community safe.”
Realistic Scenarios Prepare Recruits
 by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
Fast cars, spinouts, sirens, snipers, bullet-proof trucks… if it looks and sounds like a scene from your favorite action movie it is probably a high-liability training day with the class of new deputy recruits. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Training Division puts new deputies through realistic scenario training so they’re ready when they face real life high-stakes situations.

A deputy’s vehicle is their office and they spend most their shift behind the wheel. Like many aspects of law enforcement, driving is perfectly routine – until it isn’t. A deputy might at any moment have to respond at high speeds with lights and sirens activated to rush to an emergency. On very rare occasions, they may be authorized to engage in a pursuit. Deputies need top-notch driving skills, reflexes, and decision-making abilities for normal vehicle operations, and enhanced skills for extraordinary situations.

Deputy recruits have three days of driving training. On the course, recruits loop around a racetrack laid out with cones requiring tight turns, expert maneuvering, and last second decision-making as they follow a fleeing suspect. But the course doesn’t just train them for rare pursuits. The instincts for defensive driving and quick evasive action will be just as useful when a car slams on their brakes in front of them, or a child runs across the street in a neighborhood.

“For me, defensive driving and going through the pursuit course were the highlights of high liability training,” said Deputy Recruit Nicole Hasson. “As deputies, much of our time on patrol will be spent in a cruiser. Not only was learning a variety of driving tactics enjoyable, but it has prepared me to navigate a number of obstacles or conditions I might be faced with on the way to a call or in a pursuit.”

It’s not just driving though – it’s radio chatter and loud sirens distracting them at every opportunity. The trainers do whatever they can to make the whole experience as authentic as possible, and part of that authenticity includes having many stimuli happening at once. “The instructors did a good job in orchestrating scenarios that elicited an adrenaline response,” said Deputy Recruit Jason Whidby. “There was definitely an element of realism brought with intensity.” The recruits sometimes had a hard time listening to the radio or talking clearly on it while they were taking a hairpin turn, but it is one more vital skill that will become second nature.

Recruits spend days training to become proficient with their sidearm and long gun, but they spend even more time with training guns that don’t fire live ammunition. In building clearing drills, active assailant simulations, high-risk encounters, and repeated deadly force decision making drills, the recruits use training guns that fire real-sounding blanks. The trainers have another trick up their sleeve – to add to the chaos the trainers play bad guys and use guns that fire simunition – paint-tipped projectiles that leave a telltale mark if the recruits neglect to be alert or take cover. Trainers must be skilled actors, playing everything from criminals to panicked civilians, angry rioters, or injured deputies to test the responses of the recruits.

Deputy Recruit Hasson thinks the realistic sounds and simulations have helped prepare her for her job. “Auditory stimulus like sirens, the sound of gunfire, and shouting really enhance the experience of scenario training,” she said. “They are all sounds that comprise the work environment we may be in at any given moment, so by training under similar circumstances we can prepare for those conditions by learning to filter out or zone in on certain stimuli.”

Although serious, the high liability portion of their training can also undoubtedly be fun as well. Asked about their favorite components, there were a variety of responses. Deputy Whidby enjoyed firearms and driving the most, while for Deputy Kaleb Goodpaster time on the mat practicing defensive tactics was the best part. Deputy Nick Evangelous liked FRAG day, a series of ten fast-paced scenarios. For Deputy Max June the best day was a scenario that used an armored vehicle to move into heavy fire to rescue a fallen deputy. “Knowing what it is capable of and that it’s in our back pocket is amazing.”

Young people from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Cadet Unit #900 joined Explorers from other area agencies for the Multi-Jurisdictional Public Safety Youth Academy, a five-day educational experience held at the St. Petersburg College Allstate Center that offers insight into how law enforcement members perform their duties and serve the community. The St. Petersburg Police Department, Pinellas Park Police Department, and Gulfport Police Department also participated.

The week opened with physical training and team building exercises as the group got to know each other, then moved to an overview of law enforcement ethics. On the second day they learned firearms safety in the morning, then cooled off in the pool at Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure, taking a swim test and learning water survival skills.

“By Wednesday, the group of 19 youths were starting to become closer and were able to communicate more effectively,” said Deputy Megan Johnson, Lead Cadet Mentor. That meant it was time for them to participate in scenarios. For part of the day they practiced traffic stops, learning the fundamentals of officer safety and even being surprised with some unexpected situations to see how they would react. For the rest of the day they focused on firearms, first with simulator machines that replicated realistic incidents, and later with live fire at the range with one-on-one instruction. “Several of the inexperienced shooters did very well,” Deputy Johnson said.

Thursday they tackled the Cooper Test, which is used to evaluate prospective new deputies. “It consists of a 1.5-mile run, one minute of max-effort sit-ups, and one minute of max-level pushups. No one gave up and they helped to encourage each other.” Forensics came next with a chance to lift fingerprints and package evidence, followed by the mock courtroom.

On Friday there were more team building exercises and some practice in public speaking. Then the PCSO helicopter landed and joined specialty units and vehicles from multiple agencies, including the Pinellas Park Police Department’s mounted unit and the St. Petersburg Police Department’s traffic and DUI units. PCSO even brought out the Hurricane Deployment Team’s mobile kitchen to make lunch for everyone. The week concluded with certificates and awards, and a presentation for parents and guests.

The PCSO Cadets Unit #900 offers young people ages 14 to 20 a chance to learn more about law enforcement, be mentored by deputies, and build character, physical fitness, and respect for the rule of law and human and civil rights. To find out more, visit pcsoweb.com/cadets.