Emergency radio recordings show that helicopter pilots with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County Fire Authority bickered, and that sheriff pilots ignored a direct order to “stand down,” during a pair of rescues in Laguna Beach and Orange on Saturday, April 29, revealing an escalating battle between the two agencies over helicopter-related emergencies and who responds to them.

For several months, Sheriff’s Department pilots have poached rescue calls sent to the OCFA, with helicopters from both agencies often racing to the scenes at the same time, county officials said Friday. Such dual-action responses are costly and potentially dangerous for the pilots and people on the ground. In 1987, helicopters from Costa Mesa and Newport Beach police departments collided while responding to the same police chase, killing two Costa Mesa officers and a civilian who was in the aircraft.

The arguments that played out over radio on Saturday took place while helicopters from both agencies were flying over crowded beaches and a park.

“It has to be resolved before there’s a terrible incident,” said County Supervisor Todd Spitzer.

“It’s so tense between the two agencies,” Spitzer added. “But we are aware of it and asking the agencies to work it out.”

Spitzer said he has met several times this year to discuss the friction with Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and Fire Chief Jeff Bowman, but the tug-of-war continues.

Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Lane Lagaret said Friday that Internal Affairs is investigating the Laguna Beach incident, but he could not provide details because of state law protecting the privacy of officers. He also declined comment about why sheriff pilots are responding to calls made to the OCFA.

Recordings from radio chatter on Saturday show sheriff pilots ignoring direct orders from local commanders.

In Orange, the commander on the ground told the sheriff pilot, “You will abide by what the ground (Incident Commander) is asking you to do.”

The sheriff helicopter completed the medical assistance call anyway.

“My concern is if you have four aircraft in the air, and the sheriff refuses to communicate, who will get hurt if there is an air accident?” said Orange Fire Dept. Deputy Chief Robert Stephano.

In Laguna Beach, where an intoxicated 17-year-old was pulled from a beach cove, the commander told the Sheriff’s pilot, “You are not requested.” The Laguna official also declared that the Sheriff’s pilot was creating “an unsafe air operation” by not answering direct orders.

In another recording of the same incident, a Laguna Beach dispatcher told a fire official “It sounds like the sheriffs have gone rogue. They’re not listening to the (Incident Commander).”

The sheriff pilot eventually responded: “I understand you’re not comfortable … but we’re going to do whatever is best to not delay patient care.”

It’s unclear if the same pilot was involved in both incidents. The boy in the cove was airlifted with non-life-threatening injuries.

It is unclear what is motivating the aggressive tactics.

For years, sheriff helicopter crews — which typically fly on non-rescue patrols for most of any 24-hour period — have responded to search requests in and near Orange County, usually looking for lost hikers. Fire helicopters have handled rescues, touching ground in hard-to-land places or using hoists to extract people from emergency situations.

But recently, the Sheriff’s Department trained its helicopter crews to offer medical aid in addition to search and rescues. The training has come during a time when the department has purchased a new Airbus AS350. Lagaret could not say how much the department spent, but a new helicopter typically costs about $2 million.

The roles for sheriff and fire helicopters also have merged, according to fire officials.

“We are the primary rescue aircraft. They are the primary search aircraft,” said OCFA Battalion Chief Dave Spencer. “(But) in our collaboration agreement, we can do either or they can, if need be.”

Spencer added that the Saturday incident in Laguna Beach was a direct request for an OCFA helicopter. “I don’t know why (Sheriff helicopters) responded.”

With the new helicopter, the Sheriff’s Department is the county’s biggest helicopter crew, with five aircraft. The OCFA has four helicopters and other police agencies in the county, including departments in Anaheim and Huntington Beach, have a total of at least six.

Though some helicopters have been donated, most are purchased by county taxpayers. The county Board of Supervisors controls the Sheriff Department’s budget and approved the recent helicopter purchase. The OCFA is a distinct district that can raise money through taxes. That spending is overseen by a board that includes county officials and representatives from member cities.

Demand for helicopters in the county is unclear.

In 2010, a Grand Jury report faulted the sheriff’s aviation division for not having enough helicopters — two at that time — to adequately cover the county. That report also noted that helicopter use is expensive, estimated at the time at $700 an hour to operate and maintain for the Sheriff’s Department, $3,400 an hour for the OCFA, which then had the newer equipment.

Spitzer said Sheriff Sandra Hutchens believes her crews respond faster than the OCFA. In both incidents Saturday, sheriff helicopters were first to the scene by a few minutes. Sheriff helicopters are housed at John Wayne Airport, while OCFA aircraft launch from Fullerton.