Star 1
Star 1 is a 2006 Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil helicopter (registration number N402JC, obtained from the Seminole County, Florida Sheriffs Office) which is used as an "Air Support Unit" by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office as part of its Metro Area Crime Center. The current unit, which includes two pilots and one "tactical fly officer," went into service in November 2018. It is stationed at the Bessemer Airport.
An earlier Air Support Unit, created in 2006, consisted of two Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopters, "Star 1" and "Star 2" (N176JC and N581JC) which were secured from Fort Rucker in Dale County by Senator Jeff Sessions under the Department of Defense's 1033 program. A total of 25 personnel were assigned to that unit. Those helicopters were equipped with Spectrolab SX-5 "Nite Sun" spotlights, forward-looking infrared radar (FLIR), 800 MHz digital radios, GPS and night-vision flight goggles. Those helicopters were sold to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office in January 2019.
Crew
References
- Robinson, Carol (October 3, 2019) "Jefferson County’s Star 1 helicopter serves and protects from above, around the clock." The Birmingham News