Managing Aerial Firefighting Activities on Airports (2012)

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TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2012 www.TRB.org Research Sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration SubScriber categorieS Aviation  •  Security and Emergencies A I R P O R T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M ACRP SYNTHESIS 32 Managing Aerial Firefighting Activities on Airports A Synthesis of Airport Practice conSultant TIM PHILLIPS Critical Path International, LLC West Jordan, Utah

AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in transportation of people and goods and in regional, national, and inter national commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation sys- tem connects with other modes of transportation and where federal responsibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most airports. Research is necessary to solve common oper- ating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the airport industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Airport Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on a study sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The ACRP carries out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating agencies and are not being adequately addressed by existing federal research programs. It is modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program and Transit Cooperative Research Program. The ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities in a variety of airport subj ect areas, including design, construction, maintenance, operations, safety, security, policy, planning, human resources, and administra- tion. The ACRP provides a forum where airport operators can coop- eratively address common operational problems. The ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary partici- pants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation with representation from airport operating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant industry orga- nizations such as the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), Airlines for America (A4A), and the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) as vital links to the airport community; (2) the TRB as program manager and secretariat for the governing board; and (3) the FAA as program sponsor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a contract with the National Academies formally initiating the program. The ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of air- port professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government officials, equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and research organizations. Each of these participants has different interests and responsibilities, and each is an integral part of this cooperative research effort. Research problem statements for the ACRP are solicited period- ically but may be submitted to the TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels and expected products. Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed by the TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport professionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing coop- erative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, ACRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation. Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the intended end-users of the research: airport operating agencies, service providers, and suppliers. The ACRP produces a series of research reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other interested parties, and industry associations may arrange for work- shops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by airport-industry practitioners. ACRP SYNTHESIS 32 Project A11-03, Topic 04-08 ISSN 1935-9187 ISBN 978-0-309-22364-5 Library of Congress Control Number 2012934387 © 2012 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB or FAA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Airport Cooperative Research Program, conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The members of the technical panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. The report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, and the sponsors of the Airport Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report. Published reports of the AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol- ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni- cal matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad- emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisci- plinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transporta- tion, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

ACRP COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT 11-03 CHAIR JULIE KENFIELD Jacobs Engineering, Inc. MEMBERS RANDALL P. BURDETTE Virginia Department of Aviation KEVIN C. DOLLIOLE Unison Consulting, Inc. LINDA HOWARD Bastrop, Texas ARLYN PURCELL Port Authority of New York & New Jersey BURR STEWART Burrst, Seattle, Washington FAA LIAISON PAUL DEVOTI ACI–NORTH AMERICA LIAISON A.J. MULDOON AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION JOHN L. COLLINS TRB LIAISON CHRISTINE GERENCHER COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, Director, Cooperative Research Programs CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs MICHAEL R. SALAMONE, Senior Program Officer JOSEPH J. BROWN-SNELL, Program Associate EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications SYNTHESIS STUDIES STAFF STEPHEN R. GODWIN, Director for Studies and Special Programs JON M. WILLIAMS, Program Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies JO ALLEN GAUSE, Senior Program Officer GAIL R. STABA, Senior Program Officer DONNA L. VLASAK, Senior Program Officer TANYA M. ZWAHLEN, Consultant DON TIPPMAN, Senior Editor CHERYL KEITH, Senior Program Assistant DEMISHA WILLIAMS, Senior Program Assistant DEBBIE IRVIN, Program Associate TOPIC PANEL JOHN W. ANDERSON, McCall Airport, Idaho GREG CHILCOTT, County of Ravalli, Hamilton, MT ROD DINGER, Redding Municipal Airport, California CHRISTINE GERENCHER, Transportation Research Board KENNETH MAENPA, Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, Broomfield, CO EARL McKINNEY, Bowling Green State University JOHN WINDER, CALFIRE-California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, McClellan MARC TONNACLIFF, Federal Aviation Administration (Liaison) Cover figure: P2V Neptune (Courtesy: Neptune Aviation Services).

