CAL FIRE’s new Firehawk, Helicopter 903 at the HAI convention in Anaheim, CA January 28, 2020. Photo by Bill Gabbert.The Governor of Colorado included in his budget proposal for the next fiscal year $78 million in wildfire-related expenditures. About $24 million would go toward the purchase of a new Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk helicopter to help firefighters suppress wildfires. An additional $3.8 million would be spent on annual operating costs.
The Steamboat Pilot reports that State Sen. Bob Rankin, R-Carbondale, is a prime sponsor on a package of bills to be introduced soon to address wildfire management, one of which would purchases the helicopter.
In recent years Colorado has contracted for two Type 2 helicopters that can carry about 300 gallons of water. The Firehawk can hold up to 1,000 gallons and can also be used to transport more firefighters, about a dozen. In 2020 for the first time the state contracted for an exclusive use large air tanker. They hired Air Tanker 23, a P-3 Orion operated by Airstrike, on a 75-day exclusive use (EU) contract. The choice of the aircraft came as no surprise since it was already under a call when needed arrangement with the state.
In March, 2014 a report written by the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps (CFAC) recommended that the state contract for the exclusive use of four Type 3 or larger rotor-wing aircraft. (Type 3 helicopters can carry 100 to 300 gallons.) The report also recommended contracts for the exclusive use of two Type 2 or larger air tankers. (Type 2 air tankers can carry 1,800 to 3,000 gallons).
Sikorsky S70I Firehawk on Nov. 23, 2019, the day it was delivered to Los Angeles County Fire Department. United Rotorcraft photo.Firehawks have become very popular in recent years. CAL FIRE is purchasing 12, Los Angeles County has at least 5, and San Diego Fire Rescue has one. Other agencies or companies are modifying older UH-60 Blackhawks to have similar specifications as the Firehawk, with an external belly tank, including Ventura County in Southern California.
After an S-70 is built by Sikorsky the helicopter has to be modified in order to be configured as a Firehawk. Most of them are customized by United Rotorcraft at the Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado. The company adds a belly-mounted 1,000-gallon water tank and a retractable snorkel. To give the tank extra clearance from the ground, they add an extension to each of the aircraft’s two front wheels. Optional equipment can include a rescue hoist, cargo hook, specific radios and avionics changes, and a medical suite for the cabin.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Bean.
8 Comments
DFPC really needs to knock it off with the tactical aircraft. They own no land and have no jurisdiction, basically they bring little to the table. They need to buy bulldozer, LOTS of bulldozers if they ever want to be relevant. Just leave the tactical aircraft to the Feds (who are putting a lot more on contract every year) and fly their MMA’s which are actually very useful.
Jack,
Help me out here … Colorado critically depends on small independent fire protection districts for IA on fires. They are the ones that keep small fires small in our State. They are almost always volunteer departments, almost always under staffed, with small budgets. More often than not, the IA terrain is difficult. The idea is to get in a robust IA and avoid having to fight a larger fire.
If you need extra IA support to do the job, and more people aren’t readily available, what kind of suppression assistance is going to show up at the fire ground in 30 minutes to provide direct support regardless of terrain? Bulldozers? State hand crews? Engines? Helos ?
The historic Fed air tanker support for IA has been spotty at best. UTF rate for type 1 helos in 2017 was over 60%. The average Fed UTF rate looks to be something like 20%. I haven’t seen the 2020 data.
Colorado needs rapid dependable integrated air support for our small fire protection districts that are doing the IA. Considering the Fed UTF rate, buying them or having more EU contracts makes sense.
“Colorado needs rapid dependable integrated air support for our small fire protection districts that are doing the IA”.
So is the lack of integrated air support the problem or is it those small fire protection districts (structural response based districts and volunteer districts too) that are doing the IA that are the problem?
Tom,
IMHO. The small districts drew the short straw in Colorado when it comes to fighting wildfires. They are doing the very best they can with what they have. It doesn’t help that the command and operational infrastructure in the State isn’t optimized for prompt IA.
State law constrains firefighting to working the way it does in unincorporated areas of the State. We’re very lucky if the wildfire somehow starts in an incorporated area as they can afford larger better equipped metropolitan fire departments, the fires are usually much more accessible, and more firefighting water is available.
Small Fire Protection Districts are first in line followed by County Sheriffs [tasking the sheriff with firefighting is actually left over from an arcane law from the days of horse and buggy in Colorado]. After the Sheriff, the State gets involved. Unfortunately, the legislature of Colorado didn’t give any of the 64 independent county sheriffs any extra funding or capability to go along with their State firefighting responsibility. Most of their initial contribution tends to come in the form of larger command staffs / management teams. Additionally, the State has no overall firefighting authority until command has passed from small district to sheriff to State [by that time we are dealing with a big fire].
Like I said … IMHO … Absent the addition of a rapid aviation response for IA, even figuring in the mutual aid agreements between fire protection districts, the rest of the “system” in Colorado doesn’t really kick in until the fire escapes the ability of small districts to manage/ contain it. Calling for Fed IA support is a gamble with UTF reality. If Colorado is going to do a better job with IA and keep small fires small, it has to do a much better job of getting more assets on the fireground faster. That means fixing the fragmented confederation that exists today. So the finger of accusation is better when pointed at our State legislature.
Remember, the bigger the aircraft, the bigger the fires get.
As someone who has managed various sized fire aviation responses for the feds in CO for 30+ years, I was very skeptical when the state wanted to start their own air program a decade ago. Mostly based upon the expense and contracting rules, the levels of training, etc. I’ve come around a lot and have worked with DFPC’s aviation folks on a number of fires now. They compare well with most fed assets out there. Their program growth has been slow and deliberate, fixing the bugs along the way. Purchasing their own Firehawk, I think, is a logical next step. And without the burden of a lot of the old-school fed policies, they can bring in night ops, hoist and short haul programs. Keep in mind that in addition to fire, a lot major SAR ops are not on fed land, and the need is there. I certainly see this being a great asset for low country IA, especially along the Front Range where there are still only two fed IA helitack programs between WY and NM.
Well said Mariah ! Depending on Fed aircraft is old school, this is the continuation of protecting the lands of Colorado. I too have many years of being a Air Ops on a national team. This IS the way to go for Colorado! Pass and sign the Legislation Gov. Polis !!
I also agree with Jack, counting on county road departments to supply dozers to build fire line is also old school. The State of Colorado NEEDS I.A. Dozers. Colorado also needs to start utilizing IA inmate hand crews to put bodies on the fire and out of the Big House !
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