Thanks to a donation from the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation, through generous benefactors, Hawaii County will become a safer place with a new fire department helicopter.
On Saturday the brand new H125 Airbus made a grand entrance at the South Kohala Fire Station where donors and dignitaries met for its blessing, which was performed by Hawaii County Council member Holeka Inaba.
The new $5.8 million aircraft will replace the 32-year old Chopper 2.
Mayor Mitch Roth recalled experiencing symptoms of a heart attack in 2021, and requesting to be driven to the South Kohala Fire Station.
“This is a big deal to be at this station. I was right here and put into an ambulance for transport because the helicopter was not available. The ambulance took me to North Hawaii, and another ambulance took me to Hilo Medial Center which had the island’s only Cath Lab,” recalled Roth.
Roth said this helicopter will be the difference between life and death and will save countless lives on the island.
“Being back here at this station gives me chicken skin,” said Roth. “We are so thankful to the Sayre Foundation and those who contributed. “
The new helicopter will be used for search and rescue, fire water drops and emergency medical transport. It is outfitted with advanced life saving equipment.
“This helicopter makes an impact on lives,” said Chris Honda, EMS Battalion Chief. “Because of the geography of our island, transport time can be long. This helicopter will make a huge impact on the outcome of our calls.”
Marc Benioff, who has supported the Sayre Foundation through numerous donations including off road brush trucks to battle our continuous wildfires, was the major donor for the new helicopter.
“It was an ohana that came together to raise money for the helicopter,” he said, adding Dan and Allison Rose were instrumental in coordinating the funding from 11 donors.
Benioff praised the foundation, noting that HFD saved their home when it was threatened by a brush fire.
“We live on a small island in the middle of the Pacific. We have to look out for each other because we are one big ohana,” he said.
Mallery-Sayre recalled a story told to her from a rescue specialist who originally floated the idea of raising funds for a new helicopter.
“Chopper 2 is constantly breaking down and I know this is a big ask, but sometimes I don’t know if I will make it home to my babies,” the rescue specialist said.
That’s all Mallery-Sayre needed to hear, tugging at her heartstrings and make it her mission to get the county a new helicopter.
“I put my feelers out at the fundraiser and asked Benioff’s people if we could get support in trying to get a helicopter. A few month later I get a call from Dan Rose from Facebook,” she said. “I thought I posted something bad, but he told me ‘You are going to get your helicopter. Marc called all his friends and we are going to make this happen for you’. I just cried.”
“This has been a work of love,” said Mallery-Sayre. “The helicopter was named Ka ‘Io with the help of Danny and Anna Akaka because the Hawaiian hawk is the highest of the amakua.”
In the depiction of the hawk on the helicopter, the eye of the hawk on the plane is the island of Hawaii and the entire island chain is drawn in its wings. The initials of the donors circle the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation logo on the helicopter.
“So our donors will be going out on every mission,” said Mallery-Sayre.
The crew from Airbus who brought the custom designed helicopter to the island will remain for the next few weeks training HFD pilots and mechanics. Chopper 2 will remain in service until training is complete at which tome will be put up for sale.
Hawaii County Fire Chief Kazuo Todd said the Sayre foundation exists because of the department being severely underfunded.
“We are very grateful for the vehicles gifted to us from the Sayre Foundation and the budget increase from the Roth Administration, but we are still at a fraction of what it will take to replace our front line vehicles, some of which are from the 1970’s. We are grateful for the unbelievable help we have received from the Sayre Foundation the last two years,” he said.
The Foundation has donated over $10 million in equipment to the department over the last 26 years.
Todd said they have been dumping an unbelievable amount of money to keep Chopper 2 operational, noting that the current helicopter only has 250 hours left in its rotor life and the gift of a new one is unbelievable.
“This has been my best day as chief,” Todd said.
The Sayre Foundation is currently trying to raise funds to equip the helicopter pilots with night vision goggles and hangers to house the new aircraft.
For more information, or to make a donation visit: danielsayrefoundation.org
