Calif. cities contract for aerial firefighting, police surveillance capabilities

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Aerial firefighting services will continue to be provided to the City of Los Angeles by Erickson Incorporated under a five-year contract renewal.

Under the award, Erickson will provide one S-64 helicopter equipped with a 2,650-gallon fire suppression system, a detachable water tank and eight coverage levels for targeted fire suppression for use in fighting blazes in the greater Los Angeles area.

"The Los Angeles City Fire Department is pleased to continue working with Erickson, as both our department and our residents value the company's elite aerial fire suppression services," said Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas. "Together, our two organizations help save lives and resources when time is of the essence."

The contract contains options for an additional five-years. Its value, however, was not disclosed.

In other local authority news, the California city of Huntington Beach has deployed an Israeli-made video surveillance network for enhanced public safety.

RADWIN, headquartered in Tel Aviv, said installation of the wireless, IP-based network -- composed of Axis high-definition video cameras and RADWIN wireless systems -- was conducted in collaboration with its U.S. partner, CelPlan Technologies.

Installation involved deployment of fixed and pan/tilt/zoom video cameras at key city locations and 4.9GHz systems to connect the equipment to the city's police headquarters.