Phoenix helicopter used for mountain rescues taken out of service for maintenance

The police department's Firebird helicopter and its critical hoist capabilities won't be available for several weeks during the hottest stretch of the year.

BY FORD HATCHETT/ABC15 ARIZONA

Jul 31, 2026, 7:39 AM Updated: 7:47 am

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Phoenix will be without helicopter hoist rescue capabilities for several weeks during one of the hottest stretches of the year after the Phoenix Police Department sent its helicopter out of state for an extended maintenance overhaul.

The Phoenix Police Department’s Firebird helicopter, which Phoenix Fire relies on for technical mountain rescues, has been taken out of service for what Fire Capt. Rob McDade described as perhaps the longest maintenance absence the department has experienced.

The timing is significant. Phoenix is entering August, historically one of the most dangerous months for hikers on the city’s mountain trails.

McDade said the helicopter’s hoist capability has been critical in cutting down rescue times, particularly for patients near the summit of a mountain who are critically injured.

“What the hoist helicopter has done for us is it cuts that three-hour operation sometimes into one hour,” McDade said.

Read the full story from ABC15 Arizona here.