Overview
- Phoenix Police’s Firebird 10 was flown out of state for manufacturer-mandated repairs, officials confirmed Friday, and is expected to be unavailable until about October.
- Fire Captain Rob McDade and Phoenix Fire say losing the hoist will make some mountain rescues take up to three hours instead of about one hour, increasing physical strain on rescuers.
- The department has changed staffing, capped technical-rescue workers at two rescues per day during summer shifts, and mapped Plans A through E to handle hoist-less scenarios.
- Phoenix will rely on mutual-aid helicopters from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Arizona DPS when possible, but those aircraft are not dedicated to the city and may be unavailable.
- Officials are urging hikers to heed extreme-heat warnings, follow trail closures, carry water and charged phones, and avoid summit pushes to reduce risky calls and protect responders.