NEWPORT BEACH : Police Copter Used in Firefighting Exercise

A city police helicopter dropped thousands of gallons of ocean water onto a remote canyon Thursday as part of a training program to prepare public safety personnel to fight a major brush fire.

The exercise was prompted by last year’s Laguna Beach firestorm, which came close to burning some of the rolling coastal hills of Newport Beach.

“We were lucky for some winds that came out of nowhere,” Sgt. Andy Gonis said of the Laguna fires. “We want to be prepared” for the next brush fires.

Thursday’s training exercise involved both the fire and police departments. It was designed to give the helicopter crew experience in scooping up the ocean water and dropping it on land.

The water is collected in a “Bambi bucket,” a plastic device that resembles an upside-down parachute. While the helicopter hovers over the ocean, the bucket is dropped into the water, where it can collect more than 100 gallons of liquid, Gonis said. The crew then flies the copter to the target point, and the water is released.

Firefighters and police Thursday ran the practice drop more than 20 times as part of the exercise. The drop point was Muddy Canyon, a secluded area to the east of Newport Coast Drive.

Fire Chief Timothy D. Riley said that portions of both Newport Coast Drive and Corona del Mar would benefit greatly from a water-dropping helicopter because fire engines have trouble gaining access to the remote areas.

“This is an added resource because some areas lack roads where we can get in and apply the water,” Riley said.

The Police Department has two helicopters. They are used almost every night to make patrols and assist police on the ground, Gonis said.