Catoosa, Verdigris Fire Departments Stage Helicopter Crash For Training Drill

An Army National Guard helicopter landed in a field by near the Port of Catoosa, just before a call to the Catoosa Fire Department reporting a crash.

The Department conducted a training exercise Wednesday, simulating a crash in a remote area, with rough terrain.

“We have an area we're familiar with but not really, and we had some terrain issues getting to the site, which is real life,” said Catoosa Fire Chief, Denus Benton.

The firefighters from Catoosa and Verdigris knew they would have a drill today but didn't know what it would entail.

Both departments launched boats to transport two people back to a staging area from the scene.

"We got an opportunity to not only explore our normal land operations, but also our boat operations, working with a neighboring fire department in a unified response to help somebody out,” Benton said.

The Chief said everything worked, but they recognized the need for some more equipment and training, so they’ll be ready for the real thing.