Airtankers Typos or errors, report them, Rappeller training in Idaho modified for COVID-19, Contracts to be awarded for 28 Type 1 firefighting helicopters, 41 Companies on $1B Forest Service Helicopter Support Contract, Updates on Nob Fire and WatchDuty is looking for help, North Carolina: Great Lakes Fire burning in footprint of 2012 fire. Although Type 3 helicopters are smaller, they have a higher cruise speed than a typical Type 2 helicopter and can arrive on the scene of an initial attack wildfire faster. Office: (208) 387-5350Mobile: (208) 258-1450, Tessa Bach, Contract Coordinator The so-called exclusive contracts make it possible to reserve the contracted aircraft for the USFS missions for the duration of the fire seasons. The agency has posted a second draft of a new Request for Proposals (RFP) and will hold a virtual meeting about the contracts on September 29. USFS awards 90-day contracts for 22 additional helicopters They simply never had to deal with these considerations. There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. No wonder there is absolutely no concern about the financial impact of this proposal. Fax: (208) 387-5384, https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/contracting, Important Information Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic, Access to the U.S. Forest Service Contracting, Incident Support Branch, DOI SharePoint Page must be granted individually. Anyone who served in the military knows that Uncle Sam Air is the most inefficient airline in the world, and having worked there is in no way a guarantee that you are the best subject matter expert on anything. Schedule of Equipment Rates | FEMA.gov AMS Mission Codes. DAY OFF DAILY AV RATE HRLY FT RATE (DRY) 150Hrs/Over 150 Hrs DAILY OPTIONAL POST AV RATE CONTRACTING OFFICER 1. The what, why and where of this story seems like it warrants additional reporting. These CWN have a number of day to end of termination clause. Perhaps thats the point: There are available alternatives on the market that can replace the legacy platforms for type II and III, so we should continue upgrading the fleet as we can. NRCC >>> Logistics / Dispatch >> Aviation Entities without current agreements may contact the IBC-AQD Business Management Specialist at 208-433-5025. TheNWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typingestablishes minimum typing standards for aircraft, crews, and equipment for national mobilization to wildland fire incidents. Bill do you have access to USFS decision makers? Do you know anything that can replace a CH-54/S-64 or an S-61? Bill wrote 3 sentences without even putting his opinion in, the overwhelming response is that the only people happy or satisfied with this RFP are the people who wrote it. 34 Type 2 helicopters awarded contracts - Fire Aviation List of air tankers on USFS contracts - Fire Aviation Rotating wing aircraft have a special place in the fire-fighting system. National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) Support <<0B6C55EEACE9564A8C1EB025C5E90DF9>]>> Columbia has been focusing a lot of their efforts to Afghanistan and other overseas over the last decade. while simultaneously saying that they fully intend on moving to modern helicopters that are built after the year 2000 and are all twin engine. It seems nothing is making sense anymore, and we are destined to fail if this shortsightedness is allowed to continue. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. In each case, only the first year is guaranteed. Columbia sold to another company last year and with the combined ammount of aircraft they are considered a large company. These standards assign typing designations based on measurable capability and performance criteria. The ultimate goal is to drive out the independent operator entirely so they can justify owning their own fleet. The U.S. Forest Service (FS) is expecting to contract for 48 Type 1 helicopters for the 2021 wildfire season. You guys (and gals) should possess enough experience to influence how contracts are conceptualized, and bring some common sense back to the process, Nobody should bid, then when everything is on fire and the USFS comes begging then youd have some leverage on them.. Montana / Dakotas Fire and Aviation, NRCC Office: (208) 387-5609 Mobile: (208) 616-5550 Us, Northern Rockies Coordination Category 3 includes helicopters capable of lifting more than 700 gallons of water or retardant. One vendor said new requirements could reduce the number of helicopters on contract. Very well stated on what most of us are thinking and in the same boat. We have gone a few years in the past 10 where we had zero USFS work at all based on fire behavior but they want their random equipment to be installed on our dime. Type 1 helicopters are the largest, fastest flying and the most expensive helicopters used on wildland fires. TFRs List/Map, Nat'l A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. National Exclusive Use Helicopters (Large Fire Support/Initial Attack) Version 10 Page 1 of 13 October 15, 2019 . We can only hope the upcoming DOI on-call helicopter RFP due out later this year isnt so crazy. PDF Welcome to the Nation's Logistical Support Center | National Crews from the White River National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and Aspen Fire executed a prescribed burn at Collins Creek on Sunday. