AirFire & Forestry
Learning how to use the “Tools in the Toolbox”
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by Mike Schoenau, Air Tractor Dealer, California I have spent the past few years encouraging fire managers in Southern California to seriously consider the Air Tractor AT802 as “another tool in the toolbox”. I have been heartened by the increased use of single engine airtankers (SEATs; Fire Bosses) by some Federal and State agencies to enhance their rapid initial-attack capability. However, my elation has been dampened this year by observing several large fire situations where the fires escaped initial attack. It seems that under pressure, some fire agencies tend to forget about new and emerging technologies/methodologies and revert back to traditional aerial fire-fighting tactics (e.g. indirect attack using large air tankers and retardant; dispatching SEATs from permanent tanker bases thereby increasing ferry distances; using retardant aircraft on fires that abut lakes, reservoirs, or rivers instead of calling in scooper aircraft). An AT-802 can work with its own fuel/retardant loading vehicle from smaller airports, unpaved airstrips or a closed section of highway. The Fire Boss can deliver up to 13,000 gph and work for up to 3-hours non-stop. Rapid response and quick turns are critical factors. As a California business man and taxpayer, I am concerned that some fire agencies have become too dependent on large air tankers which are often deployed after the fire has escaped initial attack. I am convinced that governments at all levels would save millions of dollars each year if they invested in fleets of smaller and less expensive SEATs and helicopters that could be pre-positioned throughout their protection areas to ensure facilitate initial attack on fires that are still small and manageable. For the past few years, I have sponsored and attended several State and Federal fire-fighting events (e.g. WFLC; NASF; Tangent Link AFF). Many senior managers have done a lot of “head nodding” about the cost effectiveness of SEATs and Fire Bosses while visiting my booth. Unfortunately, the information they glean during these events does not seem to percolate down to the appropriate decision makers within their organizations (e.g. Incident Commanders; Air Attacks; Dispatchers). In addition, internal reviews often maintain the status quo because of budget, political, cultural, and/or systemic constraints. It’s time to rationalize which tools remain in the “tool box”. It is also critical that key fire managers learn how to use those tools in the most cost effective manner.
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