**BLM Exclusive Use Helicopter Workshop, Boise ID. 10/24-25/06**

**October 24, 2006**

-   The group shared positions that are or will be open w/exclusive use
    crews.

    -   Vegas -- Squad Leader

    -   Moab -- Assistant Crew Supervisor

    -   Vale -- Assistant Crew Supervisor

    -   Twin Falls -- Squad Leader

    -   SLC -- Squad Leader

    -   Prineville -- Crew Supervisor

    -   Ely -- Crew Supervisor

    -   AFS -- Two Helicopter Managers

-   2006 was above average with most crew flying 25-30% above average
    and many programs exceeding 300+ hours

-   Reviewed 2006 SAFECOM's specific to the Exclusive Use program.

    -   Majority are mechanical (plus AFF, PPE, dropped loads, exceed
        pilot hours / days)

-   Reviewed the 2007 contracts that are up for award.

    -   Wickenburg/Lewistown, Burns, Moab, Apple Valley, Ravendale,
        Miles City, AFS(2)

    -   2005 was the start of platform upgrades.

    -   Additions to 2007 contracts: VTR 10 hour's experience, 2 hours
        annual. HCEP Matrix addition to contract. AS350 stowage language

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-   Toni Musgrove / Award Protocol.

    -   The field office needs to see and understand the solicitation,
        especially when vendors call the field directly and ask
        questions. It is important for the field to know what they can
        or cannot say. Do not engage in the company, we may then create
        a situation in which a claim against the government is made.
        Conversations regarding the area, resources, housing, is ok.

    -   Go to the equipment requirements section and check out all the
        information to double check the information

    -   Once the solicitation comes out do not talk to the vendors
        regarding needs, it is important to use the chain-of-command.
        It's important to point the vendors in the right direction
        (AMD).

    -   Is it appropriate for the field to contact vendors and inform
        them of a contract solicitation that is open or about to open?
        It's ok to contact the company or companies and let them know
        the solicitation is out.

    -   What is most important on evaluation criteria? Customer service
        (dedication), past performance, payload.

    -   Need to put more focus at prework meetings to address evaluation
        and understand how to fill the form out. The evaluation is for a
        company not a specific pilot. Write comments if you have
        something else to say.

-   Toni Musgrove -- ARA/CWN

    -   ARA \$25,000 / \$100,000 limits create an added level of
        complexity. For that, and other reasons, there is work on
        creating a DOI equivalent to the Forest Service Regional Type
        III CWN contract, only at the national level. This would be in
        addition to the ARA contract. A request has been made to AMD by
        the BLM.

    -   Could there be a blanket exemption for exceeding the \$25,000
        cap in situations such as fire? That's what the new contract
        would address.

    -   What do we want to see? (Brad) Regional contracts can be messy
        not knowing who the resource belongs to, tracking down the
        information. This causes problems with pay. A contract similar
        to the Type I and II National Helicopters would be easier and
        more appropriate. (BLM and BIA are in thus far)

    -   (Bob) AK has the on-call contracts; companies can bid multiple
        bases, interagency fire, local fire, resource, etc. AMD helps
        select the aircraft based off price, need.

    -   (Musgrove) in the fire arena there is need for consistency.
        Modeling a new contract off of the Type I and II contract would
        be positive.

    -   Contract open with supplements for Fire, RX, Helitorch,
        Short-haul, BAER, etc...Hybrid concept of payment, guaranteed
        days worked would lower the prices (1, 30, 60 days).

    -   An N-number would be on only one contract, ARA vs. National.
        (example)

    -   ARA would be for resource work not fire, where you have a set
        project, hard dollars, etc...

**BRAD WILL SEND AN EMAIL to solicit everyone for brain storming ideas
as what works well, what does not work, what people want to see?**

**BRAD WILL FORWARD out the new exclusive use helicopter boiler plate,
along with alternative clauses.**

-   General discussion regarding Crew Concepts and impacts from
    terminating contracts.

-   Helitack Squad Leader Position Description (PD) -- The PD is sitting
    at the interagency level. If the interagency group wants to classify
    only general PD's the BLM will pursue the specific BLM exclusive
    position description.

-   Facilities - BLM five year schedule. Priorities can be reprioritized
    year to year. The budget comes out of DOI facilities. (Dash) DOI
    exceeded suppression allocation this year. Some funds to pay off
    suppression came from the Construction line item. Aviation has
    little say or input.

    -   May need to get back to the basics on the facility design. Some
        of the floor plans are overboard. Need to talk with Terry on
        basic needs and excessive engineering.

-   IFPM - (Scott Sugg) in Idaho the Lead level needs to meet the
    Supervisor requirements by 2009 (cross walk). Appears no other state
    interrupts IFPM this way. The BLM National Office said that they
    will apply IFPM only to the 14 key positions. Idaho State created
    complexity to the cross-walk and has stepped away from the BLM
    National Standard.

    -   One of the 14 key positions is HELM not necessarily Helicopter
        crew Supervisor.

    -   Tom will look into this.

