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San Diego Helicopter Fund
Bill Ballhaus, president of Network Systems for BAE Systems, presents a $15,000 check to Tracy Jarman, San Diego fire chief. The funds will help the San Diego Foundation Wildfire Fund purchase a second firefighting helicopter.
27 Mar 2008 | 102/2008
SAN DIEGO — BAE Systems has donated $15,000 to the San Diego Foundation Wildfire Fund toward the purchase of a second firefighting helicopter.
The fund seeks to obtain $1 million, largely from corporate donors, to help pay for and operate Fire-Rescue Copter 2. The city currently operates Copter 1, which was the only unit that flew during the first two days of last October’s Witch Creek wildfires. San Diego fire Chief Tracy Jarman plans to have Copter 2 operational weeks before wildfire season peaks in the fall.
“Copter 1 was worth its weight in gold during the Witch Creek fires,” Jarman said. “The new helicopter will further bolster our emergency response capabilities. In conjunction with ground forces, the use of helicopters has proven to be the most effective method to control wildfires in our wildland urban interface.”
Bill Ballhaus, president of network systems for BAE Systems, presented the donation to Jarman. BAE Systems has a facility in Rancho Bernardo, where 365 homes were destroyed during the first two days of the Witch Creek fires.
For further information, please contact:
Despina Froumis, BAE Systems
Tel: +1 858 675 2845 Mobile: +1 858 342 8709
despina.froumis@baesystems.com
