Broward County, FL, Sheriff Gregory Tony asked for new helicopters in June, months before Monday's fatal crash.
On Monday a sheriff's fire-rescue helicopter crashed into a residence in Pompano Beach, killing BSFR Capt. Terryson Jackson and a civilian on the ground. Four people were injured in the crash, including two sheriff's deputies on board the helicopter.
Tony said Tuesday that the mayor of Broward County reached out to him to find solutions to fix what happened, WSVN reports.
The sheriff said he received a commitment by Mayor Lamar Fisher that the county will secure a contract for two brand new state-of-the-art helicopters.
On June 8, Sheriff Tony met with the Broward County Commission to speak about the department’s budget. During the workshop, Tony specifically talked about BSO’s aging aviation fleet and potential issues.
“We really operate three helicopters, two law enforcement, one fire rescue,” Tony said. “Fire rescue helicopter that we’re utilizing has been around since 1999. We’ve been piecemealing parts for years to maintain flight capabilities.”
