IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Riverside County will purchase two helicopters for its sheriff’s department.
The board of supervisors voted Tuesday to spend $11.5 million on a pair of helicopters from Airbus Helicopters, according to report in The Press-Enterprise.
One will replace a helicopter that crashed last August during a training exercise, the other will replace a 45-year-old model that is not equipped for rescues or flying at night.
About $9.5 million of the purchase cost will come from the county’s general fund, the rest from the insurance settlement that was paid on the crashed helicopter, the report stated.
County officials hope to have the new helicopters flying by next July, but they must first be fitted with extra equipment, including a rescue hoist, infrared heat sensors and a spotlight.
The board did seek competitive bids. The retrofitting almost doubles the price of both helicopters, according to the report.