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-   AHPP - Brad will send out a 2007 letter of approval for the use of
    Automated Helicopter Performance Planning by BLM exclusive use.

    -   Most current version of AHPP are "AHPP V1.2 (05-25-05).xls" and
        "AHPP V1.3 WAT (06-13-05).xls"

-   Firefighter Physical Interagency medical standards. If there are any
    questions contact Virgil Armet, especially when it comes to waivers.
    All BLM States should be on board with the standards. The program is
    adjusted every year to meet improvements.

-   Hazard Pay Historically we have claimed Hazard pay for PSD / RX,
    Toe-In, Step-Out unimproved landing sights, hover-hook, long-line,
    fixed tactical patterns flight, extended low level, bucket fill,
    rappel, short-haul, heli-torch?, extreme turbulence. There is little
    direction on when Hazard pay is warranted (limited control flight,
    working under a hovering helicopter). Have not found any
    justification on unimproved landing areas. Claypool and Gibbs are
    working on defining limited control flight and listing circumstances
    that fit that definition. This would then be applied to the BLM pay
    manual (1400-550). Incident management handbook does not allow for
    hazard pay for duties written in the position description. (Language
    in the CFR from 30+ years ago originally loosely defined limited
    control flight)

-   Communication Trailers at Helibases are the first things to go when
    cost containment comes into play on large fires. How can we keep
    this useful equipment on an incident? A USFS crew has a bus that is
    used as crew transport as well as a communications trailer. Even a
    trailer that can be pulled behind a truck can be very useful
    communications trailer. May need to write up and establish minimum
    requirements for contract communication facilities. The USFS will
    also make available plans for commo trailers such as the Gila
    Helitack trailer.

-   National Resources Some of the crews moved more in 2006 than they
    normally have. Doesn't seem to be much of a difference from the
    programs point of view. There was some hording of resources, but for
    the most part it worked. The concept of a national resource is
    appropriate and seems to work well. A key to the concept is that we
    will share knowing that you will get help when you need it. We are
    burning more acreage and do not have enough resources to staff the
    fires, this promotes moving the helicopters w/crew to the area that
    needs them. There have been talks about pulling the money for the
    contracts back to the National Office and having a National Helitack
    Program. Much of the grumbling is coming from lowering the minimal
    requirements for staffing a helitack crew to seven. **Need to
    express the value of boots on the ground.** Need to attempt to use
    hotshots with helicopters in areas of high fire probability, rather
    than wasting those crews on dead lines. Commit 5% of IHC's to
    initial attack coupled with dwindling helitack crews and local
    resources. Do states want firefighters or support personnel? There
    are two roles that we are expected to play; firefighters and support
    personnel. Crews should not be committed to just managerial roles.
    **Need to have different crew size standards for Type II
    helicopter.** The national office needs to know if there are crews
    that do not meet the minimum standards.

-   BLM Rappel -- The FLT need to address if and how rappel should be
    incorporated by the BLM.

-   Red Book -- Shared edits from the 2007 additions for the Red Book.
    No need for the ARA/CWN crewmembers in the exclusive use matrix. IAT
    modules are for resource positions only and not for the fire
    positions. Fire positions allow the managers and crew members to
    accomplish project without the IAT modules. Helicopter crewmembers
    attend training or teach S-271 every three years. ATGS PPE
    requirements for all interagency ATGS operations. Additional of the
    AFF language requirements.

**October 25, 2006**

-   Rope Assisted Deployment (RAD) aka fast roping

    -   In second season of beta test with El Dorado Heilitack, seems to
        be working really well. Has an internal anchor in the Bell
        medium.

    -   Training is about a day and a half and is minimal in comparison
        to the rappel program.

    -   The concept is not being looked at seriously in the BLM yet, but
        if a recommendation was made then it would be considered.

    -   Apple Valley in Cal is considering program

    -   Brad will e-mail out RAD document

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-   Crew Size

    -   What should the minimal CWN module size be in 2006 and beyond?
        Should it be modified or remain the current standard.

    -   Should be the option of the helibase.

    -   If IA should be staffed at max capacity

    -   Is it consistent that dispatch will not send helicopter if a
        module is not attached? It seems to be standard that a
        helicopter will be sent if a manager has been identified. The
        MOB guide does state that the helicopter will not be sent until
        a manager has been identified.

    -   Kevin -- a minimum crew size does allow the helicopter have the
        flexibility to commit to a variety of missions at any given
        time.

    -   Numerous problems running into finding and keeping managers and
        HECMs.

    -   Would like to see more flexibility with Type 3 minimal staffing
        and have the ability to order up a T3 with only a manager.

    -   Need to be able to have the flexibility to make the
        resource/helicopter staffing fit the incident needs. Should be
        able to order what you want and needed with you the system
        messing things up.

    -   Need FLEXABILITY in ordering, not necessarily changing the
        required staffing levels.

        -   HELM

    -   Prerequisites remained the same, however the refresher
        occurrence is no longer the same between the FS (2 years) and
        DOI (3 years).

    -   Does not seen to be the issue that it has been in the past, has
        seemed to cleaned itself up.

