County Looking to Buy Second Helicopter for Night Missions as It Takes Hard Look at Fire Response
San Diego County wants to buy a second firefighting helicopter equipped for making water drops at night. It has nearly $4 million in hand but needs to find $14 million to pay for it. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted a unanimous 4-0 to pursue funding for the new helicopter, as well as buying four water tenders, which cost nearly $1 million each, and another $750,000 per tender a year to cover staffing costs. Finding money for the big-ticket items will be considered for the budget for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.