COEUR d’ALENE — After insurance costs threatened to permanently ground the helicopter used by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, commissioners will consider a proposal to donate the helicopter to the county while a nonprofit arm continues to fund the program.

County commissioners voted in March 2023 to approve an agreement between the sheriff’s office and the newly formed nonprofit Kootenai County Regional Air Support Unit for the use of ABLE1, a 1996 BELL 206 helicopter purchased using donated funds. 

The two-year pilot program was supported by donations from the business community, plus $10,000 per year from the county that would have otherwise gone toward a contract with Spokane County for the use of a helicopter. 

The helicopter unit assisted various agencies during 140 incidents or calls between August 2023 and September 2024, according to a public log of incident reports, including 14 search and rescue operations.  

ABLE1 hasn’t flown for law enforcement activities or search and rescue purposes since Sept. 12, 2024, according to incident reports. Sheriff’s office personnel confirmed that the helicopter has been used only for nonprofit training since that date due to “discrepancies in the insurance policy.” 

Insurance coverage cost $22,000 for the first year the helicopter unit was active, according to the sheriff’s office, while a new insurance estimate for the county was between $46,000 and $53,000 per year as of last month. 

During a Tuesday morning meeting, Commissioner Leslie Duncan indicated that the nonprofit donating ABLE1 to the county could solve that problem. 

“There isn’t anything, financially, that would change,” Duncan said. “There will be some savings on the insurance. It will be way more legally defensible and easier to manage.” 

Commissioner Bruce Mattare hesitated to embrace the proposal. 

“I’m hard-pressed to believe that, if we take this in as an asset of the county, that it’s going to remain at $10,000 forever,” he said. 

Mattare requested data showing how the sheriff’s office used ABLE1 during its period of operation before the county agrees to the donation. 

Lt. Mark Ellis, unit commander for the helicopter crew, said ABLE1 has proved useful in multiple search and rescue operations.

“Two families are attributing the helicopter to saving their loved ones’ lives,” Ellis said. “I believe one life is worth it.” 

Mattare said he’s not opposed to the county receiving the helicopter as a donation. 

“I think there needs to be some accountability to justify the expense,” he said.