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MATB 2020 Refresher
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2020 Medford Airtanker Base
Refresher
In Review
What Changed
2019 Activity
In 2019 the Medford Tankerbase felt a lower activity level compared to the previous 2018 and 2017 seasons. Retardant order outflow was 1/3 of what it has been the previous seasons. This is in line with an overall slower fire season for the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest, Region 6, and the National Fire season. This gave us ample opportunity to complete several upgrades and general maintenance projects at the base and the hangar.
During Tanker Operations we were able to incorporate trainees with a 1:1 ratio with trainers. Give quality training opportunities and sign off a few trainees during the season. Overall considering the slower season we feel that we were able to keep personnel engaged, rotate off forest employees giving everyone an opportunity to work here, and successfully build a team based environment.
Upgrades
- Cleaning out Tanker Base Hanger and reorganizing it to accommodate additional employees and more space for aircraft.
- Upgrades to our oil/sand separator. A automated valve at the tanker base which separates contaminates from our pump system which drains into our overflow pond.
- Initiate a Green Amber Red Risk Assessment focusing on Tanker Operations and Human Factors.
- Gym Equipment
- New Ice Machine
- 2500 gal offload
- Reorganized Hangar
- Security Camera at Gate
Retardant Delivery
- First day of Contract 6/1 close 10/15
- First Load Out 6/4 243 Command Fire
- Last Load Out 9/9 Lime Fire
- 21 Fires Flown with 164 loads for 299,669 Gallons
Retardant Switch
Product Change
Switching product types from LC-95AR to LC-FX
Challenge: Using the LC-95AR until low enough to replace with LC-FX.
More than likely this transition would be done during operations.
Concerns: A break in operations due to product change over causing delays.
Outcome: Fully Successful.
Highest Complexity Operational Shifts
When Is it Happening
- 8/2 37 loads at 37,802 Gallons to the East Evans ODF
- 9/8 16 loads at 48,701 Gallons on the Lime Fire USFS
Graph
VLAT InReview
VLAT
- Opened 7/6 Closed 9/17
- First Load 8/2 East Evans
- Last Load 9/15 Poker
- 9 Fires 17 Loads for 89,571 Gallons
Tanker Base personnel would evaluate their knowledge and understanding on 5 human factors and 4 environmental factors that would affect their daily operations at the tankerbase. Evaluation were on a scale of 1 being low to 3 being high.
GAR Risk Assessment
Evaluation topics were:
Supervision
Base Personnel
Base Environment
Operational Complexity
Airtankers/Aircraft at Base
Potential Airtankers within 30 min Flight
Fire Weather
Temperature
Fatigue
2019 Graph
MATB 2020 Goals
2020 MATB Updates
1) To preserve the health and safety of all employees in the new and ever changing Pandemic Environment.
2) To Safely and Effectively deliver product to support on going fire activity.
3) Continue to evaluate, maintain and upgrade Airtanker Base Facilities.
4) Create and Support Training opportunities to aid in supporting a experienced and qualified Airtanker Base program.
5) Finish Lease with Jackson County Airport that will incorporate a new ramp project.
6) Build agency owned VLAT Base
COVID-19
Medford tankerbase will work with the adjoining agencies and cooperates to create a safe and healthy work environment for its employees to deliver retardant product to aid in the suppression of wild fires.
COVID-19
- Daily assessment of workplace conditions
- Daily assessment of individual health
- Taking care of our own
Day to Day Whats Different?
Fire Management Board: Interim Screening Procedures Memo 20-006a
The interagency wildland fire community is committed to preventing the spread of COVID-19 and promoting the health and wellness of all wildland firefighters and support personnel. Consistent and continual monitoring of personnel is the first step in preventing the movement of potentially infected individuals and the spread of COVID-19. This memorandum establishes interim standard operating procedures and protocols for screening of wildland fire personnel at duty stations and during incident management activities to protect all personnel, appropriately manage potential COVID-19 infection, and reduce risk.
Pre-Mobilization
Supervisors should ensure personnel have no present symptoms of illness using the Wildland Fire COVID-19 Screening Tool prior to consideration of incident assignments. In addition to this initial screen, Supervisors should inform personnel going on assignments of ongoing routine daily screening on all incidents during COVID-19.
