California Army National Guard CH-47 Burglary Equipment Stolen

Monday, September 10, 2012

California Army National Guard CH-47 Burglary Equipment Stolen

Chinook helicopter broken into at Ukiah airport
By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN

California Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter wrenches a 660-gallon water bucket out of an aqueduct to deposit water on fires still smoldering in the Sequoia National Forest near Kernville, Calif.

A Chinook helicopter helping to battle local fires for more than two weeks was broken into Sunday night while parked at the Ukiah Municipal Airport, according to the U.S. Army National Guard.

"This is very frustrating," said Col. Lou Carmona, explaining that the CH-47 helicopter was parked at what he believed was a "secure helibase" when someone broke into it, causing damage and stealing several thousand dollars worth of equipment.

"I am really disappointed," Carmona continued, adding that he "wrote so many memos" to keep the helicopter in California "strictly for firefighting." He said there are 12 such helicopters in California and the rest are being used for operations in Afghanistan.

Carmona said the helicopter here is based out of Stockton and has been aiding firefighting efforts in the area for the past 12 days, helping drop water on the North Pass Fire in Covelo and more recently the Scotts Fire east of Ukiah in Lake County.

"It took a lot of work to get this thing in here, and then to have it broken into and equipment stolen, I'm really pissed off," Carmona continued, describing the equipment as a satellite phone, an aviation GPS unit and various tools. "I would love to see the person who did this caught."

Carmona said the helicopter was grounded for repairs and will remain at the airport for a "couple more days while we make the repairs."

He said the Army National Guard believed the helicopter was stored in a "secure helibase with roving security," and therefore did not "set up a perimeter of armed guards around it at night."

Ukiah Police Department Capt. Justin Wyatt confirmed a helicopter was broken into at the airport Sunday night but had no further details.
Anyone with information can call the UPD at 463-6262.

Source: Ukiah Daily Journal - Link

CFN - California Fire News 2012

No comments:

How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Monday, September 10, 2012