During the peak of wildfire season, a Napa Valley home and its 82-year-old resident faced imminent peril as flames encroached on the property. Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Goldsmith and his crew, working in tandem with aerial firefighting teams, executed a critical intervention to suppress the blaze. Their coordinated efforts not only saved the home but also protected its elderly occupant, showcasing the urgency and collaboration required to combat threats during California’s increasingly volatile wildfire season.
In 2021, Goldsmith and his unit’s 1st Assault Helicopter, based in Los Alamitos, is scheduled for deployment to the Middle East to be part of the military readiness program while providing support to firefighters and law-enforcement agencies when offering national disaster relief.
According to Goldsmith, this will be his unit’s fourth deployment mission since 9/11. As the senior commanding officer, he is responsible for the 140th Regiment’s fleet of 18 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and over 400 military personnel.
In Goldsmith’s battalion, Aviators took many helicopter flights, totaling over 700 flight hours by October, solely to put out California wildfires. With the dry season and strong winds expected to continue, these hours are expected to go up.
Apart from wildfires, flight teams with the 140th Regiment offered helicopter lifts to 8,000 National Guard soldiers to provide emergency response to protests in June, following the death of George Floyd.
Despite the global coronavirus pandemic, the battalion has continued to provide training to fight abroad whenever required by the US Department of Defense. Such military training is critical, especially now when the country is in looming clashes with China and Russia.
This year, California has had over 4 million acres of land affected by wildfire. That’s a record figure since the state started keeping records. During the summer, when fires were ravaging, the state requested 16 natural disaster relief helicopters because the Cali National Guard can only deploy three helicopters at a time. That forced the state’s emergency response department to outsource Guard helicopters from other states like West Virginia, Illinois, Wyoming, and Wisconsin.
When disaster strikes, it is critical to act fast. With wildfires becoming more frequent in the West and hurricanes and tornadoes hitting the sunshine states, it is crucial to be prepared when the inevitable occurs.
Fair Lifts provides different aircraft types that can offer efficient and timely helicopter lifts for rescue workers and first responders. For instance, we can offer our MD-500 multi-purpose helicopter to provide easy maneuverability while conducting search and rescue missions. We also have helicopters enabling you to transport personnel, as well as heavy cargo and equipment.