Aerial Task Force Ready to Go

Phoenix, ARIZ---Arizona is experiencing prolonged drought and heavy levels of fuels in many areas of the state. Last winter saw very little snow pack and rainfall was non-existent for a 142-day period between Dec-March in many desert areas. These conditions have prompted BLM-Arizona fire managers to request funding for early staffing of fire resources beginning in late January. One such resource includes an Aerial Task Force or ATF. This task force is composed of three single engine air tankers (SEATs) and one air attack ship. The three SEATs are Air Tractor AT 802s capable of speeds up to 160 mph with a payload up to 800 gallons of retardant, foam, or gel. "Having an aerial task force such as this allows our firefighters on the ground to have highly mobile initial attack support virtually anywhere in the state, wherever the fire danger or the need is the greatest," stated Pam McAlpin Arizona BLM Fire Management Officer. The air attack platform is an Aero Commander 500. It provides tactical support to fire suppression personnel and provides air space coordination where multiple aircraft are involved in fire suppression. Air attack planes fly overhead, directing air tankers and helicopters to critical areas for water or retardant drops as well as manage airspace when joined by members of the news media. The air attack supervisor is an experienced agency firefighter while the pilot and aircraft are contracted from private industry. The purpose of having a task force such as this is to provide close air support to on-the-ground firefighters as an airborne team of aircraft that can utilize their inherent speed, mobility, and strength as additional tools during initial and extended attack situations. The task force can deliver 2,400 gallons per mission equaling that of a single heavy air tanker. That equals approximately 3,000 feet of fire line for each round of drops by the task force. The Aerial Task Force is a nationally funded severity resource and is used primarily for initial attack of wildfires. However, the Task Force is available to all federal agencies for extended attack fire suppression as well as initial attack. An Aerial Task Force has the advantage of arriving with "self-contained" aerial supervision which can provide airspace coordination thereby alleviating some of the span of control demands of incident commanders at the incident. Additionally, the task force requires minimal logistical support and can be moved to any portion of Arizona that may be experiencing high fire potential. They arrive with three mobile retardant mixing units, one for each SEAT. Personnel assigned to the Aerial Task Force include an ATF leader, a logistics coordinator, a SEAT Manager, and SEAT support Vehicle Drivers. The ATF is currently staged at Williams Gateway Air Tanker Base in Mesa, AZ thanks to interagency cooperation with the Tonto National Forest. Because of the composition of the task force, it is highly mobile and can be set up at remote bases at local airstrips thereby decreasing turnaround time between drops. The Aerial Task Force on board in Arizona is part of a 2006 National interagency aviation program consisting of 107 single engine air tankers, 16 heavy air tankers, 258 large and medium helicopters, two CL-215 water scoopers, and 8 military C-130s aircraft equipped with MAFFS (Military Airborne Firefighting Systems. For information on campfire and smoking restrictions and other fire wildfire-related information, visit websites www.azfireinfo.com, gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/, or call toll free 1-877-864-6985.