Are These Strange Helicopters Spys, Chicken Killers or SCE Checking Power Poles in Hemet / Idyllwild ?

October 17, 2019

Are These Strange Helicopters Spys, Chicken Killers or SCE Checking Power Poles in Hemet / Idyllwild ?

HemetEyeNews.Com Facebook page has been blowing up with inquiries from the public in our valley asking WHAT THE HECK is these choppers doing flying over their homes. Lot of rumors has it that they are the CDFA checking for feathered flocks such as chickens, pigeons, turkeys and other birds . Some says it is SCE checking power lines and poles and some are saying they are the police looking for pot grows.....

Everyone seems to have their own conclusion on who these strange helicopters are and what their mission is. I reached out to Hemet Police Captain Glen Brock and we had a long conversation on all the inquiries and discussed on how everyone has contacted us and the police dept all worried what the heck is going on. Captain Brock gave me the information on who to reach out to in order to gain the right information on who these strange helicopters are and what the mission is and why....

I reached out to Sally Jeun, who is the press information officer for Southern California Edison to find out is this their contractors flying over our city or not. I also included the pics of the chopper that you see below and they did confirm that this is them and that they are indeed checking power lines and poles Due to the last big fires we had which one of the fires was caused by their lines ( NOT ALL OF THE FIRES).

They are taking safety precautions before lot of scheduled winds hit they go out and essess all their poles and lines to make sure every line and pole are in good condition so there is no more fire issues that can be caused by their service lines. Below is an email that I received back from Sally Jeun with Sce and what they are doing....

Hi EddIe,

As we discussed, the aircraft in the photo provided above is conducting aerial inspections of SCE electrical equipment in the Hemet area. Below is the link to a story with more details about why we conduct these inspections. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you.

Aerial Inspections of Electrical Equipment Help Reduce Risk of Wildfires

Southern California Edison to conduct work in Hemet area

Southern California Edison has a comprehensive Wildfire Mitigation Plan intended to protect against and mitigate fire ignitions that may be associated with utility infrastructure. Residents in the Hemet area may see SCE aircraft inspecting poles and equipment on poles.

The company continues to exceed long standing industry practices in order to further fortify the electric system against the increasing threat of wildfires due to extreme weather conditions heightened by climate change, increased development in wildland-urban interface, and significant build-up of fuel on state and federal forest lands.

This includes enhanced inspections on all of SCE’s overhead power lines in high fire risk areas in the immediate term to identify and remediate potential issues outside of standard inspection cycles.

The company’s goal is to conduct aerial inspections with little to no disruption to residents. If you have any questions, please contact SCE at 800-655-4555. Residents are also encouraged to update their contact information for timely updates by going to SCE.com/PSPS.

Aerial inspections using high-tech cameras and software are being used throughout SCE’s service territory in high fire risk areas.

CHINO, Calif. — Inspecting electrical equipment is a regular part of troubleman Brandon Hyatt’s job. As part of the Southern California Edison crew that services Lake Arrowhead, donning a pair of snowshoes to get to a remote mountainous area is nothing new for him. And sometimes, Hyatt does his job from a helicopter. He was recently part of a three-man crew, including a pilot and high-resolution cameraman, conducting aerial inspections- Opens in new window of a cluster, about 50 spans of utility poles, in Running Springs. “These aerial inspections are important since we can’t get some of this information from ground inspections,” said Hyatt, a 15-year SCE employee. “This technology helps keep the integrity of our infrastructure and the reliability of our service.”

Aerial inspections using high-tech cameras mounted on a helicopter and software that geotags assets are being used throughout SCE’s service territory in high fire risk areas. The cameras can detect invisible flaws using a radiometric infrared camera as well as visible issues using an HD imager.
The effort is part of the utility’s Grid Safety and Resiliency Program- Opens in new window, which includes additional measures, such as installing covered conductor- Opens in new windows, deploying weather stations- Opens in new window and increasing tree trimming in high fire risk areas- Opens in new window.

SCE is also using Public Safety Power Shutoffs- Opens in new window where the utility will shut off power during extreme weather that increases the risk of a fire. “We have always done overhead inspections, but our focus has changed,” said Craig Stenberg, SCE Air Operations- Opens in new window Remote Sensing manager. “This effort is the same, but on steroids, and is driven by the Grid Safety and Resiliency Program.”

SCE troubleman Brandon Hyatt at the utility's Air Operations in Chino.

As Hyatt flies with the pilot and cameraman, he directs the team to focus on specific areas, including parts of the pole, wires and crossarms, looking for any signs of deterioration. The camera captures and geotags the images as the helicopter hovers over a specific area. The high-resolution data from the aerial inspection, including video and stills, is then sent to a large database where the information is categorized by area and geospatial data.

Once back at SCE Air Ops in Chino, an inspection team from Transmission and Distribution then assesses the footage and data to determine the health of the equipment. If any issues are identified, a work order is filled out and a crew is then sent to make any necessary repairs or upgrades. “With these increased aerial inspections, we are making absolutely sure that every effort is made to identify possible ignition spots in high fire risk areas,” said Dave Guerrero, principal manager at SCE Air Ops, who noted that several aerial inspection teams are deployed each week. “We can see things in the aerial assets that you can’t see from the ground.”

Craig Stenberg, SCE Air Operations Remote Sensing manager (standing), talks to the team about a recent aerial inspection.

In addition to the high-definition imagery, SCE is utilizing Infrared and Corona scanning and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a remote sensing method. The company is also looking at drones as part of this effort. So far, 30,000 structures have been prioritized for inspection in high fire risk areas out of an estimated 400,000 structures throughout SCE’s 50,000 square miles of service area. The company’s goal is to complete these aerial inspections by the end of this year. “We have increased the number of these aerial inspections and are incorporating the latest sensing technology,” said Tom Guntrip, SCE director of Transportation Services. “It is a true cross-organizational effort, motivated to get the best information about our grid, to help us better prepare for the future.”