For a third year in a row the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presented CAL FIRE and DynCorp International with the FAA’s Diamond Award of Excellence for Aviation Maintenance. The award recognizes CAL FIRE’s aviation maintenance unit after all maintenance technicians pass a rigorous and specialized aircraft safety training program.
CAL FIRE’s current support contractors are DynCorp and Logistics Specialties Incorporated (LSI). DynCorp provides airtanker and airtactical plane pilot services, and all aircraft maintenance services. All CAL FIRE helicopters are flown by CAL FIRE pilots. LSI provides procurement and parts management services.
6 Comments
CalFire costs a whole lot of money and there is definitely always room for improvement including cost savings (not related to aviation safety) but….
CalFire is about as good as it gets as far as a fire-fighting agency goes. If you had a lot of money wouldn’t you like to be a CalFire clone?
LR
Hats off to Cal Fire…
One of the airlines I worked for had achieved this multiple years in a row. This is not an easy award to achieve. Congrats!
Cost a lot of money? What are the options, let a wildfire burn without suppression or cost. Attempt to attack and contain a wildfire after it has burned for one or two burning periods. (check recent fire fatalities) Follow Dr. Gabbert’s prescription for saving the patient. Not all “patients” can be saved but twenty to thirty times a day during the fire season Cal Fire’s aggressive protocol for treating the patient works. It’s better to attack the “cancer” when its small rather than allow it to spread unchecked.
Hey Johnny? I hope you didn’t take my comment in a negative way. I agree fully. The “Golden Hour” in the medical world or 15-30 minute IA in the wildfire world are rock solid approaches to possibly saving the patient. Now, to others who might follow Fire Aviation and Wildfire Today as neophytes ….
As for CalFire’s air program? It’s sweet! Amazing! I don’t think enough good can be said of it! Check it out for yourself.
In a perfect world where fire managers are prescient, CalFire could be even more efficient and certainly more cost-effective. In this real world, overkill is often a coefficient of success in getting a fire before it gets you. Overkill is not cost-effective until … ! Some folks view the multitude of rigs comprising many strike teams parked along roads or in fields essentially doing nothing as overkill, a waste of money. It is, until they come in handy. It may be money in the crews’ pockets regardless of what they are doing but you (Johnny) and I both know they’d rather be breaking a sweat working than just sitting and sweating in their PPE.
A truly successful state firefighting agency needs lots of money. The more the better for an air program! The demographics and shape of a state like Colorado make it hard to achieve that. California, on the other hand, must be just about perfect …. as CalFire exemplifies.
LR
Hey,
I think we all agree that CalFire sets a top standard to achieve.
Excellent maintenance and training programs.
Tactical spread of tanker Bases and aggressive Initial Attack tactic.
Combined means of Air/Ground well coordinated in a safe and efficient manner.
The system works and 97% of fires are dealt with at the IA stage.
Not bad…
Improvement is always possible… But the spirit is there.
Hey LR
The USFS and it’s C130 program are probably trying find a way to clone exactly what CALFire has done over the years to get this award.
They will try to play “ketchup” with the program to even get in the game……ever wonder why it so quiet lately about their little purchase on the Air Forces’ dime on CWB replacement
You can be sure those WG’s at Robins are well qualified for the FAA Diamond Award and many of the military MX types who can qualify, also….
Yes, it is an award that the 121 operators as well as many 91 and 135 operators can attain when they set their minds to it.
Now we will wait to see how the USFS piece meals the contracts out for the flying, MX, and sustainment training for the program…….you know they are looking somebody…….
The answers are right and write here if the USFS could get its stuff together…..
They still having troubles, Bill? On how they are assigning this and that to whomever?
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