Friends and neighbors. Sustainment is, its important to us and well maintain it especially on the region side. Were able to have these longstanding relationships while the operating force side goes forward and supports the ongoing efforts, we are able to stay back here and sustain those relationships. Just to follow on that, the Navy Squadrons that provide Fire Fighting capability are a combination of active and reserve components. One benefit of reserve components is more longevity is pilots in the squadrons. You may have people who have been there for 6, 7 years and have seen multiple fires. That mutual trust is absolutely essential to this capability. A couple things that come it mind real briefly, were talking about wild and land fires primarily but rest assured amongst the group here were always thinking in an all rest capacity. Cal fires mission is we are the states fire department. We are thinking about all Risk Missions whether its fire, flood, natural or man made disaster, wha
On operatability within the California National guard. They worked really well within the framework that we established with cal fire and then beyond that throughout the National Guard and the army, all of our aviators train to the same standards so really were able to integrate any aircrew from any state, any component, into our program at any time because were operating you noah cording you know, according to the same standards. Back in 2008 we had a very large fire event here in california and we aircraft from 22 states responding to that. There is capability to respond within the National Guard alone and we have started developing relationships with our title 10 partners, we do similar academics every year like they do so i think that helps generate interoperatability amongst the title 10 and title 32 assets within the state as well. Well, i dont know about you all but i feel pretty comfortable going into this fire season. It sounds like we have a pretty integrated group not only w
Ill say thats unprecedented with any civilian Emergency Services agency going to a dod asset and having it engage in 4 hours. Commander, anything you want to share . More recently in 2012, two squadrons provided 3 aircraft and the notification process was approximately 2 to 3 hours. We have expanded the capability in the navy, as i said earlier, and that allows for that rapid surge response which was put to the test in august. On this most recent lightning complex fire, it was a little bit different for us as far as what happened there. Like cal fire wants to, just like we all do, is aggressively attack things. But we have the applicable policies and orders that really regulate us a little bit because its got to meet certain thresholds and sometimes like in this last one, it was a remote fire, very small, but it didnt meet some of the thresholds initially but we postured and as soon as it crossed the line they were ready to attack it aggressively. Those are challenges we have to work w
Cal fire on Public Education and prevention and also with respect to you were talking about fuel, the fuels program, or Vegetation Management program in cal fire, we have a Robust Program throughout the state where we are conducting burning operations and Vegetation Management with prieflt ranch owners and private land owners as well as on state and cooperating with our federal agencies with the u. S. Forest service. So twofold program, Vegetation Management, we aggressively pursue that, but also from a Public Education stand point. What we find in these large scale incidents, the public is going to have to be selfsustaining and selfsupporting. They need to be prepared. We try to educate them in respect that we say well provide the offense, you provide the defense. We talk to them about hardening their structures in a defensive measure against wild land fires. A lot of it is Public Education, survivability, building standards, but predominately our focus is putting the onus on the land
Operating orders allow for the fact the operational control, at least under operational response, maintains with the operators. The third aircraft wing maintains operational control but we send our operatives out to be controlled by the civic sight. Were comfortable with that and thats matured a lot in the last couple years. Talked a lot about command and control and agreements and moving resources. One other question that came up yesterday we were discussing yesterday is how do communications occur specifically with regard to when we Start Talking about air ops and moving air resources around, how do we ensure that we have that interoperatability that we discussed so much yesterday between the different components. Can you hear me now . Perfect. It all begins with preplanning and Strategic Planning ahead of time. How our agreements at a local level were born was out of the 2003 cedar fire. The cedar fire was about 280,000 acres. As an example, i have the dubious distinction of being o