Spokane County Sheriff's Office in Washington State has signed a purchase agreement for a Bell 505, highlighting its legacy of operating an all-Bell emergency response aviation fleet.

“The Spokane Regional Air Support Unit has a long and successful history with Bell. This new 505 will continue with our fleet modernisation plans by providing effective air support to our entire region. This new aircraft is a much-needed addition to our fleet, and will serve us well for years to come,” says chief David Ellis.

In 2005, the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit was created following the United States Army's donation of a Bell OH-58 helicopter to the department. Since then, the Air Support Unit has expanded its fleet with an additional Bell OH-58 and a Bell UH-1H. With the recent purchase of a Bell 505, the unit is planning to expand upon its search and rescue, homeland security and natural disaster damage assessment support.

“Bell is honoured to continue to work alongside Spokane County Sheriff's Office as it builds upon its public safety aviation fleet with the 21st century capabilities of the Bell 505 platform,” adds Lane Evans, managing director, North America.

Combining its Safran Arrius 2R engine, dual channel FADEC and Garmin G1000H NXi all-glass avionics suite with a moving map display, the Bell 505 is one of the most technologically advanced platforms in its class. The added benefit of wide panoramic windows, open cabin design and Synthetic Vision technology has classified the Bell 505 as an ideal aircraft for those in the public safety field.