BUUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN)....When John Garcia took office as Erie County Sheriff in early 2022, one of the first issues he was confronted with was what to do about its aging Air 1 helicopter.
It took four years, but Garcia found not one - but two solutions.
The sheriff's office how has a pair of Airbus H-125 copters - a $12 million investment, with potential more than $7 million of the costs covered through federal and state allocations along with, potentially, receiving as much as $1 million in the sale of the current Air 1 copter.
"This is a public safety issue, but I didn't want to put the entire cost on the county taxpayers," Garcia said.
Congressman Nick Langworthy secured a $4.2 million allocation and Assemblyman Pat Burke was able to get $1 million in state funds for the copters.
"The price tag, to me, wasn't the story," Langworthy said. "This is a critical piece of public safety infrastructure. Getting the (federal) money made total sense The money is coming. It is signed, sealed and will be delivered.."
Originally, the sheriff's office was considering a larger Airbus model but, that by itself, would have cost $12 million.
The cost became something of a political football as County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick questioned the cost and acquisition process.
"This was not a want," Garcia said. "This was and is a need."
Air 1 is 24 years old and, recent years, spent more time on the ground being repaired than in the air.
Last year, Air 1 was grounded for maintenance and repair issues for 10 of the 12 months.
Garcia called Air 1 "antiquated."
By going with the single turbine engine model, the county was able to buy both helicopters and pay for the necessary installation of specialized equipment for the same $12 million that had been allocated for one, larger model, Garcia said.
The copters were made in Alabama and Louisiana and then flown to Buffalo by the sheriff's airborne team.
Capt. Ryan Rogers said the new copters have a 5,220 pound capacity, up from 4,960-pound limit in Air 1.
"That 300 pounds can make a big difference," Rogers said. "It means we can carry more fuel and equipment or personnel."
Two copters are needed because if one is down for maintenance, the other can still be active.
The copters are used for a number of services including search-and-rescue, air patrols during large scale events and even trying to find stolen vehicles..
"They cover more ground faster than patrol cars," Langworthy said.
Before the new copters can officially be airborne, the Erie County Legislature must approve an RFP - issued by the sheriff's office - for the necessary upgrades needed for the two Airbus models.
Then, the equipment must be installed.
Garcia hopes both copters can be airborne later this year.
Air 1 will remain in service until the new copters are ready.
The county will then sell Air 1, with the legislature approval for the sale.
Both copters should be airborne-ready later this year
Both copters should be airborne-ready later this year
