Example of a location that could serve as a short haul extrication site. (From the Rapid Lesson Sharing report)
While extricating an injured firefighter last month the firefighters on the ground were not sure how large a clearing was needed in order for a helicopter short haul rescue.
Short haul means moving people suspended from a helicopter on ropes or cable from the rescue location to some place where they can be safely unhooked from the rope or cable. The helicopter can land and the people who were unhooked are moved inside the helicopter to continue the flight.
A Rapid Lesson Sharing report was completed, along with a video. Here is the text, followed by the video:
Do You know what a Short-Haul Site Looks Like?
On August 10, 2022, Collin Hagan was struck by a tree while working to suppress the Big Swamp fire in central Oregon. Collin’s crew immediately requested short-haul. Crews hurriedly improved potential sites by falling trees and cutting brush to varying degrees but said they weren’t sure what was actually necessary for a short-haul site. When the helicopter arrived overhead, the short-haul crew noted that although Collin was in an unimproved site, it was suitable for extrication and moving Collin to the improved site was not necessary.
The short-haul crew described characteristics of a potential short-haul site:
Generally, zero improvement is required to perform a short-haul. With the right flight conditions, we need an opening in the canopy, about the size of a Volkswagen bug. If the terrain is steep, excavating a platform can make it easier once we’re on ground to package and depart smoothly with the patient.
The purpose of this learning product is to provide the field a general reference for what a short-haul site could be. Always remember that final site approval is ultimately up to the helicopter pilot and crew. An in-depth narrative from the perspective of the participants and other lessons learned are forthcoming as part of the Big Swamp Serious Accident Investigation.
Forrest Rackham and Tyrel Matthews (holding the plaques) received the 2021 National Park Service Aviator of the Year Award. NPS photo.
The National Park Service has announced the 2021 awards for excellence and extraordinary service in aviation.
Excellence in Mentorship Aviation Award
This award recognizes an individual or organization who, through training and mentorship of aviation personnel goes above and beyond normal expectations to assist others in developing their personal or professional aviation growth.
Jordan Black –Wildland Fire Module Lead at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Jordan gained qualifications as an NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot (UASP) and Aerial Ignition which allowed him to begin mentoring and training other interagency UAS pilots in these skill sets.
Nathan Gilmore, Missy Schwarz, and Cammy Roy – Helicopter Managers – BLM Alaska Fire Service (AFS)
All three individuals have provided mentorship in helicopter operations to many Alaska NPS employees over the years and developed NPS employees in the areas of Helicopter Crew Member and Helicopter Manager.
Tom Clausing Aviation All Risk (Hazard) Program Award
This award recognizes an individual, crew or program who through professional interactions with coworkers, cooperators, and patients while rendering all risk services promotes innovation, professionalism, and advancements in policy, procedures, techniques, and equipment to further aviation all-hazard programs.
Doug Kraus – Helitack Foreman at Yellowstone National Park
Doug proposed and implemented a change on the equipment of the park’s A-star 350 light helicopter to always carry the full component of short haul gear regardless of the initial mission profile. Less than 24 hours after the equipment change was implemented, Doug responded to an accident involving a smokejumper during an initial attack on the local national forest. Due to Doug’s recent decision to innovate and modify the ship’s configuration, rapid response to the accident site, exemplary wilderness emergency medicine skills and decision making at the scene, and the short-haul proficiency of Doug and his team, the patient was short-hauled to an awaiting air ambulance for advanced medical care within 62 minutes of the initial call for assistance.
Aviator of the Year Award
This award recognizes an individual(s) who performed mission(s) of significant consequence or valor or has actively promoted the advancement or recognition of an NPS aviation program, mission, or service.
Forrest Rackham and Tyrel Matthews – Helitack Lead and Helitack Crewmember – Mesa Verde National Park
On August 1, 2021 the Mesa Verde Helitack crew was assigned to the Middle Fork Complex Fire on the Willamette National Forest for operational support of wildfire suppression efforts, to include their short haul capabilities. During the afternoon of August 2, 2021, the aircrew was notified that a firefighter assigned to scout the fire line had become entrapped. Since there were no viable egress routes to a safe area it was determined that a short haul extraction was the only available means to rescue the firefighter. The firefighter had already dropped his gear and had been trying to stay out of the path of the fire for quite some time, nearing the point of exhaustion. Conditions for locating the firefighter were extremely difficult due to steep terrain, low visibility due to heavy smoke, thick canopy tree cover, and tracking a moving target.
