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I may be incorrect in this, but I think the less than excited response from industry is based on them providing questions and input to the PM, HS and CO and getting pretty unsatisfactory responses. Maybe the PM, HS and the CO should talk to some a/c financing companies/banks to better understand the reality of upgrading or buying new equipment? Helicopters also deliver firefighting crews called helitack crews to fires for initial attack. 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. There are only 2 options and they are well in to the 10s of millions of dollars. The S-70 could work but again, at what cost? Bill do you have access to USFS decision makers? They claim that 2 times throughout the 1/9 year parent contract, they will allow onboarding of new vendors/equipment. One important change in 2017 was the 18 percent reduction in the number of Type 1 helicopters on exclusive use (EU) contract. Some helitack crews are trained to rappel from helicopters to fires in remote locations. Maybe they could have figured out a better transition, maybe not. Click here. Next Generation Multi-Engine Fixed-Wing Airtankers 3.0 If as you suggest they can choose to not submit a proposal then two things are going to happen: 1) that aircraft will not be part of the AFF fleet next year and 2) you will have less a/c in the future b/c of it. Add to this that they are wanting us to throw all of this money into our aircraft to get on the contract (which is now a 10 year contract!) 2021. NIFC Operations (Photographer/Videographer Services), Chris Kirk,Purchasing Agent I am concerned that it will reduce resources in a way that will harm the communitys we generally get to help. Yes, the customer is the FS. Each year, DNR works ahead of the fire season to improve its access to professional equipment and services for fire suppression. Senator Mark Kelly may be interested in hearing comments about FS & DOI aircraft contracting: These changes are going to put operators who have worked hard for generations, who have tirelessly jumped through USFS hoops for years out of businessthat is a crappy government thanks, with costly and unnecessary changes as the final slap in the face! Typos, let us know, and please keep in mind the commenting ground rules before you post a comment. 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!! The States contracted for Fed approved airtankers so just like we all share resources like engines and shot crews now we can share airtankers too. Firewatch Cobra (Bell 209-AH-1) Aerial Supervision Helicopter They are all tied to contractors in the business. Our suggestion is to prioritize the defense and protection of our citizens, homeland, forests, parks, grasslands, refuges, prairies, and wildlands FIRST, before considering spending trillions on the other side of the world. We all understand that. In my lifetime, I will not see the beauty I once hiked. The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing establishes minimum typing standards for aircraft, crews, and equipment for national mobilization to wildland fire incidents. Thats rarely happened before b/c a) its a lot of $$$ and b) the states also believed that they would get aerial resources when needed, but they got burned by that hope, literallyyou may think you can grab it, but think again in tough times.State will think about State first before sharing the resource.it will get more interesting when France, Spain, Greece and Turkey take these assetssleep well FSyou guys are managing the LATs and Type 1s welltheyll always be there for you.keep up the good workwell done. HMS8:A[>!Leq`dXfgo$av`w*ldevq7mXm`F,s}PA.?|ZA[7lY7z rCXB:Y;M7\c>]-kFt^j1_>ey)4?haGUEX5M7IW? xt*9b`w,$$B.vc&8Hx.Yjf9N3 |B^gW?.n}tZ8 The what, why and where of this story seems like it warrants additional reporting. Instead of a quick turn around of a week after the invoice closes- the new payment procedure has us waiting the full 30 days. Additionally, these aircraft have a unilateral option to extend for an 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 The ultimate goal is to drive out the independent operator entirely so they can justify owning their own fleet. Office: (208) 387-5681 Mobile: (208) 866-1610 The Q&A period is a nicety, but rarely ever provides valuable responses to industry. Air resources were cancelled at the Forest level, isnt that correct? They essentially want a Sky Crane to do a Jet Rangers job. Publications are distributed through hard copy print, web pages, mobile device applications, and other digital media. But look on the bright side the SMEs will feel like they are back in the military! I would be interested to see more reporting on why the USFS is making this transition now and how they made the decisions. You have to love the obvious FS sycophants on here making contemptuous, defensive and specious arguments. There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. endstream endobj 14 0 obj <>stream It also recommended a total of 35 air tankers by 2018, which included three water-scooping air tankers. Women's Bond NFT Collection usfs type 1 helicopter contracts 2021 . Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Focal Point, Mike McFarlane,Contracting Officer The following links are provided for Interagency Fire Professionals who are tasked with administering contracts issued by our Unit and is provided solely for that purpose and intent. 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. The Agencys incompetence and self sabotage never fails to amaze. And the hits just keep on coming. Region 6 Cache Freight Services To request access to this page, submit request to FS-FS AQM ISB. 