Grand Prairie, TX – American Eurocopter announced today that the company has delivered an AS350 B2 helicopter to the Aviation Section of the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), located on Long Island, east of New York City. This is the third AS350 B2 in the SCPD’s fleet of four that also includes an EC145. The new helicopter replaces another that was sold in order to upgrade to the AS350 B2. This aircraft will go into service immediately and marks the Aviation Section’s transition to an all-Eurocopter fleet.

“We chose another AS350 B2 because the aircraft gives us the power, reliability, size and advanced technology we need to perform our varied missions. With this helicopter, we have been able to standardize our fleet and we are now operating only Eurocopter aircraft,” said Sergeant Brian Barrett, Commanding Officer, Suffolk County Police Department Aviation Section. “We made the decision to standardize our fleet in order to take advantage of the training and maintenance benefits, as well as to minimize our aircraft on ground (AOG) situations. The benefits of working with American Eurocopter and the AS350’s performance made it an easy choice.”

The SCPD Aviation Section performs a wide variety of missions including medevac, interhospital transport, over water search and rescue, as well as law enforcement. To accomplish these missions, the Aviation Section operates their EC145 and their AS350 B2s.

The SCPD was the first program in the country to operate the EC145. The aircraft is large enough and powerful enough to accommodate all of the LE, EMS and SAR mission equipment at once. With its hoist, it is their true SAR helicopter.

The SCPD’s AS350 B2s primarily operate in the department’s law enforcement missions, but due to the aircraft’s cabin-size and flexibility, they are also able to fulfill EMS missions in a backup role.

This new aircraft was completed by American Eurocopter and the SCPD’s Aviation Section worked very closely with the design team to create an interior that met their requirements for their multi-mission role. Barrett and his team assessed their needs, evaluated a variety of current interior configurations and worked with the American Eurocopter’s Engineering Center to design a rapid-change interior.

The interior of their new AS350 B2 allows them to make quick changes to the configuration. Rather than removing the seat entirely, the crew can now simply slide the copilot’s seat behind the pilot’s seat to make room for the stretcher. It is a quick change that the SCPD Aviation Section can make on scene in a matter of minutes. “If we are on a patrol mission and need to make a switch to an EMS mission, when we land the TFO can make the necessary adjustments to the interior configuration as the medic is assessing the scene,” described Sergeant Eugene Sengstacken, Chief Pilot, Suffolk County Police Department Aviation Section.

Barrett went on to explain that American Eurocopter’s Engineering Center made the design and implementation of their new interior a smooth process. “Their design input, experience and expertise really made it easy to see what was available, what would work and what options we had in order to create an interior that would give us what we need,” he said.

The reliability and performance of the AS350 family of helicopters has made it the platform of choice for a majority of law enforcement agencies throughout the country. This proven reputation, along with American Eurocopter’s culture of continuous improvement makes it a choice worth coming back to. “We always enjoy coming here. The people, the products and the services, things are always improving here,” states Sengstacken. “Everyone is focused on staying competitive and leading the industry and it makes it a memorable visit.”

About American Eurocopter
American Eurocopter is a helicopter manufacturer that produces, markets, sells and supports the broadest range of civil and para-public helicopters offered by any manufacturer in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of EADS North America Holdings, the North American operations of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services, and is an affiliate of Eurocopter, the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world. American Eurocopter’s product line represents the most cost-effective, technologically-advanced helicopters, ranging from light single to heavy twin, serving all markets and missions. Company headquarters and main facilities are located in Grand Prairie, TX, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, MS, that produces the UH-72A for the U.S. Army’s Light Utility Helicopter program.