In moments of crisis, preparation is key. As retired British Columbia Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord wisely stated: “If you’re scrambling during a crisis, you’re already too late.” This sentiment resonated with me as I began work on this article. Dubord, now an executive leadership coach and strategy consultant, offers valuable insights on leadership. One of his posts featured a video of an active lava flow crossing a road, accompanied by a powerful message: “The best leaders don’t wait for the lava to flow. They anticipate, plan, and practice. Preparation transforms chaos into clarity and fear into focus.”
Preparing for the unknown is challenging, but some catastrophic events are inevitable. Every public safety aviation unit must be prepared for the next natural or manmade disaster. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornados, mudslides, avalanches, wildfires, active shooters, mass casualty terrorist attacks, and even bridge collapses could occur in any area of operation. Every one of these events has occurred somewhere in the U.S. in the past year, and aviation assets responded to save lives and property. Two high-profile recent events highlight the critical role of aviation in disaster response.
Hurricane Helene caused significant damage across six states. On Sept. 26, 2024, Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm continued northward and, despite being downgraded to a tropical storm, produced heavy rain, high winds, and numerous tornados. The widespread damage included unprecedented flooding across western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia.
The Los Angeles Wildfires ignited on Jan. 7, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. in the Pacific Palisades area. Eight hours later, a second fire began in Altadena. These fires started during a “Red Flag” wind warning, with Santa Ana winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour). Four additional fires started within 24 hours in Los Angeles County. The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire were particularly devastating, destroying or damaging over 12,000 structures, burning 36,000 acres (56 square miles), and killing 24 people at the time of this writing.
These disasters required large-scale aviation responses, with rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft performing various missions. In the case of Hurricane Helene, numerous privately-owned helicopters were also involved in rescues and delivering supplies. Responding to such incidents without prior planning, training, and experience would create a disaster within the disaster. Understanding the threats to a community and preparing for response must be a top priority.
Florida provides valuable lessons in disaster preparedness. The state regularly experiences weather disasters and boasts numerous aviation assets. Hurricane season, from June 1 to Nov. 30, is inevitable, but Florida’s aviation units are well-prepared.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit began hosting the South Florida Regional Hurricane Preparedness meeting in 2023. “We gather personnel from local, state, and federal public safety organizations, as well as private and corporate partners involved in hurricane operations,” said Sgt. Andrew Nicoletti, the unit’s supervisor. “We encourage participants to fly into our facility at Palm Beach International to better understand the equipment available for hurricane response.”
Discussions cover unit capabilities, evacuation plans, and protecting aircraft before a storm. Most hangars are not rated for severe hurricanes, so preparation requires a detailed list of alternative options. Communication is the number one topic at these meetings, as it often emerges as a critical issue in debriefs and after-action reports. Nicoletti emphasized the importance of preparation: “Prepare, plan, and coordinate. Prepare everything you can.”
His unit ensures readiness by maintaining “fly away kits” for maintenance and operations, along with personal “go bags” for each crew member containing essentials for at least 72 hours. Planning includes detailed evacuation strategies, identifying viable locations, and crew selections. Nicoletti highlighted other essential items: “Paper maps, plates, flight data sheets, weight and balance, logbooks, and local LZs. Updating files in your aircraft GPS is important as well.”
Coordination is another key aspect. “We make calls to everyone — from the state emergency operations center [EOC] to municipalities that don’t have aircraft, federal partners, and whoever else may be involved in our operations,” Nicoletti explained. “We try to iron out operational details before the storm hits so we aren’t trying to coordinate with crayons in a dilapidated hangar after the storm hits. I’d say having a solid 75 percent solution is realistic.”
On Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Tampa Police Department Aviation Unit works closely with surrounding agencies, including the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Section, to prepare for storms. Chief Pilot Chris Shepherd prioritizes crew and aircraft safety. With limited hurricane-rated hangars in Florida, accessibility after a storm is critical. Tampa Police collaborate with the Tampa Sports Authority and the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers to use the Bucs stadium, a secure structure capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds, for storing aircraft and other assets.
“The stadium has one roll-up door that is just big enough to push a Bell 407 through without removing the rotor blades,” Shepherd said. “The interior is large enough to secure all three helicopters if necessary.” Tampa PD has also used this facility to store marine unit assets and personnel.
Tampa PD integrates “Tac Medics” from the fire department into its storm staging plan. Medics remain with the aircraft and aircrew, ready to respond quickly. All crew members maintain four-day personal “go bags,” and a mechanics truck stands by for mobile operations. Tampa employs longline rescue methods, as its aircraft are not hoist-equipped, and has acquired an Airborne Tactical Extraction Platform (AirTEP) to enhance rescue operations.
Communication remains the most critical component of disaster preparedness. Effective communication must span the planning, operational, and debrief phases of any incident. Air crews must confirm they can communicate with federal, state, local, and military assets before a disaster occurs. Take the time now to confirm with certainty that you have what you need to communicate.
Recent events reinforce a vital lesson: we must prepare for the worst-case scenario. While the media often describes disasters as “unprecedented” or “unimaginable,” such terms are for headlines. Public safety aviation units must engage in tabletop disaster exercises, asking “what if” questions that drive meaningful preparation. These discussions lead to improved training, equipment, communication, and more — long before the next crisis strikes.
Preparedness is the foundation of successful disaster response. As Chief Dubord aptly noted, “Preparation transforms chaos into clarity and fear into focus.”
