The Santa Barbara County, California, Fire Department will expand the capabilities of its Firehawk Helicopter 964 to perform medevac operations, thanks to a donation from an area nonprofit. One805 donated $90,000 to outfit the helicopter with the needed changes to perform these operations, according to the nonprofit's Facebook page.
The helicopter is part of the Santa Barbara County Air Support Unit (ASU). It's a public safety aviation unit comprised of Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office employees.
The helicopter is a 2004 Sikorsky HH-60L "Firehawk," according to a press release from the county's initial acquisition of the helicopter in 2020. It was purchased in 2019 and was stationed in Alabama while it was retrofitted with state-of-the-art avionics, paint, and a new rescue hoist. The helicopter was also tested, certified, and transformed from a military grade helicopter to a helicopter configured to meet the missions of public safety for the residents of Santa Barbara County.
