How many fire fighting aircraft in California?
50The CAL FIRE Air Program has long been the premier firefighting aviation program in the world. CAL FIRE's fleet of over 50 fixed wing and rotary wing, make it the largest department owned fleet of aerial firefighting equipment in the world.
How many fire engines are in California?
For wildfires, the Cal OES Fire and Rescue Branch facilitates the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System to deploy its fleet of more than 270 fire engines to over 60 local partners across the state to build on the state's capacity to respond to incidents of all types.
Is CAL FIRE the largest fire department?
CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the third-largest fire department in the United States. Our firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA).
How many vehicles does CAL FIRE have?
3,000 fireCAL FIRE operates over 3,000 fire and emergency response and resource protection vehicles.
What is the biggest fire department in California?
Riverside Operational Unit by itself is one of the largest fire departments in the nation, with 95 fire stations and about 230 pieces of equipment.
What is the busiest fire station in California?
A San Jose fire station ranked nationally for responding to thousands of service calls, but that notoriety speaks to a larger problem. Fire Station 26 received more than 5,800 service calls in 2021, ranking 15th in the nation.
What is the number 1 killer in firefighters?
cancerAccording to the CDC, cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters.
How much do CAL FIRE hotshots make?
Cal Fire Jobs by SalaryJob TitleRangeAverageFire FighterRange:$44k - $109k (Estimated *)Average:$67,179Battalion ChiefRange:$87k - $152k (Estimated *)Average:$114,984Civil EngineerRange:$83k - $148k (Estimated *)Average:$112,254Electrical EngineerRange:$86k - $167k (Estimated *)Average:$118,5513 more rows•Mar 15, 2022
How much do CAL FIRE helicopter pilots make?
As of Nov 1, 2022, the average annual pay for a Fire Pilot in California is $60,586 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $29.13 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,165/week or $5,048/month.
What is the largest fire department in us?
T he Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the largest Fire Department in the United States and universally is recognized as the world's busiest and most highly skilled emergency response agency.
How much do CAL FIRE firefighters make?
$66,008/yrCAL Fire SalariesJob TitleSalaryFirefighter salaries - 39 salaries reported$66,008/yrFirefighter/EMT salaries - 30 salaries reported$70,794/yrFire Captain salaries - 11 salaries reported$83,449/yrFirefighter/Paramedic salaries - 11 salaries reported$73,334/yr16 more rows
How much does a CAL FIRE forester make?
The average Forester salary in California is $81,748 as of October 27, 2022, but the range typically falls between $67,732 and $98,370.
How many fire engines are in Los Angeles?
140 EnginesLos Angeles Fire DepartmentOperational areaBattalions14 BattalionsStations106 StationsEngines140 EnginesTrucks43 Trucks31 more rows
How many fire stations are in California?
There are 13 registered fire departments in U.S. territories....Total number of registered fire departments by state and territories.StateCountAlaska152Arizona237Arkansas689California84733 more rows
How many fire engines does LA County have?
61 enginesMarrone and has an annual budget of $1.4 Billion....Los Angeles County Fire Department.Operational areaDivisions9Battalions22Foam units3Reserve units61 engines 12 quints/trucks 36 paramedic squads32 more rows
How many fire are in California?
Number of Fires and Acres:IntervalFiresAcresJanuary 1, 2019 through December 31, 20195,864153,1152019 Combined YTD (CALFIRE & Federal)7,148277,285
How many planes does Cal Fire have?
Tankers. Drop fire retardant or water. According to Cal Fire’s website, the fleet’s more than 50 planes and helicopters make it the largest department-owned fleet of aerial firefighting equipment in the world.
What type of planes are used in Cal Fire?
Tanker planes. The workhorse of Cal Fire’s fleet is the Grumman S-2T tanker. The aircraft can hold about 4,500 liters (1,200 gallons) of fire retardant that it can drop in the path of fires. The planes are smaller than many air tankers and can be used in fast initial attacks on fires.