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) Mission: Designed to carry out close-air support at low altitude and low speed. *Manufacturers published rated net horsepower (HP). Click here. The only modern type III helicopter we can find that meets the requirement is $6.4m which is triple the value of our 5 type III helicopter fleet (and we own a Type III light twin, its just too old for the Forest Services liking). endstream endobj startxref The ICP may be co-located with the incident base or other incident facilities and provides certain essential auxiliary forms of support, such as food, sleeping areas, equipment, trailers,and sanitation. Thats discouraging as it suggests that the customer really isnt listening and just providing the perception of doing so.your point of just not choosing to submit if an operator doesnt like it is incredibly insensitive and uninformed. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Support CWN Helicopter Procurement Comparison NOTE: The procurement (USFS or DOI) is determined by which agency has jurisdiction over the fire, project or lands. of Fire Retardant, FAA November 25, 2017 Revision 2.8 . Category 3 includes the lightest helicopters with the lowest payload. But only when they decide, of course! Sadly, this is just another reason why operators will have to get out of the fire fighting business or send the aircraft to other countries where they will actually be treated like the critical assets that they are. jtaris@aspentimes.com. AMD-23E Instructions for USFS National Type 1 & 2 Call When Needed (CWN) Contract Helicopters hired for DOI Incidents. Access to the U.S. Forest Service Contracting, Incident Support Branch, DOI SharePoint Page must be granted individually. Us | Site Firewatch Cobra (Bell 209/AH-1) Aerial Supervision Helicopter. The obvious answer is same thing the US Military replaced the Hueys with, the Blackhawk. 0000008566 00000 n Helicopters were first used on wildfires in 1947. PDF Fillable Forms must be downloaded to your computer, you can then open them up in your Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat software to fill them in and save. CO Support on all major contract programs (Mobile Food Services, Mobile Showers, Type 2 & 2-IA Crews, Retardant Chemicals), Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Alternate Focal Point When the SMEs include pilots who had a previous career in the military, also Aviation Maintenance Inspectors who previously worked as mechanics in industry and the military, I do not think the label of career beaurocrart quite fits. They may also be federal agencies such as Indian Affairs or the Bureau of Land Management, who are responsible for natural areas that must be fought against forest fires. Please help us improve by taking a few moments to complete our voluntary USFS Fire Industry feedback form. National Interagency Aviation Committee Publication Library, BLM Once we get all of that figured out, turns out that the increase in performance specifications at 7,000 / 30C combined with the added equipment pretty much eliminates legacy ships from meeting performance requirements. approved helmets for helicopter use as note to emphasize., 9; Helicopter, add table . Aviation Management, NPS I can see daily availability rates sky rocketing, which it sounds like is expected. The West coast of America was once again hit by fires this year, the intensity and devastation of which have rarely been seen so far, even though the 2017 season had already been long and dramatic. In the parlance of the agency, the bulk of the USFS firefighters are "1039s," referring to the number of work hours they are capped at in a given season. Aircraft Type: DC-10. Southern Area Master Interagency Agreement. NFPA = National Fire Protection Association endstream endobj 11 0 obj <> endobj 12 0 obj <> endobj 13 0 obj <> endobj 14 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/ExtGState<>>> endobj 15 0 obj <> endobj 16 0 obj <> endobj 17 0 obj <>stream GPS Visualizer - Convert Coordinates. 0000073974 00000 n Incident Procurement Modernization Team Member. If the income is lower and lower due to LPTA and the job security is year to year with no guarantee, most lenders will tell you to try another bank to mortgage your house. PDF Office of The Under Secretary of Defense The EC135/145 have potential, but at what cost? The table below shows NWCG minimum performance requirements for water tenders. O[Mc!3EICKD2%. We operate Type III helicopters and are now faced with 40lbs+ of equipment (costing over $60k per aircraft) to meet minimum requirements - things that we really don't need like a Traffic Avoidance System (but the ADS-B they required last year isn't good enough) and a loudspeaker (because yelling at the fire helps? United States Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Aviation Services (OAS) and the . These aircraft are classified in three categories, depending on their capabilities, categories that also determine the value of the contracts. National Helicopters (Large Fire Support, Initial Attack, Call-When-Needed) Typos, let us know, and please keep in mind the commenting ground rules before you post a comment. We all understand that. 0000001055 00000 n Buying a/c is a lot like buying a house. They are capable of carrying four to five firefighters at atime, anduse a 180 gallon water bucket. They claim that 2 times throughout the 1/9 year parent contract, they will allow onboarding of new vendors/equipment. