Foothill Air Support Team

The Arcadia Police Department participates in the County's only regional police helicopter program, called the Foothill Air Support Team (F.A.S.T.). F.A.S.T. was developed between the police chiefs and city councils of Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa, Monrovia, Covina, San Marino and West Covina. F.A.S.T. operates two nights per week. The cities provide their own flight observers who were selected from all five cities. The helicopter has radio equipment that allows the pilot and observer to talk directly to officers on the ground to direct them to crimes in progress, fleeing criminals and help end dangerous vehicle pursuits before injuries occur. The program will continually be evaluated on response time, calls handled and cleared by the helicopter and overall coordination of ground resources. When not on a call, the helicopter will stay at a high altitude to minimize noise.