Arrival/Entry to Location
All resources accessing any entry point location will wash their hands. If soap and water are not available hand sanitizer may be used. Each resource will proceed to receive verbal screening using the Wildland Fire COVID-19 Screening Tool and if possible, have their temperature assessed using a touchless thermometer. Supervisors and incident managers should determine the number of personnel required to support the screening process and consider scheduling and/or staggering resource arrival times to minimize crowding at arrival/entry locations.
Daily Screening
All resources should be encouraged to report any emerging symptoms to their supervisor (Crew Boss, Unit Leader, Module Leader, Duty Officer, Division Supervisor, Floor Supervisor, etc.). In addition, super- visors should assess subordinates’ health daily using the Wildland Fire COVID-19 Screening Tool to ensure no emerging symptoms. It is recommended the screening questions are asked of all personnel routinely throughout the day.
Daily Screening Tool
If you get a positive screening
Positive Screening
Persons with indications of illness prior to mobilization should be excluded from incident assignments until they meet the return to work criteria as described by CDC (7 days after the start of symptoms and at least 3 days after the last fever not requiring fever reducing medications, and symptoms are improving).
Persons found meeting sick criteria or found to be with fever on arrival at an incident entry location should not be allowed entrance and, as above, should be excluded from incident assignments until they meet the return to work criteria as described by CDC. Next steps should be coordinated with unit leadership, the medical unit and/or local health authority. Prior to release and return to home, individuals with signs or symptoms of illness posing a risk of COVID-19 transmission should be isolated in a separate location. This may require separate, dedicated and staffed areas/facilities to ensure that
MATB Daily Changes (the basics)
Medford Tankerbase
- Base Personnel will be screened before entering ANY building using the Pre-Shift Assessment Tool.
- Personnel will wash hands or use hand sanitizer before touching any door knobs or gates.
- Base Personnel will maintain 6 ft distancing.
- Operation Room for necessary employees only.
MATB Risk Assessment
MATB-SOG's 5/6/2020
MATB Standard Operating Guide
MATB Daily Screening Log
taken before and after shift
Daily Screening Log
CDC High Risk as of 5/6/2020
Who's at High Risk?
"Older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions.
- People 65 and older
- People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
- People who have serious heart conditions
- People who are immunocompromised
- Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications
- People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)
- People with diabetes
- People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
- People with liver disease
- See for updates: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higher-risk.html
MATB/RSF
Taking Care of You
DOL Guidance:
Taking Care of our own
“If a COVID-19 claim is filed by a person in high-risk employment, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) DFEC will accept that the exposure to COVID-19 was proximately caused by the nature of the employment. If the employer supports the claim and that the exposure occurred, and the CA-1 is filed within 30 days, the employee is eligible to receive Continuation of Pay for up to 45 days.”
https://www.dol.gov/owcp/dfec/InfoFECACoverageCoronavirus.htm
Positive Screening
If you test positive for COVID-19 the ATBM will initiate a CA-1 reporting form.
- Ad's included
If you are agency Employee the above will remain the same and you will be eligible for 45 days of Continuation of Pay (COP)
Positive Test
What happens if i am exposed to COVID at Work?
Exposure
- If you are exposed to COVID at work with someone who is CONFIRMED to have COVID you will fill out a CA-1 or a CA-2 and be quarantined.
- For Agency Employees 80 hours of sick leave will be available.
Refresh Security Gate Protocol
Security Gate
Continue to practice the single vehicle in and out policy.
You may be asked to wait in the parking lot until you are screened for COVID.
Challenge any vehicle that enters behind you.
0JK Airattack
AirAttack
Updates:
- ATIM will continue to record movement time in Daily Log however it will not be necessary to call out start/stop times over radio.
- Wing walkers requested at Base corner and if there's aircraft in Pit 2 during parking but not requested during launching. RAMP will be notified prior to start up.
- it is requested that FWPT during fueling is not necessary and pilot and ATGS will facilitate.