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Office: (208) 387-5279 Mobile: (208) 608-6763, Firewatch Cobra (Bell 209-AH-1) Aerial Supervision Helicopter Initial attack/can be broken up into squads, fireline construction, firing to include burnout. Besides the cost for the new equipment will be passed on the FS through the increase in Daily Availability rates. You have to love the obvious FS sycophants on here making contemptuous, defensive and specious arguments. - R1 Overdue/Missing Aircraft Protocol, DOI There are certainly concerns with moving to a twin engine platform related to performance, and Im not currently versed enough in all of the platforms to have an opinion, but I do know that this article doesnt address it and instead seems to be a sounding board for industry without presenting the case for increased firefighter safety and performance in modern aircraft. Maybe in talking to a 3rd party lender the FS would learn more about these challenges that industry is facing due to the well intended, but poorly delivered solicitation requirements? Melinda Draper, Associate Branch Chief, Logistics, To meet this commitment, we continue to monitor and update our content to make sure our documents meet these standards. Welcome to the Nation's Logistical Support Center | National . 43 aircraft are under exclusive contract with the USFS in 2018. Forest Service Fire and Aviation Qualifications Guide (FSFAQG) Federal Wildland Fire Qualifications Supplement. As a former helitacker I know we were always looking forward to moving to a more modern helicopter fleet. Contact Us: NWCG Comments & Questions | USA.GOV | Notices | Accessibility | Copyrights | Linking Policy | Records Management | FAQs. 30 0 obj <>stream 0000000016 00000 n *Sensor payloads are variable but typically include daylight (electro-optical), infrared (IR), thermal, or mapping cameras. If it aint broke, dont try to fix it. NEPTUNE AVIATION . Nope. 0000007535 00000 n Contracts & Agreements | IBC Customer Central To request access to this page, submit request to, Forest Service Acquisition Management Incident Procurement, Solicitations on Federal Business Opportunities, Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021for contracts awarded 2013-2017, Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021 for contracts awarded 2018-2021, Crews Type 2 IA, Standard Form 1449, 2022 Summary, National Type 2-IA Crew COR Designation Letter, National Type 2-IA Crew Performance Evaluation, Type 2 Crew Generic Agreement 1202SC21Q0001, 2020 COVID-19 Modification for Mobile Shower Facilities, Mobile Shower Performance Evaluation Form, 2020 COVID-19 Modification for Mobile Food Services, Retardant Contractor Performance Evaluation Form, Retardant Contracts COR Designation Letters, National Mobile Shower COR Designation Letter, National Long Term Fire Retardant Contract. Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Bob. When determining the hourly rate, agencies should utilize the appropriate rate category. United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service Guide . For an operator to be competitive in the LPTA world, you need to amortize the cost of the a/c over 10 years or more. Give me a break. Agency Logo. Then why are one year contracts with optional years considered a sustainable way for helicopter companies to provide helicopters for fire fighting? Why arent fixed wing on CWN awarded a offered daily minimum? Why are only Types III and II legacy helicopters being phased out? Budget Coordinator Forest Service makes major changes in helicopter contracts There are still going to be normal cwn helicopters. For aircraft in the first two categories, fire-fighting equipment consists of efficient and versatile ventral kits . Todd more well informed insight here. They are versatile fire management tools. NIFC is home to the national fire management programs of each federal fire agency, along with partners including the National Association of State Foresters, the U.S. Fire Administration, and the National Weather Service. @RtS1yD &LS,60E0U22U0J7gm:b|gY. Live Flight Tracking, Rappel 553 0 obj <>stream Smokejumper STC Being able to pump water from bodies of water inaccessible to fixed wings, they operate with fast rotations and can also be loaded to delay if necessary, thanks to mobile cages that firefighters can position close to the area of operations. The NWCGcategorizes information on fire apparatus into logical groups and provides common options often requested by fire managers. 0000001014 00000 n A lock ( Fire fighting tools, food and water are dropped by parachute to the firefighters after they land near the firemaking them self-sufficient for the first 48 hours. PDF Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the and the Subject Anyone else seeing a trend, that they like to spend money on the most expensive piece of equipment they can find, including fixed wings. What light twin replaces a 407? Helicopters refill their buckets at dip sites such as public lakes, reservoirs, or any water sources that are deep enough for the buckets. These changes are going to put operators who have worked hard for generations, who have tirelessly jumped through USFS hoops for years out of businessthat is a crappy government thanks, with costly and unnecessary changes as the final slap in the face! All types shall meet federal, state and agency requirements for motor vehicle safety standards, including all