Okla. Police, Firefighters Team Up to Battle Fires from Above

The Oklahoma City Fire Department has a new weapon in its arsenal to combat grass fires: a police helicopter that can be equipped with a 180-gallon bucket that can drop water on flames from the air.

April 4, 2022

Oklahoma City police are teaming up with the city's fire department in order to combat grass fires.

A police helicopter is being used to douse brush fires that break out in the city, KOCO-TV reports. When needed, the aircraft can be fitted with an 180-gallon buck that can dump water from above on flames.

“To have this resource now available that we can drop water—large quantities of water—from the air precisely where it needs to be is super important,” Oklahoma City Fire Department spokesman Benny Fulkerson said.

Both departments have been training with this new aerial tool. They also have been participating in joint long-line rescue training.

“That's (having) firefighters that would be able to essentially operate at the bottom of a static line, hanging from a police department helicopter to conduct rescues in different situations,” Fulkerson added.