DYFED-POWYS’ new police air service has completed its first two months, providing 24-hour coverage across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.

Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon said: “Air cover is there 24 hours every day of the year where previously we had just 12 hours a day.

“In January last year our own helicopter was out of action 10 days for maintenance. Other than during bad weather, as was the case with the previous service, I’m pleased that figures show the new arrangement is meeting our needs so far.

“I am keeping a close eye on it to ensure that it delivers what we need.

“It costs us £275,000 less too, with further savings of £75,000 from April this year. I am determined to put that towards frontline officers to keep people safe.”

The police force asked for air support 41 times in January and February. On 18 of those occasions, the crew was stood down before take-off as incidents had been resolved by officers on the ground.

The 11 incidents attended included a counter-terrorism exercise in Milford Haven, concerns for the welfare of individuals in Sennybridge, Powys, and the Black Mountain, near Ammanford, people fleeing from a road collision in Aberystwyth and a missing person in Cardigan.

Poor weather prevented the air crews attending on nine occasions. Three incidents which the service could not attend for other reasons included missing people who were located shortly after the call to the National Police Air Service (NPAS).

Like-for-like data for 2015 is unavailable. However, January 2015 did see 24 calls for air support, with 14 being stood down. The Dyfed- Powys aircraft was unavailable for 10 days due to maintenance.

Supt Huw Meredith, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “I meet regularly with NPAS to review our demand and their response. We are working closely together to ensure that Dyfed-Powys Police gets the best possible service from NPAS.”

The home of the former Dyfed- Powys service, Pembrey, is being used as a forward operating base by NPAS. Helicopters have made a number of visits this year. Mr Salmon and the police force are considering how the base can be further used in the future. It is already being used for driver training.

The new air service began on January 1, supplied by the NPAS and offering 24/7 cover from air bases such as St Athan in South Wales and Hawarden in North Wales.

It replaced a Dyfed-Powys service which had been available 12 hours a day. The new service costs the taxpayer £890,000 a year, significantly less than the previous service.

NPAS Accountable Manager Chief Superintendent Ian Whitehouse said: “We are pleased to welcome Dyfed-Powys into the NPAS collaboration.

“We are committed to working with local staff to develop operational support that reduces the threat, harm and risk to communities.

“Since it’s foundation in 2009, NPAS has delivered 23% savings to forces across the country in the cost of air support.”

THE EYE IN THE SKY

Inspector Ian Richards tells The Herald what can happen in a typical day.

At Dyfed-Powys Police, the helicopter team gives ‘an eye in the sky’ for the Force. It can take as little as 12 minutes to search an area of one square mile at a cost of £160. In comparison it can take 12 police officers, 454 hours at a cost of £4,500 to cover the same area!

• The crew respond to a variety of tasks including:
• Searches for missing people, suspects and vehicles
• Taking casualties to hospital
• Transporting specialist teams around the force area
• Gathering intelligence including using video and aerial photography
• Reassurance from the air, to the communities of Dyfed-Powys

WHAT HAPPENS IN A DAY?

Early morning: First things first – The weather is an important factor and can have a massive effect on how our day will pan out. The crew will probably be looking at the weather on their way into work!

Once at the base, the aircraft is prepared for its activities – the fuel is checked, and fuel details are filled in. The equipment in the aircraft is checked and the daily pre-flight check is carried out. The planned events for the day are discussed and a weather report and details of any aviation activity which would affect our operations within the force area are given, such as military fast jet activity and the state of the various military ranges throughout the Force.

Any pre-planned tasks or requests made for the helicopter over-night will also be scrutinized and taking into account as the day is planned.

10.30am: A request is made for the helicopter to attend the areas of Mathry / Scleddau in north Pembrokeshire, to assist in a search. The crew look at the incident on the computer, and see that in the earlier hours of the morning a road traffic collision has occurred. There is only one vehicle involved and it is on its roof, the driver cannot be found and there is mounting concern for the driver, given the fact that it is located in a very rural area. The weather is good and the crew make contact with the officers at the scene, including a Police dog handler.

The helicopter makes its way to the scene (15 minutes) and quickly establishes communications with officers on the ground. The crew then carry out and extensive visual and thermal search utilising the powerful camera equipment fitted to the helicopter. Numerous field, tracks, lanes and roads are searched, but no persons area found and the helicopter resumes back to the base in Pembrey. The driver was later found at an address safe and well. Whilst the helicopter is coming back into the base at Pembrey, the crew spot what they believe to be some illegal cockling activity in the area of the estuary near to Llansteffan. Video footage of the activity is recorded by the crew and details of vehicles at the scene are obtained. The information will later be passed to our partner agencies to assist them in any future prosecutions.

3:00pm: Reports come in to the Police control room of a number of male persons in possession of shotguns, at a construction site in the Milford Haven area. The site is located in a rural area outside of the town. Firearms teams make their way to the vicinity and report that they have found an abandoned car in a gate way to a field. Inside the car are gun cases and they report hearing gunshots from the direction of nearby fields and woods. Based on this information the firearms teams request that Helicopter attended to carry out a search of the open areas and woodlands.

The crew make contact with the firearms officers via the radio and establish a search area. The helicopter then makes its way to the scene (10 minutes) and establish communication with the firearms officers. A visual and thermal search are carried out, in the areas identified by the firearms officers. During the search, the crew spot a heat source in a wooded area, using the thermal camera and whilst monitoring the images they establish that it is in fact a person and he can also be seen holding a gun.

The crew then direct firearms officers towards the male, whilst at the same time providing a commentary of the males movements and actions, and the footage is beamed back to the Police Control Room using the data downlink. A second male is also spotted on the thermal camera and firearms officers are updated. The males meet with officers and it transpires that they have permission to shoot on the land and are legally in possession of their shotguns. The Helicopter resumes from the scene back to Pembrey.

7:30pm: A report from the Ambulance service is received of a seriously ill 10 month old baby in the Rhayader area of Powys. The Air Ambulance is offline so the Ambulance service have asked if the Police Helicopter can carry out what we call a CASEVAC or casualty evacuation.

The crew immediately get airborne, it is now dark so the crew are wearing night vision goggles and they plot the route to Rhayader, taking into account obstacles and high ground en-route. Whilst travelling the crew are speaking with Police Officers on the ground, and ask then to identify a suitable landing area, check that the area is clear and free from obstacles such a telephone or electric cabling. The area chosen is a rugby field and ground units manage to get the flood lighting turned on in time for the landing of the helicopter.

One crew member then re-fits the interior of the aircraft, whilst the others meet with the ground units, Ambulance and Doctor. The decision is made that the baby will be carried by the mother in the helicopter and a Paramedic will accompany the crew on the flight to Morriston Hospital, Swansea.

The patient is safely transported to Morriston Hospital, giving a time of 1 hour and 12 minutes from the helicopter leaving the base at Pembrey to arriving at Morriston with the patient.

Evening: After return to base, the aircraft is re-fuelled, updated all our records and the last flight/ incident was debriefed. At 8:30pm it was the end of the shift for the aircraft.

As you can see, we are busy team and cover a large area. We can get to places quickly and safely to help the officers on the ground deal with a variety of situations.