The Night Vision Awards were presented at the Airborne Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Annual Trade Show and Convention in Reno, Nevada before a crowd of approximately 300 people at the Peppermill Resort.
“It was great to honor the accomplishments of these great law enforcement organizations,” said Aviation Specialties Unlimited Director of Sales and Marketing Hannah Gordon. “Each winner has compelling stories about how of night vision systems aided them in their mission to protect and serve their communities.”
“The Night Vision Awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of operators working with night vision goggles (NVGs) in North America and around the world,” added Night Flight Concepts President, Adam Aldous. “NFC congratulates the winners of the ALEA 2012 Night Vision Awards for their demonstrated leadership and ongoing commitment to NVG operational excellence, NVG safety and community awareness.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Atlanta Police Department and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida based Broward County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, were presented with a 5-year service award. The RCMP is the first Canadian Operation to win a Night Vision Award.
“On behalf of the RCMP Air Services and all of it’s Aircrews from across the country, I’d like to thank Night Flight Concepts, Vertical Magazine and ASU, for the honor of receiving the award for 5 years of NVG use in Canada,” said Roger Thomson. “This award confirms that we are on the right track, and in the forefront of providing leading edge equipment and technology for the safety of our flight crews and the citizens of Canada from coast to coast. The use of Night Vision Goggles, has made our jobs safer in the air, saved the lives of many lost people, and assisted in the apprehension of suspects on the ground.”
Deputy Carl Spear received the award on behalf of Broward County. “We are honored to receive this award,” said Deputy Christine Ponticelli. “When we advanced with the NVG’s, the time our aircraft spent on scene was cut in half, reducing our operating cost, along with our apprehension assists doubling.”
Orville, California based Butte County Sheriff’s Department was presented with a 10-year service award.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were also presented the Community Awareness award for their work in pioneering NVG use in Canada and for their efforts during the Olympic Games and the G8 Summit.
“The 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the G8 were exciting times to be in Airborne Law Enforcement. The use of NVG’s was invaluable to the Aircrews. To be recognized by our peers for Community Awareness and a job well done, is a tremendous honor,” said Thomson.
The Mark of Excellence Award was presented to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department. Sargent and Chief Pilot Darin Garness received the award on behalf of the department.
“Having our unit being recognized for the Mark of Excellence award is the greatest honor I have had while associated with Airborne Law Enforcement,” said Garness. “This goes to show that hard work and perseverance pays off. Our unit has always worked on moving forward, thinking outside the box, and getting to the next level of excellence. Night vision goggles enabled us to move to a higher level of Airborne Law Enforcement for search and rescue and patrol operations. With the level of experience we have obtained over the years, our unit has been able to perform sling loads and short haul using night vision goggles.”
The Night Vision Awards is an annual awards series with recognition events held a three key industry events in North America: HAI, ALEA and AMTC. The purpose of this event series is to promote operational leadership and excellence in the use of Night Vision, in North American and around the world. The final Night Vision Awards for 2012 will be given out at AMTC in Seattle during the Association of Air Medial Services annual convention.
Nominations are accepted year round. Any flight operation using any Night Vision systems is eligible for consideration. Award nomination packets can be downloaded or filled out at http://www.nightvisionawards.com. A full list of previous winners and award description can be found on the website also.
