On Tuesday, August 20, the City of Peoria “cut the ribbon” to commemorate the debut of its first Aviation Unit and reveal the new Bell 505 helicopter, as a new tool to enhance public safety capabilities in the West Valley.
Mayor Jason Beck, Police Chief Thomas Intrieri, Assistant Fire-Medical Chief Justin Gorospe and City Manager Henry Darwin addressed a crowd including guests from the Arizona State Legislature and members of the Peoria City Council.
“As Peoria, and the West Valley continue to grow, so will public safety needs,” said Peoria Mayor Jason Beck. “And moving forward, Peoria will be ready and able to help our residents, and our neighbors should they request a call for service.”
The Peoria City Council’s Strategic Priority of “Public Safety” recognized the need for the aviation unit and prioritized investing in the safety of first responders and community members. Mayor Jason Beck secured state funding in the amount of $3.5 million dollars through Arizona State Senate Bill 1702 to purchase a helicopter and establish an aviation unit. On December 12, 2023, the City Council approved the purchase of a Bell 505 helicopter to support Fire-Medical and Police.
“The Peoria Fire-Medical Department has been training air rescue technicians for more than 30 years and we are grateful that the city council prioritizes community safety and provides us with the tools we need to keep everyone safe,” said Peoria Assistant Fire-Medical Chief Justin Gorospe.
Peoria Police Chief Thomas Intrieri, who spent 20 years with Mesa Police, before joining Peoria is well-versed on how mission critical an aviation unit can be for public safety response. “As we roll out this program over a series of phases, we will be able to get to emergencies faster and be the ‘eye in the sky’ when searching for a missing person; or help guide ground support to curb potentially dangerous situations; or quickly find those evading law enforcement, ” he said.
The Aviation Unit will be able to support other public safety entities in the West Valley upon request and availability.
Phoenix Police Commander Brian Riggan says aerial support is crucial to assist peace officers on the ground. “Aircraft provide an immediate impact to short-staffed public safety agencies. They also reduce risk to our citizens and police officers during high-risk incidents like police pursuits, foot chases, tactical situations, and emergency 911 calls for crimes in progress. Being airborne reduces response time and allows public safety to arrive faster to get an “eye” on the scene, which aids in apprehension and planning safe arrivals for responding police and fire department ground personnel.”
The helicopter will be housed at a hangar located at Glendale Municipal Airport along with offices for the pilot and maintenance crew. Full deployment of this aviation unit is expected by October 2025. It will also be available for use by surrounding West Valley cities.
About the Bell 505 aircraft:
Known for its versatile capabilities during public safety missions, the Bell 505 is outfitted with a Safran Arrius 2R engine, dual channel FADEC, and Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite. The Bell 505 remains an ideal aircraft for those in the public safety field for its added benefit of wide panoramic windows, an open cabin design, and Synthetic Vision technology.
