Every member of the Marion County Sheriff's Department has sworn an oath to protect and serve the people of Central Florida. Deputies respond to thousands of life-threatening incidents a year, but with a jurisdiction larger than the state of Rhode Island, it's impossible for ground units to reach every call in time. When seconds count, the Sheriff calls in his secret weapon: the Air Unit, aka Air One. An elite team of pilots flying state-of-the-art helicopters who are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, they respond to the most dangerous events in Marion County. The people who fly these helicopters are far more than just pilots-they are specialized law enforcement professionals who guide their fellow deputies on the ground through the most dangerous events they will ever face. With their high-tech FLIR camera, the Air Unit is the eye in the sky for deputies in situations ranging from high-speed chases, manhunts, and missing persons searches.
Chopper Cops
They're just north of Disney World, but to the men and women of the Marion County Sheriff's Department, the 1,600 square-mile area they patrol is no fantasy. Marion County's highways, forests and suburban neighborhoods are crime scenes to more than 7,000 felonies a year. But with a jurisdiction larger than the state of Rhode Island, ground units find it impossible to have eyes everywhere.