Snohomish County Sheriff s Office Air Support Unit 2017 Budget Note Response

Snohomish County Sheriff s Office Air Support Unit 2017 Budget Note Response

Investment in Current Air Ops Program Equipment Purchases 2 SCSO Helicopters Initial Purchases by County 1994 $5,500 County Investment in Overhauls $650,000 Homeland Security Grants to date $3,000,000 Volunteer SAR Funds to date $695,000 Total Investment: $4,350,500 Volunteer Donations Pro bono Paramedic (Flight Medic) coverage 24/7/365 $640,000/year Pro bono Aircrew Man Hours $385,000/year Helicopter Hangar & Pad $36,000/year Helicopter Rescue Team equipment $30,000/year Fire District 26 Medical Supplies $3,000/year Yearly In-kind Donations: $1,094,000 SCSO Annual Air Ops budget $291,164

Cost Comparison Metric Snohomish County King County Paid full-time aircrew (deputies) 1 5 Paid part-time aircrew (deputies) 3 8 Paid paramedics (paid by Fire) 0 9 Volunteer aircrew Including volunteer paramedics 31 0 Volunteer ground support team 8 10 Number of helicopters 2 5 Annual flight hours 300 1200 Annual Air Ops budget $291,164 $1.7 million

Snohomish County SnoHawk 1 1968 Hughes NOH-6P Acquired in 1993 for a cost of $500 $400,000 in County funded overhaul completed in 2006 $874,284 in Homeland Security grants and Federally funded equipment upgrades

Snohomish County SnoHawk 10 1970 Bell UH-1H plus 703 engine Acquired in 1994 at a cost of $5,000 $250,000 in upgrades completed in 2007 $2.2 million in Homeland Security grants and Federally funded aircraft and equipment upgrades 20 year life extension (to 2031) from upgrades in 2011

Snohomish County Air Support Unit 4 Employees Air Support Unit Supervisor: Sergeant Danny Wikstrom Chief Pilot/Pilot-in-Command: Deputy Bill Quistorf Deputy Pilot/Pilot-in-Command: Deputy Steve Klett (part-time) Tactical Flight Officer: Deputy Einar Espeland (secondary assignment) 38 Volunteers Pilot: Jennifer Stollwerck Pilot: Travis Hots Crew chiefs/hoist Operators: 1 Reserve Deputy, 5 Volunteers HRT Coordinator: Rescue Tech Oyvind Henningson Helicopter Rescue Technicians: 10 Volunteers Flight Physician: Dr Ron Brown Lead Flight Medic: Paramedic Brian Schleicher Flight Medics: 7 Volunteers Ground Support Team Coordinator: Wayne Orvik Ground Support Team Members: 8 Volunteers

Air Support Unit Operations 2016 Flight Hours Actual 2016 Training Search and Rescue Law Enforcement Admin Fire Maintenance Total S1 6.1 25.7 13.6 9.2 1.3 18.8 74.7 S10 63.1 55.1 0 11.2 8.9 11.1 149.4 Total 69.2 80.8 13.6 20.2 10.2 29.9 224.1 Projected 2016 Projected Flight Hrs S1 100 S10 200

Air Support Unit Operations 2016 Budget Fund Cost Category 2016 Budget Expended Helicopter Fund 141 Repair & Maint $60,000 $42,986 General Fund 002 Repair & Maint $70,000 $95,354 Fuel $40,000 $31,391 Salary & Benefits $121,164 $121,164 Sub-totals $291,164 $290,895

Air Support Unit Operations Cost per Flight Hour (fuel & maintenance) 2016 Total Flight Hours Cost per Hour Total Cost S1 74.7 $452 $33,750 S10 149.4 $910 $135,981 Total 224.1 hours $169,731

Options for Program Investment New replacement aircraft Used replacement aircraft Leased aircraft Contract aircraft County-owned aircraft

Replacement Aircraft

Replace SnoHawk 1 with Airbus 350 Single engine Seats: 6 (including pilot) Cost new: $4.5 million Cost used: $1.5 - $3 million Cost per flight hour: $637

Replace SnoHawk 10 with Bell 429 Twin engine Seats: 9 (including 2 pilots) Cost new: $8 million Cost used: $4 -$6 million Cost per flight hour: $924

Leased Aircraft

Replace SnoHawk 1 with Leased Airbus 350 Single engine Seats: 6 (including pilot) 10 year lease: $531,367 per year Cost per flight hour: $637

Replace SnoHawk 1 with Leased Bell 429 Twin engine Seats: 9 (including 2 pilots) 10 year lease: $881,450 per year Cost per flight hour: $924

Contract Aircraft

Contract Aircraft Federal Contract rates for 2015 Helicopter hourly rate includes fuel & maint. Includes one pilot. Does not include Standby time: MD 500D (similar to SCSO SnoHawk 1) $935 per hour. Bell 205 A1+ + (similar to SCSO SnoHawk 10) $1802 per hour.

Contract Aircraft Limits Contract rate example is for flight hours only, includes 1 pilot. Typical contracts include additional standby time for standby aircraft and crew. Rate does not include extensive ground and tower training time and instruction with the Helicopter Rescue Team which most contractors are not able to provide. Decreasing ground training and rehearsals increases risk dramatically.

County-owned Aircraft

Hughes 500, SnoHawk 1 2016 Cost per flight hour: $452 (fuel & maintenance)

Bell UH-1H, SnoHawk 10 2016 Cost per flight hour: $910 (fuel & maintenance)

Investment Comparisons Type III (small) LE/Search Type II (medium) Rescue/Firefighti ng Total Estimated Annual Operating Cost Annual Operating Cost in excess of 2017 levels Replace new $4.5 million $8 million $248,500 Investment only Replace used $1.9 - $3 million $5 - $6 million $300,000 Investment only Lease new $531,367/year $881,450/year $248,500 $1.4 million for 10 years Contract + 1 pilot Retain County Owned Aircraft *includes $50 per hour for pilot $69,844/year plus standby $269,218/year plus standby $550,000 $250,000 $33,750/year* $135,981/year* $300,000 Only major, non-grant funded repairs

Recommendation Continue to fund existing aircraft operations program. This is the most cost effective means of providing quality Air Support operations in the county. Snohomish County Sheriff s Office Air Support Unit provides airborne Law Enforcement, Search & Rescue, and Firefighting capabilities to the county.

Replacement Recommendation Fund and replace SnoHawk 1 Hughes 500 with Type III helicopter such as the Airbus 350 Debt service outlay is less than or comparable to contract service rate options Develop plan for 2031 funding options to replace SnoHawk 10 (Bell UH-1H)

Potential Future Funding Sources Continue to apply for Homeland Security grants NW Regional Aviation requested $275,000 for FY17 in grants historically used for aircraft equipment and regional joint training drills. $205,000 in grant funds approved. Allocate additional Federal Title III Timber Tax $128,339 allocated to Snohomish Co in FY16 Volunteer Helicopter Rescue Team fundraiser HRT Volunteers raised $300,000 in 2014 Invested $100,000 in spare rescue hoist 2015

Questions?