Forrest and Tyrel were able to locate the individual and talk to him via radio, then provided detailed directions to an opening in the canopy and safely extract him when the fire was within 30 yards of the extraction location. This mission certainly saved the life or prevented serious injury of the firefighter, as the possibility of him becoming entrapped by the fire was highly likely. Forrest and Tyrel overcame a significant problem when their radio communication was lost between the two while they were serving as the short haul spotter and short hauler. However, they relied on their extensive training and utilized hand signals for communication until the rescue was completed. The training, coordination of aircrew, and quick thinking by Forrest and Tyrel were instrumental in the survival of the firefighter. They were able to demonstrate their individual skills and those of the entire crew during this incident, highlighting the beneficial aspects of short haul capable aircraft and aircrews.
Wright Brothers Aviation Safety Award
This award recognizes an individual or organization within the NPS at the park, regional, or national level who proactively promotes an open-minded attitude in the prevention of aviation mishaps and accidents, works diligently to correct and improve aviation safety deficiencies and communicates the actions and results to others.
Ryan Thrush – North Rim District Law Enforcement Ranger – Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park/Curecanti National Recreation Area
As the collateral duty park aviation manager, Ryan has shown tremendous leadership training the park’s staff to ensure they have the experience, skills, and qualifications to respond to very difficult situations. Ryan continues to share his knowledge and experience in aviation policy, procedures, and safety with everyone who supports the park’s operations. Ryan’s dedication is noticed and appreciated by all who know Ryan as he continues to go above and beyond his duties as a National Park Service law enforcement ranger in support of aviation operations.
Firefighters rescued by long line. Screengrab from Sonoma County Sheriff Department video.
A Sonoma County Sheriff Department helicopter crew rescued two firefighters in Marin County who had become entrapped on the Woodward Fire at Point Reyes National Seashore 23 air miles northwest of San Francisco. They used a long line (or short haul technique) suspended beneath the the helicopter to retrieve the firefighters. It is not clear when this happened, but appears to have been August 21, 2020.
The video below has graphic language. Here is the report on the incident provided by the Sheriff’s Office:
Tonight, at approximately 8:15 PM, the Marin County Fire Department (MCFD) requested the Sonoma Sheriff’s Helicopter “Henry-1” respond to the area of the Woodward Fire, which is burning in an area of the Point Reyes National Seashore, southwest of Olema. MCFD requested an immediate rescue of two firefighters who had become trapped by fire on a ridgeline and unable to make it out of the path of the advancing fire.
Henry 1 is the only helicopter in the region capable of conducting a vertical reference long line rescue at night. When our Fire counterparts call for help, Henry 1 comes flying.
Woodward Fire map August 23, 2020. Wildfire Today.
Once on scene, Henry 1 located the two Firefighters, who were trapped approximately 75 yards from the advancing fire.
To complicate the situation further, the fire was creating strong, gusting winds that intensified as Henry 1 flew closer to the head of the fire.
Henry 1 landed approximately a mile from the Firefighter’s location and the Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) configured the helicopter for long line rescue with a 100 foot long line. The TFO subsequently attached himself to the long line and was flown to the location of the firefighters.
Upon arriving at the Firefighter’s location, the TFO placed a Bauman Bag rescue device on one of the firefighters and a Horse Collar rescue device on the other. Having a variety of different pieces of equipment on board at all times enables Henry 1 to quickly adapt to dynamic and dangerous situations. In this instance, Henry 1 was able to lift three people, the TFO and both Firefighters, simultaneously to safety. This enabled the rescue to occur in one attempt, as time was clearly of the essence, and limit the amount of time any of them were in the dangerous situation.