What aircraft do you need to drop retardant?
Some tankers require a “lead” aircraft to guide them in and show exactly where to drop retardant. Some large tankers come with their own lead aircraft and team, or Cal Fire’s tactical OV-10s serve as lead aircraft. An air tanker is guided by a lead plane before dropping retardant in Pope Valley, California.
What is the job of a fire monitor?
Monitor fires and direct airtankers and helicopters to critical areas
What aircraft do they use to fight fires in California?
Cal Fire can also employ contractors to bring in Large Air Tankers (LATs) and Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) to help suppress major fires. The aircraft are usually passenger jets that have been converted to tankers. Here are some of the tankers that have helped fight the fires in California recently.
How long does it take for a fire to reach Cal Fire?
Cal Fire has its own fleet of aircraft operating from 12 airfields and 10 helicopter bases across the state that can reach most fires within about 20 minutes. The three main components of the fleet are tactical planes, airtankers and helicopters. All have specific roles but work together as a unit to combat fires.
What type of planes are used in fighting wildfires?
Tactical planes. These aircraft are used in aerial command and control roles in fighting wildfires, providing tactical coordination with commanders on the ground and other aircraft in the sky. Most of Cal Fire’s tactical planes are North American Rockwell OV-10 aircraft. OV-10 “Bronco”. OV-10 “Bronco”.
What is firefighting aircraft?
Firefighting Aircraft. Used primarily to fight wildfire, aircraft generally refers to anything that flies, including helicopters. If the aircraft has fixed wings, then the term applies specifically. Various aircraft have been used over the years for firefighting.
Which biplanes can scoop water from the surface of water?
Another is the Soviet Antonov An-2 biplane which can be fitted with floats that can scoop water from the surface of a body of water. An advantage of the biplane is that it has a lower stall speed than a monoplane meaning it a can fly more slowly over a fire which enhances the accuracy of water or retardant drops.
Who is the maintenance company for Cal Fire?
7. DynCorp International has been the provider of maintenance on the aircraft for years. The company currently has 147 employees associated with CAL FIRE’s aviation program. They also supply the pilots for the fixed wing aircraft, while CAL FIRE hires their own helicopter pilots.
How many gallons of retardant can a Cal Fire tanker carry?
1. CAL FIRE has 22 S-2T fixed wing air tankers that can carry up to 1,200 gallons of retardant. They are presently converting an aircraft to replace the one destroyed in the October 7, 2014 crash that killed Geoffrey “Craig” Hunt. That process should be complete in 18 to 24 months.
How many feet of cable does a hoist have?
13. The hoists have 250 feet of cable.
Is there a career ladder for helicopter managers?
10. There is now a career ladder for a helicopter manager to move up the ranks through the aviation organization.
1. The Single Engine Airtanker (SEAT)
The single-engine air tanker, also called the type III SEAT, is the smallest category among firefighting planes. The plane holds not more than 800 gallons of water. Their small size makes them very easy to maneuver in rugged terrain. Besides, they do not require a long runway for them to take off.
2. Large Airtankers (LATs)
Large Airtankers are very efficient in putting out the fire even when there is a forest canopy due to their higher coverage. They have a larger capacity than the SEATs, holding between 2000 to 4000 gallons of fluids for firefighting.
3. Very Large Airtankers (VLAT)
Firefighting planes in the Very Large Airtankers category come in handy when fighting wildfires in countrified environs. They carry a massive quantity of water and fire retardants above 8000 gallons.
4. Water Scoopers
Water scoopers can hover over a water body for as long as they need to refill their tanks. In other words, they do not have to return to their base or a refilling station for a refill.
5. Smokejumper Aircraft
Unlike previously listed aircraft, the smokejumper aircraft does not directly get involved in quenching wildfires. You can sum up their activity to transportation and support.
6. Lead Planes
You can call them spotter or first respondent in a wildfire operation. As their name implies, they are crucial when there is a need to assess a fire situation.
