Incident Procurement Modernization Team Member. I am concerned that it will reduce resources in a way that will harm the communitys we generally get to help. LGBT Themes. 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. So wed be glad to discuss more about air tankers. A lot of the operators that will get pushed out because of this RFP do a lot of irrefutably safe work when fire season peaks, or when resource work is needed, with excellently maintained legacy platforms at great value to the taxpayers., Less than three months after Forest Service Chief Christiansen said the agency was going to release a report shortly about the feasibility of moving to 10-year contracts, they issued a presolicitation for helicopter contracts that guaranteed one year. Aviation Support | IBC Customer Central For senior high and older readers. usfs type 1 helicopter contracts 2021 - fotodelione.lt The Q&A period is a nicety, but rarely ever provides valuable responses to industry. In December, 2017 the US Forest Service cancelled a five-year EU contract it had issued the previous year for two CL-415 water scooping air tankers. The U.S. Forest Service (FS) is expecting to contract for 48 Type 1 helicopters for the 2021 wildfire season. Very well stated on what most of us are thinking and in the same boat. Y63 u3e11iQfkbKT?cx6Yi>#/@ G6
Vendors do not drive the requirements the customer does. Website Coordinator 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. The USFS will continue to review and refine the Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) solicitation. The administrative bases of the helicopters will be at 48 locations. 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. Airtankers 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. In other locations they would just shrug their shoulders and walk away. BTW, does anyone flying on fires really need an ELT if they have ADSB? agency that, more and more, is becoming its own worst enemy, as well as ours! Publications include manuals, handbooks, standards, guides, plans, and other documents. 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. %%EOF
All Standard and Restricted category Type 1, 2 and 3 helicopter contracts awarded under the USFS Type 1, 2 and 3 2022 Multiple Award Task Order (MATOC) Helicopter Support . 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. One big caveat to last year is that there will be ZERO dedicated HLCO platforms available as there were last year. The schedule calls for most of them to begin in April and May. Office: (208) 387-5231 Mobile: (208) 991-7639, Larry Robillard,Contracting Officer But only when they decide, of course! There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. Helicopters | National Interagency Fire Center National Air Attack Exclusive Use Aircraft Office: (208) 387-5272 Mobile: (208) 616-5546 It has been lightly edited. Temp Tower Ordering Guidance - Central Service Area (ND) (2022-2027) Interagency Emergency Helicopter Extraction List. while simultaneously saying that they fully intend on moving to modern helicopters that are built after the year 2000 and are all twin engine. Light Operational Loads Monitoring Systems (OLMS) Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Just curious on what you think would have made the difference as the Initial Attack IC? Other helicopters may or may not be procured on a Call When Needed (CWN) contract. In March, 2017 when it was revealed that the six helicopters were being cut, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Jennifer Jonesexplained the agencys rationale: At this time, the agency has determined 28 to be the appropriate number of Type 1 helicopters on EU contracts given current types and numbers of other aircraft in the fleet. I believe the FS had about 6-9 nationally funded HLCO platforms in order to provide aerial supervision to these surge aircraft but this year? Video of two Type 1 helicopters reloading with retardant, Lockheed looks ahead to advancing capability in wildland firefighting, Aerial Firefighters Association to promote safety, standards, innovation, Coulson tanker down in Western Australia, pilots okay, Helicopter crash kills 2 in Chilean fires. To request access to this page, submit request to FS-FS AQM ISB. Things like long term stability, Banking considerations and finance never enter into the Governments equation. When the helicopter is in position, the crew releases the water to extinguish hot spots. DOI/OAS & Interagency Aviation Bulletins. Buying a/c is a lot like buying a house. Cradlepoint, Inc. (Data Communications Products & Services) PADD20210466. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS I can see daily availability rates sky rocketing, which it sounds like is expected. Kinda like the air tankers. The fleet remained at that level until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 when they added an additional 22 ships for a total of 50. You FS boys need to stop trying to blame the messenger and take the feedback from industry to heart. They will tell you they have their smerfs.SMEs ( who typically are cradle to grave beuracrats as well), who are supposedly dialed in on the subject matter surerightlmao 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. I agree the process has become absurd; personnel within federal agencies who develop and oversee aircraft contracts for fire-fighting need significant redirection. 