gdempsey@sheriff.martin.fl.us
Under the supervision of Lt. George Dempsey the Aviation unit uses OH-58 military surplus helicopters to provide air support to a growing county. The Aviation unit consists of one full-time and one part-time pilot, Chief Pilot Lt. George Dempsey and Capt. / Pilot Brian McCandless. The Aviation unit also has one full-time Tactical Flight Officer, Deputy Sheriff Wayne Trocan. The military surplus helicopters have been outfitted with modern infrared technology, several different communications systems and GPS moving maps. Known as Air1 and Air2, these units also have a video downlink capability, which allows the Sheriff’s Office communications center and the mobile command post to have a bird’s eye view of a scene.
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Aviation Unit members: Deputy Sheriff / Tactical Flight Officer Wayne Trocan, Lieutenant and Chief Pilot George Dempsey and Captain / Pilot Brian McCandless |
Pilots and aircrew fly with night vision goggles that greatly increase the Aviation unit's night time capabilities. The Aviation unit supports a variety of local, state and federal agencies. Missions include marijuana eradication, surveillance, locating missing persons, assisting in the location of fleeing felons, illegal immigrants, search and rescue on land and sea, command and control during firefighting operations, aerial photography of crime scenes for courtroom presentation, backing up ground units and many others. The Aviation Unit also provides demonstrations and displays. These are done on a case by case basis depending on the availability of aircraft and crew. Requests for these missions should be directed to Lt. George Dempsey. The air units often patrol vast tracks of land in western Martin County that are not easily accessible by patrol vehicles. Missions such as these and the ability of the Aviation unit to be the eye in the sky are invaluable for all types of law enforcement operations.
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