With a dangerous fire season expected the new helicopter, which is owned by Orange Helicopters director Dean Brus, will be on-call for the RFS to use in the Central West and beyond.
Mr Brus said the Bell 212 can hold 1450 litres of water.
“There are no helicopters this size on this side of the Blue Mountains,” he said.
Mr Brus, who is also a former firefighter, worked closely with the RFS when deciding to purchase the helicopter.
Mr Brus said the central location would be useful to the RFS, as Orange was perfectly situated to help western regions.
“We did consult with the RFS in the process and we think they were quite pleased with it,” he said.
Mr Brus spent nearly 18 months consulting over the design.
He said the Bell 212 is one of only a few like it in the southern hemisphere.
While having the capacity to fight fires, Mr Brus said it is also capable of doing heavy lifting of materials over distance, such as going into national parks and forests.
“It ticked all the boxes,” he said.
The aircraft will be prepared each morning during the fire season.
Until a new hanger is built for the aircraft, it will be temporarily housed in the old Careflight hangar along Bathurst Road.
Member for Orange Phil Donato said he was “proud” to see local businesses responding to local needs.
“This is a perfect example of a business which is focusing on the region in which it has grown, providing employment opportunities and servicing the needs of rural and regional NSW,” he said.
“I can’t wait to see this new machine perch upon the helipad in readiness for rapid response to any potential fire disaster this summer.”
Max Stainkamph
Max joined the CWD in September 2017, leaving the big smoke of Melbourne to come to Orange, where he stayed until 2020.
Max joined the CWD in September 2017, leaving the big smoke of Melbourne to come to Orange, where he stayed until 2020.