gross vehicle weight ratings when fully loaded. They are capable of carrying four to five firefighters at a time, and use a 180 gallon water bucket. USFS R8-R5 Intra-Agency Agreement. Phone: (208) 387-5670 Who will buy a 206, 407, etc besides AG guys? Your input here is really helpful. Click here. AMS - Aviation Management System (AMD-23E), AMD-23E Instructions for USFS National Type 1 & 2 Call When Needed (CWN) Contract Helicopters hired for DOI Incidents, BLM Annual Helitack Data Master (January 2017), BLM Exclusive Use Fire Helicopter Crew Training and Experience Requirements, 14 CFR Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), National Transportation Safety Board Information, Toggle Dyslexia-friendly black-on-creme color scheme, Aerial wildland fire training taking place this week at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Military aircraft equipped with MAFFS mobilized to assist with wildfire suppression efforts, First Annual National Wildland Firefighter Day Announced, BLM and Maverik Partner to Reduce Human-Caused Wildfires, Aerial wildland fire training taking place in Boise april 25-29, Andrus Center for Public Policy and Partners Seek National Student Congress Address Wildland Fire Management, National Interagency Incident Communications Division, National Incident Management Organization. Guide for Aerial Retardant Application See Full Story. to Air Missions (NOTAMS), Para PDF CWN Helicopter Procurement Comparison National Call-When-NeededHelicopters (Large Fire Support/Initial Attack)Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021for contracts awarded 2013-2017Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021 for contracts awarded 2018-2021Region 5 Aviation Additional current information can be accessed on the Interagency Fire UAS Operations website. 10 21 Uzbekistan: a discreet but powerful air force. The biggest issue overall is that this contract is a prerequisite for our other federal and state work such as state fire and wildlife survey, etc. I do not know of any small operators who can afford to buy new ships, if any are even available. Same thing with Erickson. Theres the rub! The FS is a sinking ship by every measurable metric and the aircraft contracting department is clearly no exception. Aircraft Engineering Services Welcome to the Nation's Logistical Support Center | National Other aircraft can be rigged with a Bambi Bucket but several operators have made the choice to heavily modify their helicopters with internal bunkers and complex release systems. The end result is fewer options for the government, but maybe that is what they want. Office: (208) 387-5682 Mobile: (208) 407-6003, Andrea Marks-Cash, Contract Specialist And the hits just keep on coming. What can replicate the performance of a UH-1H with a -703 as a bucket bird? GVWR = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Potentially an EU ship could sit all season and never turn a rotor and they would only collect the daily rate. We've identified seven states where the typical salary for a Helicopter Flight Instructor job is above the national average. 34 aircraft in this category operate in the US, mainly Bell 205 and 212. The NWCGcategorizes information on fire apparatus into logical groups and provides common options often requested by fire managers. If as you suggest they can choose to not submit a proposal then two things are going to happen: 1) that aircraft will not be part of the AFF fleet next year and 2) you will have less a/c in the future b/c of it. Home | About Nevertheless, the aviation branch of the US Forest Service is often seen as a versatile administration, without any long-term vision, with abrupt and sometimes difficult to understand decisions and against which innumerable legal proceedings and even lawsuits are brought by its subcontractors and those who are in line to become one. xb``b``Vg```+g@L@,&@ hbbd```b``Od?eKfWI0, &}@b iH(O/ / Aero Flite, Aero Air, and Neptune all swapped out some EU aircraft but each still has the same number of allocated slots. They are all tied to contractors in the business. The Huey will soon give way to the S-70 FireHawk, a model close to the aircraft operated in the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which will be a clear progression of air assets for the state of California. Jeffrey McGinley, Associate Branch Chief, Aviation 0000006627 00000 n No.thats what happens when you have cradle to grave beuracrats (who havnt a clue about running a business) in charge of doling out federal dollars. Faintly, what are the advertisement you see posted on this site? These helicopters can strategically drop thousands of gallons of water or retardant with pinpoint accuracy, while working closely with ground personnel and other firefighting aircraft. Do any of you FS boys understand how capitalism works? Modular AirborneFirefighting System (MAFFS) Mechanics DO NOT listen to your bosses, DO THE RIGHT thing and pull this RFP back and get it rightMILLIONS of U.S. citizens are expecting that you will. Forest Service CWN Medium/Heavy Helicopters Fire Suppression Orders 11/1/2021 Through 10/31/2022 DOI OC Small Type III Helicopter - National Park Service Search and Rescue (SAR) (2022) For Alaska/Hawaii Emergency/Fire/SAR task order numbers, please contact Heather Sizick, Lead Contracting Office at 571-479-0323 or Rebecca Fentzke, Division . Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the . Office: (208) 387-5272 Mobile: (208) 616-5546 USFS R8 / USFWS R4 Annual Operating Plan for the use of the AS350B2 Helicopter. Smokejumperstravel all over the country, including Alaska, to provide highly-trained, experienced firefighters and leadership for quick initial attack on wildland fires in remote areas. Aviation for Regions 3,4,6,8 AMS - Aviation Management System (AMD-23E) 2016 Fire Suppression Order Numbers. Your last sentence is the the nail in the coffin.seeing as that this contract will be LPTA and a year to year option, how do you finance a new a/c that will surely be $2-$4M on the low end? Steve Peterson, Contracting Officer Most aircraft manufacturers provide a document illustrating the operating costs for each of their models but it's hard to tell how accurate their estimates are (they are trying to sell you a helicopter after all). The Call When Needed (CWN) Parent Contract is a 1 year with 9 option years contract, with Exclusive Use (EU) contracts being bid *through* the parent contract for 1 year with four option years. CWN rotor craft normally have a daily rate and a flight rate. Faintly, what are the advertisement you see posted on this site? But you better pay for it, USFS says! Thats rarely happened before b/c a) its a lot of $$$ and b) the states also believed that they would get aerial resources when needed, but they got burned by that hope, literallyyou may think you can grab it, but think again in tough times.State will think about State first before sharing the resource.it will get more interesting when France, Spain, Greece and Turkey take these assetssleep well FSyou guys are managing the LATs and Type 1s welltheyll always be there for you.keep up the good workwell done. Aye, Laddie. Aerial SupervisionModule(Lead Planes) There is obviously some back door dealing going on with this RFP as it very specifically pushes money to certain equipment providers and tips the hat to certain helicopter companies. We operate Type III helicopters and are now faced with 40lbs+ of equipment (costing over $60k per aircraft) to meet minimum requirements things that we really dont need like a Traffic Avoidance System (but the ADS-B they required last year isnt good enough) and a loudspeaker (because yelling at the fire helps?). & Booklets), FS Smaller helicopters carry water in buckets that hold between 100-400 gallons of water. (Y/N - if "Y" add expiration date on card) 6. They should change their contract terms should change if theyre forcing companies to buy X aircrafts. 0 0000002454 00000 n However, multi-year contacts must also include an aspect of a cancellation ceiling which must be funded up front. It has been lightly edited. TheNWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typingis jointly developed and maintained bythe following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) committees and their subgroups: While they may contain current or useful information, previous versions are obsolete. Large, heavy-lift helicopters can fill their water tanks with a snorkel that siphons water from lakes, rivers, or other sources. Have a fire aviation news tip? Great response, fellas. The FS is certainly aware of Mr. Gabbert who has reached out to public affairs folks within the agency on numerous occasions. Well, maybe in some locations. Look at the LATs this year. Some of the contracts have a set number of guaranteed hours instead of a daily rate. PDF 2023 US FOREST SERVICE AIRTANKERS - SCHEDULE OF ITEMS (April 26, 2023) If helicopters are widely used in the USA to fight forest fires, they can also be used to burn them. When the helicopter is in position, the crew releases the water to extinguish hot spots. One newton is the force needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass at the rate of one meter per second squared. Doing business with the feds is not for the faint of heart. Fires are taking place in sometimes isolated areas, and this ancestral technique is very widely used, allowing firefighters to block the fire thus depriving it of fuel. The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing establishes minimum typing standards for aircraft, crews, and equipment for national mobilization to wildland fire incidents. The most spectacular heavy-duty helicopters have long been the Erickson AirCrane, the CH-54 refurbished by the Oregon-based company that has developed for them a constant-rate and controlled-release airdrop that is considered one of the most efficient and reliable. Farm planes that can carry a ton of retardant to the Boeing 747 Supertanker and 75 tons of load, anything that can drop on a fire was mobilized to fight monsters like the fire of the Mendocino Complex that devoured more than 150 000 ha in a month and a half. Type 2 helicopters are very effective initial attack resources. PDF AIRCRAFT CHAPTER 50 MOBILIZATION - National Interagency Fire Center Most exclusive use helicopters have a daily rate and a flight rate, but no guaranteed hours. A Department of Defense liaison was added as a permanent partner at NIFC in 2008. Does anyone smell a red herring or see a strawman waving his arms? Smokejumper Aircraft Qualification Category. Large Jet Transport Yes (work and train as a unit 40 hours per week. Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Bob. They are all tied to contractors in the business. Category 3 includes helicopters capable of lifting more than 700 gallons of water or retardant.