Hundreds Attend DPS Airborne Public Safety Training in Austin

AUSTIN – This week, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Aircraft Operations Division (AOD) hosted a specialized aircraft public safety training organized by the Airborne Public Safety Association (APSA) at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Flight Services hangar in Austin. The two-day training, which ran April 23 and 24, brought together more than 150 local, state and federal law enforcement personnel from across the state and outside of Texas to learn from subject matter experts on innovative strategies and techniques to bolster public safety by air.

“From tracking down criminals on the run to answering rescue calls during natural disasters, aircraft operations play a critical role in protecting the public from a variety of threats,” said DPS AOD Chief Stacy Holland. “Trainings like this one not only offer world-class instruction but continue inspiring law enforcement agencies to look to the sky for innovative ways to better serve their communities.”

During the training, attendees had the opportunity to hear from a variety of aircraft public safety experts from statewide and national organizations, including DPS, APSA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), TxDOT, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and SR3 Rescue Concepts. Topics covered real-life rescue operation scenarios, airborne smuggling interdiction, accident prevention and investigations, the use of unmanned aircraft systems and aircraft ground handling, among others.

Additionally, during the training, DPS’ AOD personnel conducted a helicopter hoist rescue demonstration. These types of rescues are used to recover individuals in situations where ground-based rescues may be too dangerous – like last year’s rescue of a family of stranded hikers in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. 

Photos and video from the hoist rescue demonstration are available, here. 

More about DPS’ AOD

DPS’ Aircraft Operations Division (AOD) is one of the largest airborne law enforcement units in the country, consisting of 12 duty stations, 26 aircraft with state-of-the-art technology and more than 100 personnel. The division performs statewide air patrol, criminal surveillance and advanced rescue operations and leverages technology to locate and apprehend fugitives, deter criminal activity and support Texas’ ongoing Operation Lone Star border security mission. 

In the last 15 years, DPS’ AOD was voted the Excellence in Police Aviation Award by the International Association of Chiefs of Police four times. AOD is a cornerstone of DPS, playing a vital role in every area that the department maintains responsibly. 

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