When the helicopter is in position, the crew releases the water to extinguish hot spots. IBC's Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD) is responsible for the acquisition of a full suite of commercial aviation services supporting each bureau in the Department of the Interior, as well as many external customers. In addition the Logistics Branch provides procurement support for eleven National Cachesfor wildland fire suppression and prevention, as well as other emergency incident response activities. Oh, and dont glance over the cockpit camera, which they want even on restricted category bucket ships. The USFS cooperates with CAL FIRE, US Department of Interior agencies Bureau of. NWCG Standards for Fire. There are only 2 options and they are well in to the 10s of millions of dollars. The three-day operation used a helicopter and high powered rifles to take out the cows in a rugged area where federal officials and environmentalists say the animals have been trampling stream banks, damaging habitat for other species and ruining water quality. Through the use of Preseason Agreements and by partnering with the U.S. Forest Service Region 6 Fire Aviation Contracting Team (FACT), through VIPR contracts, DNR is able to pull in outside resources quickly if needed. So do we get balanced journalism here. 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 6-month Exclusive Use (EU) contract extensions for 34 - Type 2 helicopters with contracts expiring in 2022, utilizing BOAs for remaining EU line items. 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. They requested to remain anonymous in order to avoid retribution from the agency. SD3-60 Sherpa Avionics Upgrade, Dave Hershey, Contracting Officer 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. The arrogance and dismissal by the FS with most questions being answered Noted, Language will remain as written just adds frustration to irritation. The reason your seeing all the blackhawk bucket ships is because you can buy a milsurp bird for less than 2$ million and be flying on a fire for less than 5. The agency felt the surge helicopters were necessary to mitigate a possible decrease in the effectiveness or numbers of their ground forces engine and hand crews. As this is being written, the politicians we elect to represent us in Washington are trying to put together a last minute (literally) federal budget that will keep the government from shutting down again tonight. Well, maybe in some locations. And they are cheap azzs that wont pay much for anything. Call-When-Needed (CWN) Amphibious Water Scooper Aircraft Incident Procurement Modernization Team Member. Dr. Dominic Mijele, KWS vet darting an elephant !om a KWS helicopter in Narok, Mara Ecosystem - Charles Ooro, Kenyan Wildlife Service [ BOTTOM ] Plate 43. Heres an idea that probably nobody will like. 16, 2020. If it aint broke, dont try to fix it. Your input allows us to recognize outstanding service and also provides a tool to address areas of industry concern. coleman 533 stove carry case; trumpets in the sky alaska; replica designer swimwear vendors; Website Coordinator 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.. Try to pass on the cost of newer, more expensive equipment in less than 10 years, than the operator fails on the LPTA front b/c his day rate will be too high. Air Tanker 163, an RJ 85, at Rapid City December 12, 2017. LGBT Themes. Bill do you have access to USFS decision makers? October 27, 2021 Forest Service Response: The USFS recognizes the importance of safety recommendation A-10-168 and continues to refine Flight Data Monitoring requirements. I would be interested to see more reporting on why the USFS is making this transition now and how they made the decisions. 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?). _A KWS ranger learning to identify individual elephants. Dont you? Okay, what is the best way to answer that question of yours *** , How about-Actually allow aggressive initial and extended attack, including effective air support and reasonable and responsible firing operations. So, because the Forest Service wants to push all but the top tier of their options out, they are essentially putting every government agencys resources at risk. In addition, the federal land management agencies said last year they were going to limit the number of less-than-full-suppression fires and attack new ignitions aggressively. How the five and ten year contracts youre looking at will affect us and benefit us and what we need to put into our budget to so that the Forest Service has the necessary equipment to address these wildfires?, We are studying the question about going to a 10-year contract, what the pros and cons are, Chief Christiansen said. Were nearly complete with that report. Modular AirborneFirefighting System (MAFFS) Mechanics Even if a vendor received a guaranteed five-year contract it can be difficult to establish and implement a long-term business plan that would make sense to their banker and the solvency of the company. The U.S. Forest Service (FS) is expecting to contract for 48 Type 1 helicopters for the 2021 wildfire season. Time management skills and Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance is not a skill this outfit excels in.time to get back to timber management and master THAT, if thats possible before trying to re write contracts.maybe this outfit needs to hire some of us aviation professionals to assist the other professional mechanics and pilots on the USFS staff.surely they could assist in helping the contract office in being more realistic, First off its not the contracting office that is being unrealistic. Office: (208) 387-5627 Mobile: (208) 985 6266 Erickson Incorporated announced three new USFS Firefighting contracts for the upcoming 2021 wildfire season. These are the largest helicopters used for fighting wildland fires in the United States and can carry between 700 and 3,000 gallons of water. Yes, the customer is the FS. 