The County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) welcomed GE Aerospace Defense and Systems President and CEO Amy Gowder and members of her leadership team to its Air Operations Barton Heliport Facility in Pacoima, California for a tour and conversation about the partnership between both organizations.
LACoFD Chief Deputy Jon O’Brien, Deputy Chief Brian Martin, Chief of Air Operations Benjamin Berman, Chief of Maintenance Dennis Blumenthal and Air Operations Battalion Chief Chris Siok were on site to welcome the guests.
The visit took place on Tuesday 3 February 2026.
Since 1957, the LACoFD has maintained an active and elite aviation program and led multiple innovative milestones.
Including the first Firehawk deployment and the first non-military operator to fly the GE-powered S-70 using low-light capabilities like the single-pilot night vision goggles platform.
Pilots shared that the GE components enable confident operations in high-risk, high-demand environments.
Because of their expertise, the LACoFD Air Operations team is regularly invited to provide feedback related to current and potential future processes, services and equipment.
The LACoFD shared how it appreciates GE’s visit and welcomes future engagement to further advance aircraft systems to support fire, emergency and emergency medical services response missions.