    -   MOB guide has the ordering standard outlined

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-   Seatbelts

    -   Group would rather go with 3-point and not a 4-point

**Brad will work on contract language to support above.**

-   700 MHz radios

    -   Nation wide emergency services received a large pot of money and
        are going to switch over to the 700 MHz radio, for once will be
        the ones playing catch up.

    -   Will have no communication once this radio changes have
        occurred, the current federal radios will not be compatible with
        the cooperators.

    -   Is the solution to add more avionics?

    -   This may begin as soon as this fall, but not all cooperators
        will switch at once but groups will be phased in over a couple
        years.

**Brad check with John (NIRSC) to get a briefing - email out.**

-   Phase 2

    -   Best to reference the MOB guide regarding policy.

    -   Mike -- Does not think that phase 2 is the best way to manage
        pilots, but rather give them another day off.

    -   Pilots felt rushed and not rested because they were putting the
        same amount of work in less time.

    -   Helicopter managers need the flexibility to manage the ship and
        the flight crews' fatigue.

    -   Brad -- helicopter managers already have the authority to manage
        fatigue and needs to be addressed more often even if it is not
        the favorable decision.

    -   Phase 2 language should be modified

    -   Each aircraft and pilot needs to be managed individually. When a
        blanket rest management getting applied to all aircraft it
        caused problems to vendor to find relief.

    -   May need to limit flight hours and not limit duty day.

    -   Actually causes more aircraft to be ordered to cover shift.

    -   Need to have more heads up on implementation

**Interagency Issues**

-   Field Managers Course Guide for RT-372

    -   Group provided feedback that was incorporated and sent to NWCG
        for implementation

    -   Triennial is the minimum

    -   Pre-work is left up to the course coordinator

    -   Some A courses should meet the prerequisites for the helicopter
        manager class.

    -   Edit document course prerequisites to match target group

    -   Have requirements meet title (Triennial, or as specified by
        Agency)

    -   Practical exercises need to be id as a optional topic (removed
        from first paragraph)

-   AFF Protocol -- AFF Safety Alert

    -   AFF is not reliable enough to depend on heavily.

    -   The solution to radio congestion is not to track aircraft
        resources only on AFF.

    -   Points pilots to follow procedures, but implies that there is no
        need for verbal FF contact.

    -   Units are still following FF procedures and AFF is an additional
        tool to check-ins.

    -   Concern regarding inconsistent use of AFF across dispatch
        center. Each dispatch center needs to identify how they FF
        (radio check-ins and/ or AFF).

    -   No policy language (mission verses point-to-point) on AFF --
        need to clarify MOB guide.

    -   FF needs to specific to mission verses point-to-point

    -   Managers are assuming on how districts/forests perform FF. They
        need to contact those dispatch centers and confirm how they are
        to FF (check-ins or AFF).

    -   Need to work on AFF language in all of the following: Mobe
        Guide, Redbook and IHOG

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-   2006 IHOG

    -   Converting the new guide to publishing software was time
        consuming and delayed publishing.

    -   The list of changes was helpful and easy to review.

    -   Electronic forms were beneficial!

    -   Would like the 2009 IHOG to be cut to just include policy.

        -   HCEP

    -   An additional tool that can be used in conjunction with current
        programs.

    -   <http://aviation.fs.fed.us/carding/index.asp>

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-   NICC Helicopter Coordinator (HLCO)

    -   Experienced helicopter person fills role to assist NICC and
        NMAC.

    -   Effective and efficient resource that should be used more often.

-   Mishap Review -- Steve Rauch

    -   Two accidents addressed using the 5M format

    -   Escalante, UT December 14, 2005 N3194K

    -   Nuiqsut, AK August, 21 2006 AS 350-B2

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-   SafeCom/Safety - Joe Bates aka safety cop

    -   Solicited the group for ideas on anything that can be done to
        improve the Safecom system?

    -   What would be the number one priority or concern that is in your
        specific area/program?

    -   Observations and Trends - SafeComs during the 05 fire season.

        -   Damage to 3 aircraft while taxiing

        -   Pre/Post flight inspection payoff. Several prevented major
            problems from occurring

        -   FF problems

        -   PPE saves lives'

        -   Helicopter community complies the best

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    -   Are "lessons learned" really lessons forgotten? SafeCom system
        is full of historical data of the same accidents that occur
        every year. Are we not learning our lessons? We need to learn
        how to learn the lesson so it does not happen again every year.

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-   When an aircraft is available after unavailability the statement
    should not read "placed back in service" but should be "placed back
    in contract availability"

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-   Emergency Extractions

    -   HotShot groups want to have a guide/procedure on emergency
        extraction using a normal lone line w/ litter extract a patient
        instead of "making it up" as we go.

    -   Utilize this option if ALL other options have been exhausted.

    -   Extract a person the shortest distance possible -- "short
        haul/Class D external load"

    -   

    -   Should this be something that we promote

    -   If there is an approved standard and equipment (NPS), why not
        look at those programs that are currently being.

    -   Should we train because it is high risk and low frequency

    -   Since the fire community is going toward more all-risk this may
        be something to look into