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. Yes, the customer is the FS. Services include, but are not limited to aircraft purchase and sales; maintenance of fleet aircraft; pilot service contracts . Buying a/c is a lot like buying a house. The FS contracting office posted more than a dozen versions of the presolicitation between July 7 and December 6. Well said Maghreb.sadly, doing so would guarantee financial disaster/bankruptcy for the industry while also ensuring that the country and its citizens in fire prone states would be without helos for many more years than just one season.I do love the idea as it would send a message for suremaybe a few calls to the White House make sense here? There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. The Q&A period is a nicety, but rarely ever provides valuable responses to industry. Office: (208) 387-5279 Mobile: (208) 608-6763, Forest Service and interagency publications are the primary vehicles by which Forest Service and Interagency policy and standards are transmitted. Jeffrey McGinley, Associate Branch Chief, Aviation Large Jet Transport Your input here is really helpful. Bill would rather not take his private industry advertisers $$$, but he should and needs to get paid for the hard work he puts in and he knows you Government boys cant/wont pay him to tell the truth. Nobody should bid, then when everything is on fire and the USFS comes begging then youd have some leverage on them. in the Black Hills between Custer and Hill City and having one of these is a much needed and necessary thing especially given the dead and down Pine and Spruce trees from the Bark Beatle infestation we suffered through. The what, why and where of this story seems like it warrants additional reporting. And CWN aircraft cost the government much more to operate than EU resources. Aviation for Region 2 Aircraft Type: DC-10. Welcome to the Nation's Logistical Support Center | National . We all understand that. Mulcher / Masticator - Boom Mounted Checklist, U.S. Forest Service, Contracting Cooperator aircraft (State contracted, State owned, State managed National Guard aircraft, And just a side note, the CO in charge of the solicitation has pointed out these things that are unrealistic but gets told to shut up and color from the mucky mucks in DCso please stop blaming Contracting and if you dont have a clue about contracting it maybe you should take some time to learn a little about contracting. Firewatch Cobra (Bell 209/AH-1) Aerial Supervision Helicopter. From completely unacceptable accident rates to corrupt hiring decisions and horrendously abysmal contracting they are all utter and complete failures. 10 0 obj <> endobj In other locations they would just shrug their shoulders and walk away. Base model costs 50k where does the rest go??? Does anyone smell a red herring or see a strawman waving his arms? 5 more pack tests and Im done. Aviation Guides/Publications. Other candidates would be the 412, and the other twin engine mediums on the market from AW and Airbus/Eurocopter. HMS8:A[>!Leq`dXfgo$av`w*ldevq7mXm`F,s}PA.?|ZA[7lY7z rCXB:Y;M7\c>]-kFt^j1_>ey)4?haGUEX5M7IW? xt*9b`w,$$B.vc&8Hx.Yjf9N3 |B^gW?.n}tZ8 These contracts require continuous availability throughout the mandatory availability period, which can be 180 days or more. The USFS intends to make parent awards Summer/Fall 2022, with task orders being competed/awarded after parent awards. 64 2021 National Interagency Mobilization Guide . CONTRACTING FOR FIRE. One of our readers whose company has been providing helicopters on the previous contracts has some opinions about the changes the Forest Service is pushing. So this all begs a question how do we bridge the gap here? Nap time seems more like it versus getting too much into Fire Season 2021 and my thoughts. hb``e``c```Y Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. In addition to just a one year guarantee, there were new requirements for equipment to be added to the aircraft requiring significant additional expenditures for the private companies bidding on the services. DB109437 Archie: Volume 1. The list this year includes what has become their standard in recent years, 28 ships, plus an additional 20 surge helicopters. A CWN aircraft could be tied up on something else or undergoing heavy maintenance when the phone in the office rings asking if they can respond to a fire. There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. These devices have their place but has any downed firefighting aircraft actually been located by one? Id guess many of them follow your websites, but if not and you have access to them, it would be good to alert them to the commentary here on this pageif anyone else feels strongly negative about this, chime in!! If any of those folks everrrrrr knew what it takes to run a rotary operation. Its logical that the USFS move to a more modern helicopter fleet. They can typically carry 700 gallons of water or retardant via a bucket or a snorkel that fills an internal tank. Theres the rub! 