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. At the beginning of the 2017 western fire season there were 20 large and very large air tankers on EU contracts plus two water-scooping air tankers. The FS will still have the 28 exclusive use Type 1 ships; the additional 20 will serve a mandatory availability period of 120 days, with a possible option for another 30 if the FS determines a need. Click here. Thank youfor taking the time to tell us how we're doing! In my experience last year, the surge helicopters ended up on large fires, because there were so many and the need was there. Certainly valid concerns regarding the quantity of helicopters to transition and timeline. Little to no way to sock away money for these required upgrades to bid on the contract. 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. . These helicopters are the largest that are used for fighting wildfires and can carry between 700 and 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant. Office: (208) 387-5252 Mobile: (208) 866-0417 The Branch is comprised of two teams; aviation and logistics. These helicopters are the largest that are used for fighting wildfires and can carry between 700 and 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant. Response from industry-leading? Many of us here may not see the inner workings of The Office but we surely do see the end product of some inept folks or folks in the contract office who may not have the fortitude of researching aviation subjects to inform their leadership. A 407 isnt a twin, even tho a 407hp will outperform all the above as a type III. Try to pass on the cost of newer more expensive equipment in less than 10 years than the operators fails on the LPTA front. National Maintenance Agreement, Robert Hoffman,Contracting Officer Search: Hotshot Companies Hiring. All the experienced aviation folks leading the latest helo RFP need to know that what youre proposing will lead to less a/c and more accidents/deaths. 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. FS is gonna end up with a heavy National Guard helicopter fleet next year. Smokejumper STC Call-When-Needed (CWN) Large Jet Transport, Matthew Olson,Contracting Officer contracts. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. With the twin engine requirement would a K-Max also be DQd? Too busy feathering their own nests and grade-hopping they couldnt care less about the program at large. 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. Other helicopters may or may not be procured on a Call When Needed (CWN) contract. 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. Retrain public information officers and media how Wildland Fire works, And listening to and heeding the counsel of competent IA resources would go a long way to regaining the confidence of their employees and the general public-, I will chew on your inquiry and sleep on itget back later to you. That means NO helitack, NO rappelers, ONLY flight crew and bucket work. Fax: (208) 387-5384, https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/contracting, Important Information Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic, Access to the U.S. Forest Service Contracting, Incident Support Branch, DOI SharePoint Page must be granted individually. The Contracting office doesnt make the requirements or evaluation criteria in the solicitation, that is the responsibility of the program office..PERIOD ! I agree the process has become absurd; personnel within federal agencies who develop and oversee aircraft contracts for fire-fighting need significant redirection. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Thats what happens when non-aviation people get put it charge of aviation programs. And CWN aircraft cost the government much more to operate than EU resources. Smaller helicopters carry water in buckets that hold between 100-400 gallons of water. Thats my Commo unit helibase pictured in the photo, and yes we were required to have a PA system to yell at the fire Light Operational Loads Monitoring Systems (OLMS) 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. We live near Custer S.D. 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. Publications include manuals, handbooks, standards, guides, plans, and other documents. Buying a/c is a lot like buying a house. swift wart treatment reviews; airport police salary philippines; queen victoria 60th year commemorative medal; cutler anderson architects. If it aint broke, dont try to fix it. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. . USFS to contract for 48 Type 1 helicopters this year. 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. Office: (208) 387-5610 Mobile: (208) 867-5073, Tonya Campbell,Contracting Officer U.S. Forest Service employees (Forest Service Internal Link), U.S. Department of Interior (DOI Internal Link). Fire Cacheis asupply of fire tools and equipment assembled in planned quantities or standard units at a strategic point for exclusive use in fire suppression. SD3-60 Sherpas;Avionics; Maintenance They are proposing to increase the dollars spent on Defense by $165 billion. If a vendor doesnt like the requirements, they can choose not to submit a proposal. A 212 is a twin, performs better than a 412 is all aspects but is a little older and only has two blades. Jeffrey McGinley, Associate Branch Chief, Aviation Although I dont know if this counts as a legacy platform. Why burn off large amounts of the Superstition Mountains? For an operator to be competitive in the LPTA world, you need to amortize the cost of the a/c over 10 years or more. So a one year contract with each additional option year at the discretion of the agency with unreliable congressional funding is not a concept that makes potential vendors feel all warm and fuzzy. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. Y63 u3e11iQfkbKT?cx6Yi>#/@ G6 Todd more well informed insight here. The stats are in for the use of firefighting helicopters in 2017. The BOA will be used as noted for both Exclusive Use (EU) and CWN Type 1 contracts in 2022. Steve Peterson, Contracting Officer Publications include manuals, handbooks, standards, guides, plans, and other documents. Who will buy a 206, 407, etc besides AG guys? . 