Common use of Aviation Operations Clause in Contracts

Aviation Operations. Parties to this operating plan undertaking initial attack may utilize aviation resources before land jurisdiction is determined when fire conditions and potential losses warrant it. Where possible, concurrence among potentially affected agencies will be obtained prior to ordering aircraft. However, fire control actions shall not be hampered if concurrence is delayed as a result of communication difficulties. Aircraft may be considered mutual aid, and costs associated with Aircraft should be negotiated between benefiting agencies. The State of Colorado provides several funding and reimbursement options for firefighting aircraft. Agencies seeking reimbursement or State provided resources should follow the 2019 Wildland Fire Resource Funding Guidelines (Appendix E). When aviation resources are ordered for State and private lands and the ordering agency will be seeking State funds to cover the expenses of those resources, DFPC will be notified as soon as practical. The ARF may provide tactical air support or aerial supervision as reciprocal fire protection services within the protection boundary, if the incident is determined to be a threat to National Forest Lands. All Air­to­Ground (A­G) communications will be on the NIICD assigned A­G frequency for NE Colorado. The primary is A­G 9, the secondary is A­G 58. VMED28 (EMSNORTH) will be used for medical aircraft missions on Type 1, 2 and 3 incidents. If both frequencies are assigned to active incidents, or have excessive traffic, additional A­G frequencies must be ordered through FTC Dispatch. Criteria for placing aviation resources on standby may include the following: no measurable precipitation for 14+ days, very high fire danger predicted, a holiday or other event expected to increase human caused fires, or experiencing multiple fire starts. Once a resource has been placed on contract and staged along the Northern Front Range, the DFPC will keep the FTC advised of any changes in status. The FTC will disseminate this information to county, state, and federal agencies. Air reconnaissance and detection flights will be coordinated among cooperating agencies through the FTC. The incident commander on each fire incident will be responsible for initiating any requests for airspace restrictions (TFRs) from the FAA, through FTC.