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. Light Operational Loads Monitoring Systems (OLMS) Then why are one year contracts with optional years considered a sustainable way for helicopter companies to provide helicopters for fire fighting? Finally on December 13 they threw in the towel, saying, The USFS has determined there is not enough time for an adequate response from industry, a complete evaluation by the government, and ultimately timely award prior to the start of 2022 mandatory availability periods.. With a defense budget of around $597 billion, it was almost as much as the next 14 countries put together and far larger than the rest of the world. What year was this pic taken?? She saidUp to 30 additional Type 1 helicoptersare on Call When Needed contracts, which includes the six that no longer have EU contracts. 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. The cheapest camera we could find is $10,000. Publications are distributed through hard copy print, web pages, mobile device applications, and other digital media. The Logistics Branch provides support for WO Fire & Aviation Operations customers (located at NIFC) with the procurement of (urgent/immediate)incidentresources, such as retardant chemicals and related services, mobile food services, mobile shower facilities, firefighting crews, Critical Incident Stress Management Services (CISM) and National Videographer/Photographer Services. At least two CL-415s were removed from USFS contracts and placed on a state contract this year too. usfs type 1 helicopter contracts 2021. Why burn off large amounts of the Superstition Mountains? Try to pass on the cost of newer more expensive equipment in less than 10 years than the operators fails on the LPTA front. Fire camp infrastructureand Incident Command Post (ICP) is a location at which primary command functions are executed. The FS would gladly issue multi-year contracts (vs. base year + options). The USFS will continue to review and refine the Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) solicitation. Type 1 helicopters are the largest, fastest flying and the most expensive helicopters used on wildland fires. Moving to 10-year contracts for firefighting aircraft was mentioned several times in an April 15 hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, featuring U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen and her testimony. I am trying to figure it out each Fire Season how to keep men and women safe The S-70 could work but again, at what cost? Deere & Company (Ground Maintenance Equipment) PADD20231336. usfs type 1 helicopter contracts 2021 Click here. What can replicate the performance of a UH-1H with a -703 as a bucket bird? An official website of the United States government. 3833 S. Development Avenue Hows about an STC for personal electronic devices, only available from one company, nobody else in the industry even knows what the hell the STC is or is for! Ignoring the facts of what that aircraft can actually carry, not what the vendor claims. Little to no way to sock away money for these required upgrades to bid on the contract. 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? Have a fire aviation news tip? Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. endstream endobj startxref Each time I go to sleep, wondering will I awake? The recent Fire at Custer State Park is proof that such Wildland Fire Fighting Equipment is a very welcome addition to our Fire Protection District. . Sounds like a great schedule to buy a next gen helicopter. For senior high and older readers. The administrative bases of the helicopters will be at 48 locations. We operate Type III helicopters and are now faced with 40+ pounds 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?). 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. Theyre only offering a one-year contract, said Ron Hooper, president of Missoula-based Neptune Aviation. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. Large Airtankers (LATs) can deliver from 2,000 to 4,000 gallons of fire retardant to support firefighters on the ground. Too busy feathering their own nests and grade-hopping they couldnt care less about the program at large. Next Generation Multi-Engine Fixed-Wing Airtankers 3.0 Y63 u3e11iQfkbKT?cx6Yi>#/@ G6 Continual outflanking of the crews. Several vendors opted for EU contracts with states instead of the USFS. They are all tied to contractors in the business. But they wont tell us when they are doing that, just that as we bid on EU work within the CWN contract eventually they are going to want modern helicopters. The Surge helicopters will be available for a 120-day contract availability period, beginning June 1, 2021 (except for the Santa Fe Surge). But it refers to astudy conducted from 2007 to 2009, theNIAC Interagency Aviation Strategy, which concluded that the optimum number of Type 1 helicopters on EU was 34. Fire.every.last.one.of.them. Free thoughts, free opinions for sure. 4. A lock ( These one-year firefighting aircraft contracts need to be converted to 10-year contracts, and the number of Type 1 helicopters must be restored to at least the 34 we had for years.