PHOENIX — When people think of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, images of troopers patrolling the freeways come to mind. But the department also has aerial services that some people don’t know about. Say hello to the DPS Air Rescue Unit.
The unit is an elite, highly-trained team who are tasked with rescues in the roughest conditions, working with pinpoint accuracy.
When the calls come in, they are off in a moment’s notice. But most days for this team start on a much quieter note.
12News caught up with part of the Phoenix team at a hangar in north Phoenix as they looked over their checklist for their chopper before they take flight. Pilot Kenan Bahadir has been part of the team for nearly a decade.
"It was kind of like my dream job when I first started flying to come here," Bahadir said.
Typically, they work in a team of three. Bahadir stated they normally fly with a single pilot and two paramedics.
Many members of the team are cross-trained as what’s called a systems operator and rescue specialist.
Michael Snyder has helped with some of the most difficult rescues.
"If I'm the rescue specialist, I'm looking down to see how many subjects we have," he said. "Do they have injuries? Trying to gather as much information so I'm making my rescue plan as a rescue specialist."
And he's figuring out what kind of equipment is needed while in constant communication with the other team members. Roughly half of their support calls are for search and rescue plus medical assistance. The other half is made up of law enforcement support.
They have state-of-the-art equipment on their chopper, helping them fly in the day as well as the night, so they can help in operations after the sun goes down.
Over the last year, we’re told they’ve assisted border patrol agents along our southern border with identifying traffickers through rough terrain, or crossers who are lost in the desert and call for help.
There are local, state, and federal groups who have choppers, some just don't have the range, equipment, or training in the kind of situations this unit has.
Some rescues are as dangerous as they look, being feet from mountain cliffs and inches above rushing water, so the training is intense. 12News witnessed some of the training firsthand, to see how the teams work together and communicate.
There are four bases for air rescue teams across Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff and Kingman.
They need to be ready for anything since they can find themselves in some of the most remote areas across Arizona, and sometimes also dealing with difficult weather conditions.
"Some of the calls we do down into the Grand Canyon can be, like, really challenging just cause we're usually at high altitudes," Bahadir explained. "The weather up there inside of the Grand Canyon can create its own weather systems."
Bahadir started documenting some of the incredible rescues the teams have done. Their social media page has developed a large following on social media because of it. Many people are in awe of the kinds of situations the team can get in and out of.
They also say it’s nice to interact with those who are thankful for their work.
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