We have included the video from our TFO’s helmet cam, unedited, and it its entirety. This video does contain some graphic language, but we believe it is important for the public to get an accurate representation of how a nighttime long line looks and feels.
Most importantly of all, we are thrilled that both Firefighters are unharmed and in good spirits.
Our society depends on First Responders to charge towards danger and place themselves in difficult situations, such as fighting a wildland fire in pitch black nighttime conditions. Sometimes, even First Responders need a First Responder, and nothing gets to these remote locations faster than Henry 1.
**Warning Graphic Language is in the video**
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Jeff and Joseph.
Short-haul rescue in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, June 2, 2020. NPS photo by Tom Schaefer.
After training for years, on June 2 park rangers at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park executed their first short-haul rescue in the park.
It involved a man who had taken a 50-foot lead climbing fall on the Scenic Cruise climbing route in Cruise Gully. Despite having a broken ankle, the 43-year-old climber from South Jordan, Utah was able to rappel to the base of the route. Rangers responded to the scene and arranged for a short haul rescue to the south rim helicopter landing pad.
Short haul is the transportation of personnel suspended under a helicopter on a fixed line. Black Canyon rangers have been training with Mesa Verde Helitack for the last two years.
The park is in southwest Colorado northeast of Montrose.
Above: File photo of a Teton Interagency Helitack crew member (on the left) and a Jenny Lake ranger training for short-haul with a packaged “victim” in Grand Teton National Park. NPS photo.
Last week on June 18 a U.S. Forest Service helitack crew conducted the agency’s first short-haul medevac. It occurred on the Trail Mountain Fire in central Utah when a firefighter suffered a leg injury. The location was very remote in steep terrain, which would have made it very difficult for firefighters to carry the victim out. The least hazardous option for extrication was helicopter short-haul in which personnel are carried as external cargo at the end of a rope. They can be flown to or extricated from a remote area.
The “X” marks the location of the June 18, 2018 short-haul extrication. USFS photo.
One of the resources assigned to the fire was the Teton Interagency Helitack crew and helicopter, usually based on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.
Thankfully the injury to the firefighter was not life-threatening. After being flown to a nearby drop point and transported by ground ambulance, the person was treated at a hospital and released.
While the National Park Service has been conducting short-haul medevac extrications for years, the concept is fairly new to the Forest Service. The Teton Interagency crew first became qualified in 2015.
Four other Forest Service helitack modules are also qualified:
Wenatchee Helitack, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, R-6;
Teton Interagency Helitack, Bridger-Teton National Forest, R-4;
Krassel Helitack, Payette National Forest, R-4;
Tucson Helitack, Coronado National Forest, R-3;
Central Montana Helitack, Helena/Lewis & Clark National Forest, R-1.
Above photo: screen grab from the short-haul video
Today the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service released a 10-minute video listing the requirements, capabilities, and 2016 outlook for their short-haul programs — a system of extracting personnel suspended under a helicopter on a long rope. It can be very useful for removing an injured firefighter from a remote area to a location where more conventional and less hazardous transportation is available.
The video consists of text on the screen with occasional still photos and a few seconds of actual moving video.
The fake pen “writing” the text and the fake hand sliding in photos were slightly interesting for the first few seconds but they quickly became tiresome and tedious waiting for the fake pen to create the perfectly formed letters. It would have made more sense if the pen was making text that more resembled handwriting. If your video is nothing but ten minutes of text, distracting music, a few seconds of actual video footage, and a handful of still photos, why not just create a .pdf document that someone could read more quickly than watching a gimmicky video?
The credits include Lane Lamoreaux as video editor/producer (it does not say from what agency or company), and Seth Weber of the USFS as National Short-Haul Specialist.
A firefighter who suffered a broken leg while working on a wildfire east of Corvallis, Oregon was extracted from a very remote area by short haul with a National Park Service helicopter.
Below is a press release from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office:
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“Linn County Undersheriff Jim Yon reports on Monday July 20, at 10:10pm, the Sheriff’s Office received a call from the U.S. Forest Service requesting assistance from Linn County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue for an injured wildland fire fighter. Michael Lee Burri, 31 years old from Estacada, sustained a broken leg while working with a 21 person Mount Hood Initial Attack Fire Team that had been fighting a small fire near road 11 off Quartzville road.
