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thedrifter
10-30-07, 06:17 AM
Panel: Military firefighters a priority

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 36 minutes ago

Three years ago, a state-appointed panel said finding ways to quickly get military helicopters and planes airborne to battle raging wildfires should be a "high priority." Yet, last week, delays launching aircraft revealed a system still suffering from communication and planning shortfalls.

The Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, formed after 2003 fires destroyed more than 3,600 homes, urged the state to "clarify and improve" policies and regulations for using military aircraft in firefighting. The report also recommended a host of other changes, including buying new helicopters and fire engines.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said as early as September 2004 that his administration was working with the federal government to ensure that plans to use military helicopters and airplanes were "efficient and effective." However, when the latest fires grew out of control on Oct. 21, not all available military aircraft were quickly pressed into service.

The Associated Press reported last week that Marine, Navy and National Guard helicopters were grounded because state personnel required to be on board weren't immediately available. And the National Guard's two newest C-130 cargo planes couldn't help because they've yet to be outfitted with tanks needed to carry thousands of gallons of fire retardant.

"It's very troubling that something that was identified as a high priority doesn't appear to me to have been treated with the urgency and respect that it deserved," said Assemblyman Pedro Nava, a Santa Barbara Democrat who heads the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security. He has promised hearings on the state's response to the fires.

Military aircraft are called in to supplement state and local fire resources as needed. That was the case last week when more than a dozen fires exploded amid fierce Santa Ana winds that fanned the flames. The fires devoured more than a half-million acres and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

On Saturday, state and federal officials blamed each other for delays getting water-dropping helicopters off the ground. The head of the state's firefighting agency said the military failed to commit to training needed to launch helicopters quickly, and that the Forest Service neglected to provide enough "fire spotters," or helicopter managers.

After insisting for days that the harsh winds kept helicopters from getting airborne more quickly, Schwarzenegger said Saturday that firefighting might have been more effective if more state spotters had been available sooner.

State rules require each federal helicopter to carry a spotter to help coordinate water or retardant drops.

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-San Diego, and other members of California's congressional delegation criticized the state for its handling of military helicopters in the fires' early days. Hunter said the state has created rules on spotters that it can't fulfill.

State agreements with the Navy and National Guard allow for state firefighting personnel to train with them. But there's still no agreement with the Marines, even though some of the worst fires were near the Marines' Camp Pendleton.

Mike Padilla, aviation chief for the state forestry department, said the Marines' responsibilities in the Iraq war prevented them from committing to train and provide resources.

Lt. Col. Chris Hughes, a Marines spokesman, did not return a phone call Monday.

U.S. Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, said Monday that the lack of a training agreement with the Marines as "probably something we need to look into." But he said there have been improvements since the governor's report.

He disagreed with accounts by Hunter and others that some military aircraft were stranded. Many aircraft could not be used because of winds, he said.

The Forest Service is important in California firefighting because the state includes vast stretches of federal land.

Sheldon Gilbert, who heads the California Fire Chiefs Association, also cited progress since the report. He noted that some helicopters now carry radios to communicate directly with ground crews.

"Is there more to do? Yes," said Gilbert, who is chief of the Alameda County Fire Department. "I'm sure there are things we can do in the future to continue to streamline the process."

Ellie