DPS demonstrates hoist rescue training event in Austin
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas agency is improving operations to be prepared to save lives during emergencies.
On Thursday, the Texas Department of Public Safety demonstrated what it looks like to conduct a hoist rescue. It showcased the agency’s skills in using a helicopter to save people from places that are too dangerous to perform ground-based rescues.
The demonstration was part of a two-day training session, which was organized by the Airborne Public Safety Association (APSA). It took place at the Texas Department of Transportation’s Flight Services hangar in Austin, according to a news release from DPS.
The two-day training included more than 150 local, state and federal law enforcement personnel from across the state, according to DPS.
“This is a very challenging maneuver, in other words, operating a single-engine helicopter low to the ground often in inclement weather, it requires a lot of currency. So every 30 to 60 days, we actually put these hoist crews together and conduct both dummy loads and live loads,” said Stacy Holland, DPS chief pilot.
According to DPS, a hoist rescue saved a stranded family in Guadalupe Mountains National Park last summer.
