From retardant-weilding fire choppers to the type that help chase down criminal suspects, helicopter flybys have proven to be a mighty tool for public safety departments. And now, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department’s Aviation Unit has received the gift of an airborne camera system from FLIR Systems Inc. of Goleta.

“This newer generation camera will allow us to see even farther at night than before,” said Senior Deputy George DeLuca, one of the department’s helicopter pilots. “It will definitely have an impact on our lifesaving abilities when we work with the sheriff’s volunteer Search and Rescue Team to find people who are lost or missing in Santa Barbara’s front and back country, not to mention our deputies on the ground when they are searching for a suspect fleeing in the cover of night.”

The equipment, valued at more than $100,000, features a dual sensor camera with thermal imaging technology, an improvement over the department’s current infrared camera mounted in Sheriff’s Copter-1.

On Tuesday, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to accept the donation, required by policy for gifts valued at more than $10,000.

The gift comes as the sheriff’s department faces the possibility of significant budget cuts.

“FLIR has stepped up in a time when money is tight and we are looking for creative ways to fulfill our mission to protect the public with fewer government resources,” Sheriff Bill Brown said. “We appreciate their generosity.”

With its imaging division headquartered in Goleta, FLIR produces high-tech thermography and night-vision equipment for big-ticket customers around the country, including law enforcement agencies and the military.

— Noozhawk staff writer Ben Preston can be reached at bpreston@noozhawk.com.