NIC Gets an Exciting Visit from KCSO Helicopter “ABLE1”

On a rainy October morning in Coeur d’Alene, some of those on campus at North Idaho College bore witness to the Kootenai County Regional Air Support unit landing just before 11:00 a.m., Oct. 10th, 2023. 

The aerial visit was prompted by NIC’s own Criminal Justice professor, John Reese. “This is a great opportunity for my students to interface with recruiters from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office,” Reese, 43, said. “And to see one of my former students, Sergeant Miller, who came through my program years ago.”

Reese has been teaching Criminal Justice at NIC since 2007.

The helicopter, a 1994 Bell Textron TH-67, entered service with KCSO in April of 2023, says volunteer pilot Steven Henry. Henry, 41, is a former United States Marine with three purple hearts who spent seven years in law enforcement in Southern California. He’s been flying helicopters since 2016, and with KCSO since July of 2023.

Henry says the helicopter provides a massive asset- “Idaho, the populace is growing, it’s such a need. The helicopter being up- it’s worth nine to twelve officers on the ground.”

“It’s just such a force multiplier. Not just for catching bad guys, but also for Search and Rescue, with that FLIR,” the pilot elaborated. FLIR, or Forward-Looking Infrared, refers to the camera mounted on ABLE1’s nose. It’s an advanced thermal imaging camera, capable of identifying heat signatures from living things and objects to aid in their finding. 

ABLE1 has participated in roughly 12 Search-and-Rescue missions, with successful assistance provided in 5 of them. According to its website, it has had 30 successful missions assisting on incidents or calls.

Its official name, “Kootenai County Regional Air Support unit,” refers to the fact that it serves not only Kootenai county, but the surrounding region. ABLE1 will assist both law enforcement and search-and-rescue in the five northern counties of Idaho, as well as neighboring Spokane county in Washington state.

Deputies and representatives of KCSO were also present to inform students, primarily those of NIC’s Criminal Justice program, about career opportunities within the agency.

In particular, the Marine Deputy program. It’s a summer work opportunity for individuals aged 21 or older, running from April to Labor Day (the first Monday of September). Marine Deputies work aboard boats on Kootenai County’s lakes, patrolling for any marine law violations.

KCSO is looking to hire around 10 Marine Deputies next summer, and in the past the full number of open positions have never been filled. Recruiters at the event said it’s a good opportunity for people interested in law enforcement to give the job a try, with the opportunity to start a full-time career with KCSO or other agencies.