CONTACT:

FOR RELEASE: Saturday, Jun 30, 2007

WHO:

Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment based in Ronkonkoma and Albany train alongside NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation members of the firefighting task force.

WHAT:

Two NY Army National Guard Aviation aircraft will conduct a water bucket/Fire Hawk Wildfire demonstration of aerial firefighting techniques in conjunction with the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation’s Central Pine Barrens Wildfire Taskforce.

WHEN:

June 29 and 30, 2007 Expected Start Time: 12:30 p.m. on both days. Media representatives must be inside the Pine Barrens Preserve entry gate not later than Noon because the gate will be locked and secured at that time.

WHERE:

Wildwood Lake inside the Sarnoff Pine Barrens Preserve. From County Route 24 in Riverhead, the entrance to the Preserve is directly off of Route 104 South on the west side. The entrance is shortly after the McLeod Trailer Park. There is a large brown and yellow wooden sign just behind an Arborvitae shrub. The entrance is a small, paved turnaround with a locked yellow gate at the end.

As the season for wildfires comes into full swing the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Forest Protection and Fire Management, Region 1, has initiated a training event that focuses on procedures for combating future wild fires on Long Island and the current role of the DEC’s Wild Fire Task Force. The DEC has also requested the assistance of the NY Army National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment. The DEC has conducted similar training with the 142nd in the past with great results. The 142nd will employ two types of fire fighting demonstrations. One is the familiar-style Bambi Bucket flown by the Ronkonkoma-based unit and the other is the up-graded Fire Hawk aerial firefighting system from the Albany unit. The training scenario for both days will consist of classroom training each morning and a static display and demonstration in the afternoon. Media representatives will have access to the static display and talk with National Guard pilots and DEC Park Rangers before viewing the water drop demonstration. For additional information related to NYS Dept. of Conservation contact Mr. Bill Fonda at (631) 444-0350. For additional National Guard information, contact the DMNA public affairs office at (518) 786-4581.