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. What will replace a 407 for a Type III ship? The recent Fire at Custer State Park is proof that such Wildland Fire Fighting Equipment is a very needed as well as welcome addition to our Fire Protection District. Nor is it actually clear to me that is what is happening. Phone: (208) 387-5670 Aircraft Maintenance Contracts, Regions 1,5,6 I would encourage folks to contact their Congressional Representatives (once again) about problems with government contracting for fire-fighting aircraft. To request access to this page, submit request to, Forest Service Acquisition Management Incident Procurement, Solicitations on Federal Business Opportunities, Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021for contracts awarded 2013-2017, Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021 for contracts awarded 2018-2021, Crews Type 2 IA, Standard Form 1449, 2022 Summary, National Type 2-IA Crew COR Designation Letter, National Type 2-IA Crew Performance Evaluation, Type 2 Crew Generic Agreement 1202SC21Q0001, 2020 COVID-19 Modification for Mobile Shower Facilities, Mobile Shower Performance Evaluation Form, 2020 COVID-19 Modification for Mobile Food Services, Retardant Contractor Performance Evaluation Form, Retardant Contracts COR Designation Letters, National Mobile Shower COR Designation Letter, National Long Term Fire Retardant Contract. 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? LockA locked padlock An official website of the United States government. Why are only Types III and II legacy helicopters being phased out? These devices have their place but has any downed firefighting aircraft actually been located by one? The banker looks at your household income and job stability. Access to the U.S. Forest Service Contracting, Incident Support Branch, DOI SharePoint Page must be granted individually. Large, heavy-lift helicopters can fill their water tanks with a snorkel that siphons water from lakes, rivers, or other sources. Meanwhile, the defense of our Homeland gets cut. 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. I find it interesting that the WFT crowd is pro a next gen, advanced air tanker fleet (including the funding required) but is up in arms about a next gen, advanced helicopter fleet. DOI/OAS & Interagency Aviation Bulletins. Doing business with the feds is not for the faint of heart. Your input allows us to recognize outstanding service and also provides a tool to address areas of industry concern. Unfortunately your assumption is incorrect, the program manager has several years experience in aviation operations and the Helicopter Specialist is one of the best around and also has several years of experience. 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. Kinda like the air tankers. Todd thanks for chiming in. 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! I know we arent alone in how upset we are with the Forest Service right now. The intent of the USFS for acquiring helicopter services for 2022 is as follows: 1. Aircraft Engineering Services National Interagency Fire Center It will be going through clearance in a matter of a few days and it will be getting to the committee here shortly. Vendors do not drive the requirements the customer does. Bush fire, Heavy IA and A/C response, not much daylight left when start was dispatched. Woodbury was in 2019. Large Jet Transport Im waiting for airbags..oh no, wait, they have an explosive charge generator so youll need the whole hazmat approval, and track the squib date to have that particular safety device. 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. Forest Service and interagency publications are the primary vehicles by which Forest Service and Interagency policy and standards are transmitted. National Exclusive Use Helicopters (Large Fire Support/Initial Attack) 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?). The Bush fire WAS aggressively IAd, however given the fuel and weather conditions at the time escaped rather quickly. The banker looks at your household income and job stability. Financing a new (2000+) aircraft with a one year contract will be the nail in the coffin for most operators considering what they have to sell will get pennies on the dollar. Smokejumper Aircraft Basic Ordering Agreements (BOAs) for 28 - Type 1 helicopters having 120-day mandatory availability periods. & _d0E]e%j6;L*>{c/}*l!nxOV3--kS~4AUI~i,:(-D6+8'd&+'Xucj=e r%9qCz'lEf}\5{%r |G~]~&Bg1">8_=567s~ 8+u5#1b& +2 Here is an excerpt from the Washington Post, February 9, 2016: On Tuesday, the International Institute for Strategic Studies released its Military Balance 2016 report, which seeks to examine closely the changing nature of military power. Aye, Laddie. In 2016 the FS hired 34 Type 1 helicopters but starting in 2017 reduced the number to 28. I am trying to figure it out each Fire Season how to keep men and women safe Please help us improve by taking a few moments to complete our voluntary USFS Fire Industry feedback form. Nobody should bid, then when everything is on fire and the USFS comes begging then youd have some leverage on them. National Call-When-NeededHelicopters (Large Fire Support/Initial Attack)Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021for contracts awarded 2013-2017Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021 for contracts awarded 2018-2021Region 5 Aviation 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. Type 1 are known as Interagency Hotshots Crews (IHC), faster production, highly skilled, extensive training, advanced qualifications, and arduous physical standards. There was a big demand for the S-61 (w/Carson Blades) along with a call for both pilots and mechanics in Afghanistan on High dollar US Gov. Office: (208) 387-5609 Mobile: (208) 616-5550 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?). HmmmThey say its for aggressive initial attack but we know that has not been working out, (e.g. Each bucket has a release valve on the bottom controlled by the helicopter crew. Everyone agrees that the military needs to be adequately funded, but in 2016 the amount the U.S. spent on defense was almost equal to what the next 14 countries combined spent. 