Supervisors approve special new Sheriff's helicopter

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the sole-source procurement of a forward looking infra-red (FLIR) system for the Sheriff’s Department’s Bell 407 Type III communications helicopter.

The supervisors’ 5-0 vote March 13 authorizes the director of the county’s Department of Purchasing and Contracting to enter into negotiations with FLIR Systems, Inc., and to award a contract upon determination of a fair and reasonable price for the procurement of a forward looking infra-red system and for maintenance of the Sheriff’s FLIR equipment and accessories. The system will be funded by the 2006 State Homeland Security Grant Program, and the contract has an estimated cost of $264,000.

“It’s an excellent piece of equipment for the county, for the region,” said Capt. Charlie Campe, who is in charge of emergency services for the Sheriff’s Department. “We think it will be a great addition.”

In March 2006 the supervisors authorized procurement of a Type III communications helicopter using State Homeland Security and Urban Area Security Initiative grant funds. The Bell 407 was purchased in response to that authorization, and it is based at the Sheriff’s ASTREA (Aerial Support To Regional Enforcement Agencies) headquarters at Gillespie Field in El Cajon.

The helicopter is maintained and piloted through the Sheriff’s office, but it is used in jurisdictions other than those patrolled by the Sheriff. The FLIR system will thus benefit the entire region. “It’s a regional piece of equipment,” Campe said. “It will serve areas all over the county, not just the Sheriff’s Department.”

ASTREA also includes patrol and rescue operations, and two firefighting helicopters operated by the Sheriff’s Department are based at Gillespie Field and at Fallbrook Community Airpark. The Bell 407 purchased in 2006 has the ability to be used for other ASTREA functions. “It will also have some firefighting capability in a very small amount,” Campe said.

In June 2006 the supervisors authorized the issuance of a competitive solicitation to outfit the Bell 407 helicopter, and during the solicitation process the Source Selection Committee found that the county could procure the FLIR system more cost-effectively than the outfitting vendors could, as the quotes obtained by vendors were higher than a quote the committee obtained independently from FLIR Systems, Inc. The FLIR systems currently used in the Sheriff’s Department fleet are manufactured by FLIR Systems, Inc., and the sole-source procurement will enable the Sheriff’s Department to maintain compatibility of systems between helicopters.