Forest rangers joined New York State Park Police and New York State Police for helicopter hoist training Oct. 5 at Letchworth State Park in Leicester.
The Livingston County training included lifting people with a State Police helicopter and practicing how to secure patients on the ground with State Park Police officers, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation’s report, released Thursday.
The exercises brought together the agencies involved in reaching and moving people during difficult rescues. DEC rangers work with state agencies, local emergency responders and volunteer search teams to find and evacuate people who are lost, injured or in distress.
During the first nine months of 2026, rangers conducted 277 search-and-rescue missions, extinguished 93 wildfires covering more than 224 acres and participated in 54 prescribed fires covering 1,355 acres, the DEC said.
For all of 2025, the department reported 362 search-and-rescue missions, 202 wildfires covering 840 acres and 68 prescribed fires covering 1,649 acres. Rangers also worked on cases resulting in more than 1,100 tickets and arrests, and 41 rangers deployed to fire assignments in 10 states that year.
The DEC lists 833-NYS-RANGERS for ranger assistance with searches, wildfires or illegal activity on state lands and easements. People needing urgent assistance can call 911.
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