MEDIA NOTE: Please click on the image above to play video of the mission. BSFR personnel who handled this call will be available for interviews today, Friday, Jan. 30, at 11:30 a.m. at Pompano Beach Airpark. The location is 931 N.E. 10th Street, hangar 18. Please RSVP to mediarelations@sheriff.org.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue Aviation Unit successfully completed its first aerial firefighting mission this past Tuesday using its newly commissioned Eurocopter EC145 helicopter.
At approximately 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27, a recreational tour boat operator reported a brush fire near mile marker 46 along I-75 in the western section of the Everglades Wildlife Management Area. In response, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue deployed both waterborne airboat teams and its aviation unit to the scene. Upon arrival, crews discovered a rapidly spreading brush fire covering an area roughly the size of a football field.
Coordinated efforts between ground and air units quickly escalated into a targeted suppression operation utilizing the helicopter’s Bambi Bucket system—an advanced aerial firefighting tool capable of carrying and releasing nearly 200 gallons of water with precision accuracy.
The helicopter crew, consisting of one pilot and two flight medics cross-trained as firefighters and paramedics, conducted multiple water drops over a two-hour period. Thousands of gallons of water, sourced from a nearby canal, were deployed to fully extinguish the fire and prevent further environmental damage.
“This mission demonstrates the critical value of our aviation capabilities in emergency response,” Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony said. “The ability to engage fires from the air gives us a powerful advantage in protecting the environment and public safety across Broward County.”
BSO received two Eurocopter EC145 aircraft – one each in December 2024 and May 2025 – to support our aerial fleet. Following specialized airborne firefighting training completed in September 2025, this operation marks the unit’s first live deployment in that capacity.
Beyond firefighting, the BSO Aviation Unit remains at the forefront of emergency medical response. The unit recently earned distinction as one of the first in Florida to deliver and administer whole blood transfusions directly to trauma and medical patients in flight—further extending lifesaving capabilities to the skies above Broward County.
THIS REPORT BY:
Battalion Chief Michael Kane/BSFR PIO