Helo Gives Cop A Lift

[Treblehook]

Reference: https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/2 ... cop-a-lift

Wow... now that is some newsworthy story to be sure. Who cares if the police and the military decide to load a police car on a helo and deliver it to Big White? Maybe the people who made the decision to do so are responsible individuals, who had a very legitimate reason for doing so.... and maybe it was done some form of training/familiarization activity. At any rate, those helo's are here to provide aid to civilian authorities during the wildfire crisis that the province is experiencing. Is there really a value in John Q micro-managing the decisions of the Canadian military? I think not... unless of course the Minister of Defense happened to have called the chopper in to take him to Big White to go mountain biking.. sarcasm intended.

[gman313]

personally I think its cool - wish I could have watched

I remember the Antonov dumping 3 helis at YLW for KF a few years back - too cool!

[Drip_Torch]

I thought it was cool too.

No reason for #oplentus to be taking place in the dark.

[Even Steven]

Reference: https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/2 ... cop-a-lift

Wow... now that is some newsworthy story to be sure. Who cares if the police and the military decide to load a police car on a helo and deliver it to Big White? Maybe the people who made the decision to do so are responsible individuals, who had a very legitimate reason for doing so.... and maybe it was done some form of training/familiarization activity. At any rate, those helo's are here to provide aid to civilian authorities during the wildfire crisis that the province is experiencing. Is there really a value in John Q micro-managing the decisions of the Canadian military? I think not... unless of course the Minister of Defense happened to have called the chopper in to take him to Big White to go mountain biking.. sarcasm intended.

My guess is they needed extra enforcement for the Joe Rich fire - since the road is blocked and the evacuation is still in effect. Driving it there from Kelowna would either be impossible (if it's completely closed) or take forever (with delays up to 3-4 hours). So they dropped it off at Big White and away it goes to help where it's needed.

No big deal.

[BoB76]

What an incredible waste of taxpayers money. Put the sirens on and drive to where needed. Did they pick it up at the tim Hortons?

[GordonH]

Politicians waste a hell of lot more money (taxpayers) every day then having bunch of police cruisers get a piggyback back to base of operation.

[dale mck]

Don't know why they did this,,,but I found it interesting. I also find it interesting that the OP has a [b][i]problem[/i][/b] why anyone would find this interesting . Not everyone shares your interests,,or mine. Not everything has to be "BREAKING NEWS " of world shaking importance. Military, police,search & rescue, firemen all do exercises on a regular basis to be able to respond efficiently when a emergency arises, For all we know this could of been a real serious call response when Hwy 33 was closed.

[lightspeed]

Don't know why they did this,,,but I found it interesting. I also find it interesting that the OP has a problem why anyone would find this interesting . Not everyone shares your interests,,or mine. Not everything has to be "BREAKING NEWS " of world shaking importance. Military, police,search & rescue, firemen all do exercises on a regular basis to be able to respond efficiently when a emergency arises, For all we know this could of been a real serious call response when Hwy 33 was closed.

Agreed. Cool story. Equipment needed to be in place.

OP has an agenda.

Too much drama.

[voice of reason]

cool story but huge waste of money.the highway is closed to me and you but if they wanted to drive a police cruiser right up the middle of the highway they could.they could also drive it up mccolloch rd or up and around through osoyoos/rock creek they could have taken the 202 from penticton even. this was not the only way to get a cop car up the mountain.it is kind of cool seeing the military helo dump out a cop car but it is a colossal waste of tax dollars

[dale mck]

[quote="voice of reason"]cool story but huge waste of money.the highway is closed to me and you but if they wanted to drive a police cruiser right up the middle of the highway they could.they could also drive it up mccolloch rd or up and around through osoyoos/rock creek they could have taken the 202 from penticton even. this was not the only way to get a cop car up the mountain.it is kind of cool seeing the military helo dump out a cop car but it is a colossal waste of tax dollars[/quote]


There is a follow up up-date on the story that sheds more light on this story above the original article. With out all the facts,,,not sure how you could determine it was a colossal waste of tax dollars ! Made good sense to me.

[Treblehook]

Some people just seem predisposed to question or distrust any and every decision that is made by people in authority. I would bet that the ranking Officer in charge of the military operations in the BC Interior is a well trained, competent and responsible individual and that his/her purpose was not to waste the taxpayer's money. Turns out that the most recent revelations as to the rationale for moving the police vehicles via the helicopter validates the decision.

[LTD]

it doesn't rationalize a thing its still a colossal waste of money any way you look at it

[gordon_as]

Agree 100%. Hard to believe that nobody has blamed the NDP yet.

[KL3-Something]

What an incredible waste of taxpayers money. Put the sirens on and drive to where needed. Did they pick it up at the tim Hortons?

And....There it is.

The military has been "sent in" to assist with the wildfires. This is assistance. To move those vehicles it would take five members taken from their assigned posts, driving from Williams Lake to Kelowna with the vehicles to drop them off. Then to jump into two vehicles driven by two other members who were also taken off their posts, for the return trip back to Williams Lake. A return trip of at least 10hrs times seven (plus) members. Here, a military helicopter, that was sent in to assist, assisted in moving those vehicles. A trip that likely isn't much more above and beyond maneuvers that the helicopter and crew would be making in any given week anyway.

So a military crew was able to log valuable hours transporting cargo instead of tying up seven (plus) members for a full day to just drive.

I don't see it as a waste. If you got down to it and added up the money it would cost for those seven RCMP members plus the cost of covering them at their assigned posts vs the cost of that trip with the helicopter, you probably wouldn't see enough of a difference to qualify as an incredible waste of taxpayers dollars.

[GordonH]

Agree 100%. Hard to believe that nobody has blamed the NDP yet.

Not hard at all, since the military (as well the RCMP) is Federal not Provincial.