SMFPA participates in National Night Out (August 2, 2005)

Once again, the Washington Township Fire Department participated with other public safety and community groups in the National Night Out event held at Rock Spring Park.

This year, besides the usual Fire Truck Rides, Castle Slides, Rock Wall Climb, military vehicle, face painting, balloon animals, live DJ, K-9 demonstration, Karate demonstration, RC Planes demonstration, First Aid Squad “ Jaws of Life” demonstration, and safety displays, SMFPA Firefighter Mike Wightman and crew arrived in a US Coast Guard helicopter. 

This helicopter is an Aerospatiale HH-65 Dolphin (Dauphine). The HH-65 has twin engines which gives it a safer margin to work with. If one engine goes out there is enough power left in the other to bring it home safely. It can fly efficiently at 120 knots for three hours though it has a top speed of 160 knots. The HH-65 can operate up to 150 miles offshore, and performs standard operations such as SAR (Search and Rescue), drug interdiction, the enforcement of laws and treaties, and marine environmental protection.

The HH-65 uses composite materials throughout many parts of the airframe. This makes the Dolphin more resistive to the corrosion forces at work in the marine environment it operates in. These composite materials also help make the dolphin lighter. This helicopter weighs in at under 10,000 pounds. The Dolphin has unique features such as a computerized flight management system which integrates state-of-the-art communications and navigation equipment. One of the capabilities this equipment presents is the ability to a stabilized a hover 50 feet above a selected object.

This automatic flight control system is an important safety feature in darkness or inclement weather. This also allows for automatic search patterns to be flown automatically, freeing the pilots to put their efforts into the actual search for survivors. The crew demonstrated the rescue of a person by lifting them off the ground into the chopper via their winch.

Many thanks to Firefighter Wightman, who is also a Petty Officer in the USCG.

Also, our sincere appreciation to the entire flight crew for their participation in making this such a success. The crew consisted of Pilot- LT Jeff Graham, Co-pilot- LTJG Frank Fusco, Flight Mechanic- Petty Officer Jeff Wilson and Rescue Swimmer- Petty Officer Zee Lee.

SMFPA Firefighters B. Ogden (or perhaps Jessica Simpson) and M. Wightman during the ground exhibit.

For more pictures from the Washington Township National Night Out 2005, click here to visit the WTPD Site.