Sweet Home Fire Department paramedics initially were dispatched to the scene. Two medics hiked in approximately 3 miles to Burri. Once on scene, they recognized an air rescue would be the safest way to remove Burri.
Linn County SAR worked in coordination with Oregon Air National Guard to get a United States Coast Guard helicopter to the area to attempt a rescue. The Coast Guard helicopter arrived in the area at 03:00am. As the Coast Guard helicopter attempted to land, air from the blades caused the fire to quickly stir up. The fire, along with the rough terrain, made the rescue not possible. The Coast Guard helicopter did not attempt another rescue.
Linn County SAR had been on standby up until this point and now responded to the trailhead. They cleared a secondary landing zone for a helicopter. At day light, a National Park Service MD 900 helicopter, out of Redmond, was successfully able to air lift Burri out. They had to use a rope and harness because the helicopter was not able to land. Burri was taken to the secondary landing area, loaded into the helicopter, and then transported to the Albany Municipal Airport. Burri was transferred to an Albany Fire Department ambulance and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis.
Linn County Sheriff’s Office had a total of 18 members from SAR involved with the operation, along with 2 members from the Sweet Home Fire Department. Other agencies involved were the U.S. Forest Service, United States Coast Guard, and the National Parks Service.”
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(UPDATE July 27, 2015)
On July 24 we asked Tina Boehle, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, about this incident. She told us today, July 27, “According to Shad Sitz, our Regional Aviation Manager for Pacific West Region, it was the Grand Canyon National Park helicopter and crew that conducted the short-haul operation you note.”
USFS helitack personnel receive training in the short-haul program, during the week of May 18-22 in Missoula. USFS photo by Lane Lamoreaux.
This year the U.S. Forest Service is launching a short-haul program, which involves transporting personnel suspended beneath a helicopter. While the National Park Service and other federal and local agencies have been using the tactic for years to insert firefighters and rescue personnel and to extract people with injuries, firefighters in the USFS have not been authorized or trained in the technique. However short-haul operations have been conducted in the Forest Service for a number of years for law enforcement missions.
About 20 people from two USFS helitack crews went through short-haul training last week in Missoula.
The USFS plans to only use short-haul when someone has a “life and/or a loss of limb threatening injury or other medical complications that warrant prompt extraction”, or if a conventional rescue operation would expose rescue personnel or patients to a higher degree of risk. The agency is calling it the “Emergency Medical Short-haul Program” in their Emergency Medical Short-haul Operations Plan (6.5 MB).
USFS helitack personnel receive training in the short-haul program, during the week of May 18-22 in Missoula. USFS photo by Lane Lamoreaux.
The USFS will only use Type 3, or “light”, helicopters for these missions, such as a Bell-206B-III, Lama, MD-500, or AS-355.
Typically one or two medically qualified personnel would first be inserted who may initially treat or stabilize the victim, and then they will package the patient so that they can be extracted via a line that could be 250 feet long. They are then transported to the next level of medical care.
“In the past, the U.S. Forest Service has used contractors, cooperators, and the military to provide emergency medical short-haul capability,” said Seth Weber, National Short-Haul Specialist with the U.S. Forest Service who was an instructor last week. “The agency is developing its own program to ensure that services are available when needed.”
The USFS will begin the program this year using two existing agency helitack crews, Teton Interagency Helitack from the Bridger-Teton NF in Wyoming and Wenatchee Helitack from the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF in Washington.
Short-haul qualified helitack crews will not be exclusively short-haul; their primary mission will continue to be support of fire management operations, but if needed they could be diverted to a short-haul incident. During fire season, the helicopters and helitack crews will likely be moved to locations experiencing a high amount of wildfire activity where they can be used to conduct both types of missions.
USFS helitack personnel receive training in the short-haul program, during the week of May 18-22 in Missoula. USFS photo by Lane Lamoreaux.
This video about short haul operations from helicopters was produced by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. It is designed to give interagency management teams an introduction to the operational and risk assessment procedures for safe short-haul operations.
