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San Diego Fire Chief Lobbies For Second Helicopter

San Diego city’s fire chief hopes to have a second helicopter by the time the next fire season rolls around next year. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

San Diego Fire Chief Lobbies For Second Helicopter

San Diego city’s fire chief hopes to have a second helicopter by the time the next fire season rolls around next year. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders says the city has come up with a financing plan for a second firefighting helicopter.

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Standing with the mayor in front of the city’s first helicopter, Copter One, fire chief Tracey Jarman said the recent fires proved a properly equipped helicopter is equivalent to a strike team of four fire engines in terms of effectiveness.

Jarman : The new helicopter, Copter Two, will further bolster our emergency response capabilities . In conjunction with ground forces, the use of helicopters has proved to be the most effective method to control wildfires in our wildland urban interface.

Chief Jarman says the city is short of fire stations, and she will push for more ground crews as well.

The city’s first helicopter is not paid off yet, but the mayor says private donations into the city’s helicopter fund will take care of payments on both copters through 2012.

Alison St John KPBS News.