FOREWORD This synthesis study is intended to provide a review of current airport and agency [pri- marily the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)] practices, policies, and procedures at airports called upon to support aerial wildland firefighting suppression efforts. Information used in this study was acquired through a review of the literature and inter- views with ten airport operators (representing 13 airports), two commercial helicopter operators, and one regional fire center manager to gather insights on the current state of airport practices that support aerial wildland firefighting suppression efforts. The inter- views followed a series of questions in areas such as community and economic matters, contracts, operations, and general business practices. While the interviews were structured, the interviewees were encouraged to freely discuss matters related to the topic of the study and to offer information on the subject that they believed was important Tim Phillips, Critical Path International, LLC, West Jordan, Utah, collected and synthe- sized the information and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are acknowl- edged on the preceding page. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand. Airport administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which infor- mation already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and prac- tice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviat- ing the problem. There is information on nearly every subject of concern to the airport industry. Much of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such useful information and to make it available to the entire airport community, the Airport Coop- erative Research Program authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing project. This project, ACRP Project 11-03, “Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Practices,” searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute an ACRP report series, Synthesis of Airport Practice. This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format, without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each report in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems. PREFACE By Gail R. Staba Senior Program Officer Transportation Research Board

CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY 3 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The Project, 3 Synthesis Methodology, 3 Literature Review, 3 Interviews, 3 Report Content, 4 5 CHAPTER TWO AIRPORT AND AERIAL FIREFIGHTING SUPPRESSION AGENCIES—A REVIEW Background, 5 Federal Agencies, 5 National Interagency Fire Center, 5 Airports, 7 8 CHAPTER THREE AIRPORTS’ ROLE IN AERIAL FIREFIGHTING Introduction, 8 Permanent Aerial Firefighting Bases, 8 Seasonal Aerial Firefighting Support Bases, 8 Community Issues and Impacts, 9 Grant Assurances and Aeronautical Activities, 9 Minimum Standards and Rules and Regulations, 10 12 CHAPTER FOUR FIRE MANAGEMENT TEAM ROLES Introduction, 12 Incident Management, 12 Emergency Support Function, 12 Federal Level, 12 State Level, 13 Local Level, 13 Federal Response to Wildland Fires, 13 Incident Management Teams, 13 U.S. Fire Size Classes, 14 Airport Sizes, 14 15 CHAPTER FIVE FINANCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND CONTRACTUAL MATTERS Introduction, 15 Rates and Charges, 15 Fuel Flowage Fees, 15 Landing Fees, 15 Other Use Fees, 16 Agreements, 16 Rates and Charges Summary, 18 Capital Development, 18 Community Economic Benefits, 18

19 CHAPTER SIX SECURITY, SAFETY, AND OPERATIONAL MATTERS Security, 19 Safety and Operational Matters, 19 Aircraft Parking, 19 Hazardous Materials, 19 Notices to Airmen, 19 Access Control, 20 Damage to Facilities, 20 Jettison Areas, 20 Portable Air Traffic Control Towers and Temporary Flight Restrictions, 20 Operations Coordination, 21 Construction Planning, 21 22 CHAPTER SEVEN LESSONS LEARNED—A REVIEW OF THE INTERVIEWS Airport Operator Interviews, 22 Airport Description, 22 Abilene Regional Airport, 22 Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, 22 Grant County Regional Airport, 22 Missoula International Airport, 22 McCall Municipal Airport, 23 Plumas County Airports, 23 Redding Municipal Airport, 24 Roberts Field Airport, 24 Spokane County–City Airport System, 24 Cascade Airport, 24 Summary of Airport Operator Interview Questions, 24 General Background Data, 24 Community, Contractual, and Economic Issues, 27 Operational Issues, 29 General and Closing Issues, 31 Lessons Learned, 32 33 CHAPTER EIGHT CONCLUSIONS 34 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 35 REFERENCES 37 APPENDIX A INTERVIEW GUIDES 39 APPENDIX B INTERVIEWEE LIST 41 APPENDIX C ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Note: Many of the photographs, figures, and tables in this report have been converted from color to grayscale for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the Web at www.trb.org) retains the color versions.