Rescue helicopters will stage practice landings throughout Monterey County this week to train police, firefighters and paramedics how to use them as air ambulances in emergencies.
"We don't do much work with helicopters in this county," said Seaside Police Chief Tony Sollecito. "We want our officers to learn how to cordon off areas for arrival and approach helicopters, and the best way to do it is hands-on."
A California Highway Patrol helicopter will make a series of landings starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Monterey, Fort Ord, Seaside and Marina, and Thursday in Pacific Grove, Carmel and Sand City.
On Monday a Cal Star medical evacuation helicopter will make similar training flights and landings in Salinas Valley cities.
Aircraft will land, shut down, do a 30-minute training session and take off for the next location on both days, said Sand City Police Chief Mike Klein, who is coordinating the flights for the Monterey County Chief Law Enforcement Officers Association.
Cal Star will also conduct training flights on the Monterey Peninsula June 7 and 14, Klein said, and the CHP helicopter will make flights in the Salinas Valley.
Public safety officers are training with both, he said, noting that the CHP helicopter has the capability of hoisting victims aboard, which Cal Star does not. Both carry life-support systems, but Cal Star is designated as an air ambulance, while the Highway Patrol helicopter is not.
Police, sheriff's deputies, fire departments and ambulance crews will all take part in the training, Klein said.
The training was spurred by changes in policies at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, which is referring severe trauma patients to trauma centers in Santa Clara County for treatment.
Community hospital will still accept trauma patients in emergencies, he said.