7. Air Attack Planes
Air attack planes are primarily for tactical purposes. Apart from the pilot, the planes also carry the person who calls the shots in the firefighting operation (Air Tactical Group Supervisor). That makes a crew of two.
What is the name of the aircraft that can land and reload on water?
16) CL-415. The 'SuperScooper' is one of the few aircraft built specifically for water bombing, and it's the big brother of the CL-215. It can land and reload on water, and it just looks cool doing its job.
When did the C-130 start?
The US Forest Service started using C-130s in the 1970s for firefighting. Their fleet was grounded in 2004, but they spent years suppressing fires and containing oil slicks. The National Guard uses them with the Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS).
Which US military organization used the Helo?
The Oregon National Guard was the first US military organization to use this heavy lifting helo for firefighting.
How much water does the skycrane haul?
When it's not helping build skyscrapers, the Skycrane is hauling 2,650 gallons of water to fight fires.
How many gallons of air do firefighters carry?
Single engine air tankers have their place in the firefighter’s tool box, but 700 to 800 gallons per load is far different from the 3,000 to 19,000 gall ons carried by large and very large air tankers.
How many air tankers are on CWN?
There are additional large air tankers on Call When Needed contracts signed in December with six companies for a total of 35 aircraft. The number “35” is misleading because most if not all of the 13 to 18 large air tankers on exclusive use (EU) contracts also have CWN contracts, meaning they would be removed from the CWN list. So there might only be 17 to 22 on CWN. And that assumes all could pass the inspections required by this month. In December some of them did not exist as a complete air tanker.
How many gallons of air can be in a tanker?
A study completed for the Forest Service in 1996 (on page 61) recommended there be 41 large turbine-powered air tankers with a capacity of 3,000 to 5,000 gallons, essentially standards that are now the “next-generation” air tankers used today:
How many air tankers does the Department of Interior have?
John Phipps: We have up to 35 large air tankers. I think it’s important to understand that we have access to in the interagency environment for example the Department of the Interior has 100 Single Engine Aircraft, air tankers, under contract and depending on the situation and the need we have access to that and we are well under way for our planning and preparedness for the upcoming western fire season.
Is CWN aircraft ready for fire?
CWN aircraft may or may not be immediately ready during the fire season, with mechanics and crew members available to suddenly drop what they were doing and start flying fires. In 2017 the average daily rate for large federal CWN air tankers was 54 percent higher than aircraft on exclusive use contracts. But CWN costs are charged to the virtually unlimited fire suppression accounts, so the Forest Service does not care about using taxpayer’s dollars in that manner. And they are not held accountable.
What type of aircraft is used to fight fires?
The first point to make is that there is no specific type of firefighting aircraft. Aircraft used to fight fires are usually converted cargo or passenger aircraft , and as such, a wide variety of types have been used.
Who owns the 747 Supertanker?
In many countries, firefighting aircraft are privately owned and leased out when needed. The 747-400 SuperTanker was owned by US company Global Supertanker (and previously by Evergreen International Airlines).
When did the 747 supertanker retire?
The Boeing 747-400 SuperTanker was the largest in the industry until its retirement in May 2021. There were two other 747 SuperTankers as well – based on the 747-100 and 747-200. This final aircraft operated on charter with US company Global Supertanker since 2016. It had recently been fitted out with new deployment systems, but it now seems likely that it will be converted for cargo use.
Is the 747 a large aircraft?
The 747 makes sense as it is such a large aircraft ( there has yet to be an A380 conversion), but size isn’t necessarily the vital measure, as external tanks are often added. Maximum load is, of course, an important consideration. As is operating cost.
Can fire fighters drop water?
Firefighting aircraft can drop water or other fire retardants to tackle a blaze. Photo: Getty Images
Can Russian firefighting aircraft load from lakes?
The Russian Beriev Be-200 firefighting aircraft can load from lakes. Photo: Michael Sender via Wikimedia
