Delaware General Assembly

CHAPTER 647

AN ACT TO PURCHASE AND PROVIDE A HELICOPTER TO THE STATE POLICE DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROVIDING A SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION THEREFOR.

WHEREAS, the citizenry and the General Assembly are greatly concerned with the increasing accident rate on the highways and the increasing death rate caused by careless and reckless motorists on the highways of the State of Delaware and the increasing and alarming crime rate in the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, Governor Peterson has pledged that the State of Delaware shall lead the Parade of States into a new era of highway safety seeking to attain the lowest percentage of accidents and deaths per passenger mile traveled on any of the public roads in the United States; and

WHEREAS, persons suffering serious head injuries can only be properly cared for at the facilities of the Delaware Division of the Wilmington Medical Center, and since motor ambulances consume much time in the transport of victims of accidents originating in the Counties of Kent and Sussex and since time is of the essence for such treatment and since new and swift means of transport are now available; and

WHEREAS, State Highway Patrols of many of our neighboring states have cut their accident and highway death rates as well as the increasing crime rate by employment of helicopters; and

WHEREAS, this innovation, which brings a third dimension into highway surveillance and also provides rapid transport for accident victims, can be introduced into Delaware at relatively little cost because of a generous and continuing Federal assistance program; and

WHEREAS, with Federal aid the anticipated additional net cost to the State of Delaware will only be approximately $105,000 for the first year and approximately $16,500 for each year thereafter;

NOW, THEREFORE,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:

Section 1. The Delaware State Police are directed to provide for the training of five officers in a flight program designed to teach flying of a helicopter, care and reasonable maintenance of a helicopter (excluding major overhaul), aerial surveillance of public highways and roads, bridges, streams, ponds, lakes, rivers and bays, forests and wooded areas, beaches, swamps, low land and wet lands, and buildings. In addition, all five officers shall be trained in advanced first aid including the transport of victims of serious head injuries. Flight training shall include landing on and departing from heliports, highways, bridges and high buildings from which persons may have to be rescued in case of fire, civil disturbance or disasters. Additionally, instruction in flight training shall include radio communication, flying at night, and flying in bad weather such as rain, snow, wind and fog or other poor visibility. First aid training shall include resuscitation of the near drowned, near strangulated, near electrocuted, and also delivery in case of child birth from any accident, isolation in snow or ice storm, flooding, dam break, forest fire, hurricane, road washout, or other disasters.

Section 2. The only passengers which may normally be carried by such helicopter shall be police officers of the State of Delaware of its counties, municipalities, and subdivisions and doctors of medicine or nurses. By special consent of the Governor or Lt. Governor in the Governor's absence, the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources or one appointed by said Secretary may inspect possible oilspills in the rivers, bays, wet lands, or shore lines of the State.

Photographers of the State Highway Department may be carried as passengers to photograph specified sites requested by the State Planning Office, the Planning Division of the State Highway Department or the Highway Safety Division of the State Highway Department or their successors.

The Governor or the Lt. Governor may divert the helicopter to their use only for the inspection of damage to buildings, bridges, waterways, lands and beaches of the State as a result of storms, fires or other disasters.

No persons shall use the helicopter for pleasure, personal business or ordinary affairs of State.

Section 3. The sum of $240,680 is appropriated to the Department of Public Safety for use in the training of five officers of the Delaware State Police in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 hereof, and other expenses associated with the operation thereof and insurance on the hull of the helicopter, as follows:

Personal Services

Salaries included in State Police Operational Budget:

RCA Super Call Phone Radio 800

First Aid Equipment 800

Insurance 19,780 $165,780

Total appropriation $240,680

Less:

Anticipated Federal Grant from approved

Project PT 70-001 (001) under Section 402 (c) of

Public Law 89-564 to be reimbursed $135,650

Net approximate first-year additional cost to State $105,030

Section 4. This Act is a supplementary appropriation and the money appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of the General Fund of the State of Delaware not otherwise appropriated. The anticipated Federal Grant reimbursement shall be paid into the General Fund of the State of Delaware.

Section 5. Any money appropriated herein and unexpended or unencumbered shall revert to the General Fund of the State of Delaware on June 30, 1971.

Approved June 30, 1970.