CDF Air Tanker |
Federal, state, and local agencies say they're ready for battle this wildfire season.
"I think we have a great initial attack system here in this county, and we enjoy the support from other responding agencies in San Diego County when we have a need," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Ray Chaney said.
Cal Fire hosted its annual aircraft training session in Ramona on Wednesday. The goal is to work on communication and coordination for responding to emergencies.
"We have an efficient system in place that's cost effective to taxpayers and able to serve them as well," Chaney said.
It's known as the call-when-needed system. Chaney said the San Diego County Board of Supervisors put aside $250,000 to rent additional aircraft to battle wildfires like the ones that devastated portions of the county in 2003 and 2007. That's because this year the county won't lease super scooper aircraft because of the state's financial crisis.
But Chaney says not to worry -- Cal Fire's two air tankers and the county's aerial fire fighting force will do the job.
However, San Diego Assistant Fire Chief Jeffery Carle said he'd like to see more aircraft assigned exclusively to San Diego County. But he admitted that state finances make that difficult, and San Diego will probably share some resources with the state.
"When the fire strikes and aircraft are being used somewhere else, it's because there's an emergency somewhere else and that emergency, say, happened before our's was known or occurred," Carle said. "That's the nature of having a limited number of resources and having to move them around the state."
Either way, both Chief Chaney and Chief Carle say fire protctions agencies are ready to defend when wildfires strike.
"I think we have a great initial attack system here in this county, and we enjoy the support from other responding agencies in San Diego County when we have a need," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Ray Chaney said.
Cal Fire hosted its annual aircraft training session in Ramona on Wednesday. The goal is to work on communication and coordination for responding to emergencies.
"We have an efficient system in place that's cost effective to taxpayers and able to serve them as well," Chaney said.
It's known as the call-when-needed system. Chaney said the San Diego County Board of Supervisors put aside $250,000 to rent additional aircraft to battle wildfires like the ones that devastated portions of the county in 2003 and 2007. That's because this year the county won't lease super scooper aircraft because of the state's financial crisis.
But Chaney says not to worry -- Cal Fire's two air tankers and the county's aerial fire fighting force will do the job.
However, San Diego Assistant Fire Chief Jeffery Carle said he'd like to see more aircraft assigned exclusively to San Diego County. But he admitted that state finances make that difficult, and San Diego will probably share some resources with the state.
"When the fire strikes and aircraft are being used somewhere else, it's because there's an emergency somewhere else and that emergency, say, happened before our's was known or occurred," Carle said. "That's the nature of having a limited number of resources and having to move them around the state."
Either way, both Chief Chaney and Chief Carle say fire protctions agencies are ready to defend when wildfires strike.