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. Those who can manage might do fineor they might just get tossed out with the bathwater.. Air resources were cancelled at the Forest level, isnt that correct? New Director of CAL FIRE said they may have up to 10 additional The single vs twin vs safety argument doesnt have a clear winner unless youre talking about CAT A capable aircraft. Is that some new type of aggressive attack? She saidUp to 30 additional Type 1 helicoptersare on Call When Needed contracts, which includes the six that no longer have EU contracts. Then why are one year contracts with optional years considered a sustainable way for helicopter companies to provide helicopters for fire fighting? Local Small Business Specialist Why are only Types III and II legacy helicopters being phased out? Chapter 1 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and. 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. In September an article on Fire Aviation about this current presolicitation included an opinion from the vendor of a Type 3 helicopter who requested to remain anonymous in order to avoid retribution from the agency. Typos, let us know, and please keep in mind the commenting ground rules before you post a comment. What will replace a 407 for a Type III ship? 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.. _A KWS ranger learning to identify individual elephants. Just another site. They almost seem to be writing rules to make the use of Firefighting Aircraft, impossible . But you better pay for it, USFS says! What year was this pic taken?? People will write their Congressional Reps and lowly GS grade bureaucrats will get mushroom stamped for creating an untenable contracting environment that leads to a massive shortage of rotors when homes are burning. OAS-64A Interagency Airplane Pilot Evaluation Application Form, OAS-64BInteragency Helicopter Pilot Evaluation Application Form, 5700-20Airplane Pilot Qualifications and Approval Record, 5700-20aHelicopter Pilot Evaluation Application, Cost Comparison Travel Worksheet(FS 5700-11), Flight Request Justification Approval Administrative Use Aircraft Form (AUA-1), National and Regional Report of Annual Administrative Flight Use (AUA-2), 2021,2020,2019,2018,2017,2016,2015,2014,2013,2012, Amphibious Water Scooper Aircraft Operations Plan, Administrative Use of Aircraft Desk Reference, Airworthiness Assurance Guide for Aerial Firefighting &Natural Resources Aircraft, Aviation Management Handbook - FSH 5709.16, C-23B+/SD3-60 Aircraft Change Management Implementation Plan, Federal Excess Personal Property Guide(11/05/2021), Fire Imaging and Mapping Guide (coming soon), Forest Service Standards for Airtanker Operations 2022, Forest Service Standards for Short-Haul Operations (January 2022), Forest Service Standards for UAS Operations, National Aviation Safety and Management Plan, (2022 - 2023), National Aviation Safety Management System Guide, National Rappel Operations Guide,(2019 Approval Letter), National Type I and Type II Exclusive Use Helicopter Operations Plan, Working Capital Fund Aircraft Users Guide, Basic Weather Information on Manifests and Use of Belt Weather Kits (IATB 2015-02), Clarification of the HOGE Power Check requirement(IATB 17-01), Airtanker Base Directory (Located on the Fire Enterprise Geospatial Portal), DOT Special Permit Authorization 9198 Forest Service DOT SP-9198 Grantee Letter, Emergency Helicopter Extraction Source List, Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, Interagency Airplane Pilot Practical Test Standards 2012 (Revision 2.0), Interagency Aviation Life Support Equipment Guide 2021, Interagency Helicopter Pilot Practical Test Standards 2015, Interagency Smokejumper Pilot Operations Guide, ISMOG Forest Service Section Forest Service National Smokejumper Training Guide, National Aviation Safety Management System (NASMS) Guide, NWCG Aviation Mishap Response Guide and Checklist, NWCGStandards for Airtanker Base Operations, NWCGStandards for Aviation Transport of Hazardous Materials, RAM-Air Parachute Training Guide Forest Service RAM-Air Canopy Evaluation Plan, Standards for Fire and Aviation Operations (Red Book), https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/aviation/publications, Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operati, Flight Request Justification Approval Administrative Use Aircraft Form, National and Regional Report of Annual Administrative Flight Use, Forest Service Standards for Short-Haul Operations, National Aviation Safety and Management Plan, Basic Weather Information on Manifests and Use of Belt Weather Kits, Clarification of the HOGE Power Check requirement, Forest Service DOT SP-9198 Grantee Letter, Forest Service National Smokejumper Training Guide, Forest Service RAM-Air Canopy Evaluation Plan, Standards for Fire and Aviation Operations, U.S. Forest Service and Interagency Aviation Publications.