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. Sounds like a great schedule to buy a next gen helicopter. agency that, more and more, is becoming its own worst enemy, as well as ours! Typos, let us know, and please keep in mind the commenting ground rules before you post a comment. Yes, the customer is the FS. My look and details are just that- my perception. As a former helitacker I know we were always looking forward to moving to a more modern helicopter fleet. National Helicopters (Large Fire Support, Initial Attack, Call-When-Needed) Just more bureaucratic nonsense,and incompetence form the USFS. Click here. The U.S. Forest Service (FS) is expecting to contract for 48 Type 1 helicopters for the 2021 wildfire season. The administrative bases of the helicopters will be at 48 locations. National Pilots National Pilots Local Small Business Specialist National Maintenance Agreement Robert Hoffman , Contracting Officer Office: (208) 387-5681 Mobile: (208) 866-1610 National Call-When-Needed Helicopters (Large Fire Support/Initial Attack) Flight Rate Charts Effective February 16, 2021 for contracts awarded 2013-2017 Putting more undue pressure on vendors to meet their misunderstanding of both FW and RW aviation. Calfire is seeing right now how much NOT an upgrade they really are and how they are just too big for some things. 'KD,.QQD IIuY#\>y(Hd Tj4B%0qz8Qa. 3833 S. Development Avenue 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. This amounts to budget dollars that would have to be tied to each individual contract and could not be utilized anywhere else. Here is an excerpt: This draft Request for Proposal is such a massive and violent change from what has been requested in previous contracts that most operators arent going to be able to handle it. Max Graham, Space for Giants_ CONTENTS It just will. The EC135/145 have potential, but at what cost? Have a fire aviation news tip? From completely unacceptable accident rates to corrupt hiring decisions and horrendously abysmal contracting they are all utter and complete failures. Theres the rub! The FS requirements are out of synch with the financial obligations of the companies they want to hire. 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? 4. The USFS intends to make parent awards Summer/Fall 2022, with task orders being competed/awarded after parent awards. (like everything they do) or does this mean there will be a shortage of helicopters available for fires?.. Modular AirborneFirefighting System (MAFFS) Mechanics Just need to add, Mama told me the customer is always right. Very well stated on what most of us are thinking and in the same boat. They should change their contract terms should change if theyre forcing companies to buy X aircrafts. Such costs could be spread out over the period of the contract. See Full Story. Airtankers That is by far the highest percentage of UTFs in the last 18 years. Temp Tower Ordering Guidance - Central Service Area (ND) (2022-2027) Interagency Emergency Helicopter Extraction List. They just laugh at us.. i digress. I may be incorrect in this, but I think the less than excited response from industry is based on them providing questions and input to the PM, HS and CO and getting pretty unsatisfactory responses. Budget Coordinator 3. Theyre only offering a one-year contract, said Ron Hooper, president of Missoula-based Neptune Aviation. Aerial SupervisionModule(Lead Planes) That wind yesterday has me in a sinus pressure headache today. Over and again these career bureaucrats prove their aggressive pursuit of continued failure and abject ineptitude. Nap time seems more like it versus getting too much into Fire Season 2021 and my thoughts. Here is what they wrote. The Governor's proposed budget for the following fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 includes exclusive use contract funding over the next three years for 10 Type 1 helicopters, but that. Dont blame industry for adding on BS items like loudspeakersFS wants it? 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. I will say this What do you do with an expensive asset like a helo when youre only customer suggests to just not submit? The arrogance and dismissal by the FS with most questions being answered Noted, Language will remain as written just adds frustration to irritation. Today the U.S. Forest Service announced the contract awards for 48 Type 1 helicopters. while simultaneously saying that they fully intend on moving to modern helicopters that are built after the year 2000 and are all twin engine. Do you know anything that can replace a CH-54/S-64 or an S-61? Anyone else seeing a trend, that they like to spend money on the most expensive piece of equipment they can find, including fixed wings. Erickson Incorporated announced three new USFS Firefighting contracts for the upcoming 2021 wildfire season. (A source in D.C. told us there is a chance the legislation will include a fix to the fire borrowing fiasco, where funds are taken from other functions to pay for wildfire suppression.). Its coming, and sooner than you expect. Two discussions, one one year, the other 2019. Not entirely true.why would a state find the funding to contract with a LAT provider??? Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Support This draft RFP is such a massive and violent change from what has been requested in previous contracts that most operators arent going to be able to handle it. All perpetuated by the Gov. Time to take care of my health morehave my brain ss procedure soon. Shame on them!! 2. 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.