Supervisors authorize negotiations for three firefighting planes

In a best-case scenario, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will spend nearly $3 million to lease three firefighting aircraft the county will never use.

Details of the contract with the Province of Quebec, which owns the aircraft, are still being finalized, although the supervisors’ unanimous May 6 approval to authorize the leases also included direction not to execute the agreement until a technical committee resolves operational issues.

The technical committee’s most recent meeting was June 11, and during previous meetings it was agreed that dispatch would be coordinated through the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Monte Vista dispatch station.

While the supervisors hope that no fires will occur, the 90-day leases of two Bombardier CL-415 Superscooper amphibious aircraft and the 150-day lease of an Aero Commander 690 supervision platform with a qualified air tactical group supervisor would likely limit damage from a wildfire.

“I think we will be better served as a result of making this decision today,” said Board of Supervisors chairman Greg Cox. “If we have a wildfire while the lease is active, we’ll be very thankful for the opportunity.”

The estimated cost for the three leases is $3,031,660, although the lease includes hourly flight time as well as daily rates so if use is less than expected the actual cost will be less than the estimate. The county may also be reimbursed from the Federal or state governments for its firefighting efforts.

“This is a good proposal,” said Supervisor Pam Slater-Price. “It won’t do everything, but it will help.”

The aircraft are used as well as owned by the Province of Quebec. That part of North America is not subject to Santa Ana winds, and many of San Diego County’s most devastating fires started in September, October, or November.

The Aero Commander 690 lease would cover August through December while the Bombardier CL-415 leases would place the planes in the county for September through November.

“This is one of the most prudent things we could do,” said Supervisor Bill Horn.

“I want to increase the county’s first-strike capability so we don’t wind up with a huge conflagration,” Horn said. “What we’re proposing is an increase in that first-strike capability.”

Horn said that 11 of the county’s worst 14 fires over the past 10 years started in September or October. Those include the multiple fires in October 2003 and October 2007. The three exceptions would be the January 2001 Viejas Fire, the February 2002 Gavilan Fire, and the July 2002 Pines Fire.

The 10-year period would exclude the October 1996 Harmony Grove Fire, the October 1993 Guajito Fire, the September 1970 Laguna Fire, and the November 1956 Inaja Fire.

“This is an interim solution to get us through this next fire season,” said Augie Ghio, who is the fire chief of the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District and the president of the San Diego County Fire Districts Association. “This should work in conjunction with vegetation management programs.”

Ghio’s reminder that the air tankers are not a cure-all was echoed by the supervisors. “We’re all aware that there’s no simple solution that will put an end to wildfires,” said Supervisor Ron Roberts.

In January the supervisors approved the establishment of the interjurisdictional Regional Fire Protection Committee whose nine members consist of two supervisors, four mayors, and three fire chiefs.

The committee’s duties are to assess the regional needs for fire apparatus (including helicopters and other aircraft), regional communications, and surveillance technology and to evaluate possible funding sources, examine the initial and ongoing costs of various alternatives (such as leasing versus buying equipment), review government codes and other policies and ordinances as they relate to fire protection, and consider short-term and long-term options related to a regional fire authority.

The twin-engine Aero Commander 690 can stay in the air for up to four hours. A qualified air tactical group supervisor (ATGS) will be on board at all times, and the extra two-month lease period allows the ATGS to be involved with local agencies in planning matters. The Aero Commander 690 can fly at 265 knots, or about 300 mph.

The Bombardier CL-415 is designed specifically for aerial firefighting and can scoop 1,620 gallons of water from a river, lake, reservoir, or ocean in 12 seconds. An on-board system injects enough foam for 16 drops into the water, and the CL-415 can remain in attack mode for up to three hours without refueling.

In one hour a single CL-415 can drop more than 14,000 gallons if it is operating within eight miles of a water source. The aircraft is designed to continue flight operations during high wind conditions. The CL-415 can be airborne within five minutes of the alarm calling for its service.

“They mix very well with helicopters,” said City of San Diego deputy fire chief Dan Fennessy.

The ATGS who is assigned to the aerial supervision platform is responsible for managing air space and controlling incident air traffic. He or she will coordinate, assign, and evaluate the use of aerial resources while working with ground personnel to develop and implement tactical and logistical approaches. He or she will also work with dispatch staff to coordinate the ordering, assignment, and release of aircraft during an incident.

“It’s an additional step now and something we can do with contracting,” Fennessy said. “This is just a stopgap measure. This is not the end solution.”

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has 20 aircraft, 16 of which are owned and operated by the county and four of which are contracted for service. The Los Angeles County total exceeds San Diego County’s current total of two helicopters plus one City of San Diego helicopter and the three fixed-wing planes to be leased. “We still have a long ways to go,” Fennessy said.

If a fixed-wing aircraft is released from an incident to fight new fires, the transition time is minimal. “It provides a continuous capability within the county of having fixed-wing aircraft available,” Fennessy said.

The May 6 approval of the lease allowed the county to secure the aircraft when they were available, but there may also be an opportunity for the same level of service after the lease ends. “Fire season doesn’t always end November 30,” Fennessy said.

The aircraft would still be subject to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection policy if flying over a state responsibility area. The CDF policy against flying at night has been blamed for the spread of the October 2003 and October 2007 fires. “It seems to me that we would once again run into a conflict,” Slater-Price said.

“Unless policy changes, it won’t be any different,” Fennessy said. “Both the state and the US Forest Service policy is that night operations will not occur on the lands that they protect.”

Ironically, Fennessy noted that night flight – which is made safely feasible by state-of-the-art night vision technology and suitable training – would involve less radio and air traffic. “Dropping water at night is significantly less complex,” he said.

Slater-Price noted that policies are an integral part of fire suppression. “It’s not just equipment-driven and manpower-driven. It’s also regulation-driven,” she said.

“What we really want to do is cover this fire season,” Horn said. “We’d be far better off with the current restrictions than we are without these two air tankers.”

CDF deputy fire chief Steve Heil indicated that he would be willing to participate in discussions about night flying. “I’m encouraged that they want to include us in these discussions,” he said.

Heil added that CDF’s helicopter replacement plans call for aircraft with better night capability.

Ghio, on behalf of the fire departments, stressed that the expenditure on the aircraft shouldn’t detract from the ultimate objective. “We can be overcome regardless of how many resources we have,” he said.

Ghio also cited the importance of establishing the governance and dispatch process for the aircraft.

“These aircraft do have limitations,” said Kurt Zingheim, who lives in the City of San Diego but works as a firefighter in Riverside County.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob noted that the region has numerous fire needs. “It’s really the boots on the ground that put out the fires, and we must not lose sight of that,” she said. “This would be a starting point, certainly not the end point.”

Slater-Price noted that while the County of San Diego was picking up the tab for the initial lease, discussions would also include financing arrangements with other jurisdictions. “We should not be seen as the deep pockets of the whole region,” she said.

Jacob noted that questions needed to be answered before the lease was signed but was willing to spend the money. “If we don’t have a major fire during that time, we have the insurance policy,” she said. “I don’t ever want to look back and say ‘I wish we would have done that’.”

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