Over the weekend, U.S. Forest Service crews took to the skies above Grants Pass for a round of mandatory โshort haulโ helicopter proficiency training โ a lifesaving exercise designed to keep pilots and firefighters sharp when every second counts. The specialized training, held near the Oregon Department of Forestryโs Southwest Oregon District office, simulated high-risk rescue operations where firefighters or emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are lowered hundreds of feet below a hovering helicopter to reach steep or inaccessible terrain.
Crews practiced mock patient rescues and precision insertions using 200-foot lines, simulating both wildfire deployments and emergency extractions. Helicopter Manager and Spotter Morgan Thomsen with the U.S. Forest Service said staying current on short haul procedures is critical for both crew safety and mission success. โWe go through this process every 21 days to keep people current,โ Thomsen explained. โThereโs obviously a lot of room for severe consequences if weโre not kept up on the procedures we go through.โ
