Army National Guard Helicopter Water Bucket Training Rescheduled to May 9

Poor weather forces New York Army National Guard fire training to be postponed until next week.

RIVERHEAD , NY (05/03/2012)(readMedia)-- A fire-fighting exercise scheduled to be conducted this morning at the Sarnoff Preserve by two New York Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters has been canceled. The training had been scheduled for 10 a.m.

Poor weather conditions have forced the annual training exercise to be rescheduled for May 9, according to Major Jason Lefton, the commander of Army Aviation Support Facility #1 at Long Island McArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma.

The training is part of an annual requirement to prepare to fight forest fires in support of other state agencies and was to be conducted in conjunction with the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission's Wildfire Task Force New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

For additional information and questions related to the Central Pine Barrens, please call the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission office at (631) 224-2604

For additional information related to the New York State Department of Conservation and the Sarnoff Preserve, please contact Mr. Bill Fonda at (631) 444-0350.