Retardant Avoidance Policy
"Prior to fire retardant application, all pilots shall be briefed on the locations of all TEP species avoidance areas on the unit. If actual briefing is not feasible, at a minimum the pilot will inquire as to avoidance areas and their locations if they do not have avoidance area maps or access to the locations electronically." pg 22
Retardant Avoidance Policy
Retardant Avoidance Maps
online map viewer:
http://bit.ly/retardantavoidance
Also available for "Air Drop" at MATB
Agency Responsibilities:
Agency Responsibilities
- Forest Service: Will annually coordinate with local FWS and NOAA Fisheries offices to ensure that the mapped avoidance areas on National Forest System (NFS) lands incorporate the most up-to-date information
- The Forest Service will coordinate with aviation managers and pilots on:
- avoidance area mapping
- aircraft operational direction
- reporting direction if there is a misapplication in an avoidance area.
- Local Forest Supervisor will be responsible for updates and maintenance of the avoidance area maps.
- Aviation Managers will brief pilots on:
- Aircraft operation direction
- Avoidance area maps
- Copies of avoidance map areas will be available through the FAO, tankerbase, helibases, and fire dispatch offices.
Retardant Avoidance
Aquatic/Hydrographic Avoidance Areas:
Waterways shall be avoided and are given a minimum of a 300-foot buffer, including perennial streams, intermittent streams, lakes, ponds, identified springs, reservoirs, and vernal pools, etc.
Buffer areas may be increased based on local conditions in coordination with the FWS and NOAA Fisheries local offices.
New Information – The new NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region BO and Terms and Conditions make permanent the 2017 and 2018 600’ buffers on specific streams in Region 4 and Region 6, and in Region 5 adds 600’ buffers on stream segments on the southern California coast with highly vulnerable steelhead populations with less than 20 miles in length of occupied habitat.
Terrestrial Avoidance Areas
Terrestrial Avoidance Areas may be used to avoid impacts on a) one or more federally listed threatened, endangered, or proposed plant or animal species or critical habitat where aerial application of fire retardant may affect habitat and/or populations; or b) any Forest Service terrestrial sensitive or candidate species where aerial application of fire retardant may result in a trend toward federal listing under ESA or a loss of viability on the planning unit.
Cultural Resources, including Historic Properties, Traditional Cultural Resources, and Sacred Sites:
Although not mapped for protection, cultural resources, including historic properties, traditional cultural resources, and sacred sites will be given case-by-case consideration when ordering the aerial application of fire retardant. As necessary, incident commanders will consider the effects of aerial applications on known or suspected historic properties, any identified traditional cultural resources, and sacred sites. The Forest Service intends to use cultural resources specialists, archaeologists, and tribal liaisons to assist in the Forest Service’s consideration of effects and alternatives for protection.
Direction for Avoidance Area Mapping.
Agency and Cooperatives updates:
Spread the Word
Program Updates
Jackson County Airport Updates
Jackson County Airport
Repairs and upgrades to the taxi way in two phases. The letter of events goes further. As of now no conflict with Tankerbase or fueling operations.
Letter of Events
National Airtanker Base Program Updates
National Airtanker Base Program
Changes:
- SABO Revised for 2020
- to include SEAT Guide
SABO
SAFECOM Site
SAFECOM
- SAFECOM Site being moved into a Cloud based format.
- basic function remained the same for submitting and searching improvements in site format and overall look will be different.
- Site login will change to a Login.gov address. This enables a two step authenticiation system. a login password and a telephone number.
- Government Employees can use their PIV or CAC cards.
- All previous safecom's will still be accessible.
APB 20-02
April 16 2020 Amendment
FMB Memo 20-004
Air Qualification Extensions
March 31 2020
Adjustment to aviation qualifications in response to COVID-19
1 year extension for Triennial Aviation Refreshers: Airtankers/Fixed Wing
- RT-273
- N-9057
- RT-378
1 Year Extention for Modular Airborne Fire Fighting systems (MAFFS)
- MABS-MAFFS
- MABM-MAFFS
- MALO
- MLO-MAFFS
FMB Memo 20-004
NMAC-Airtanker Temporary Home Base Direction
National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group
"The National Interagency Coordination Center... will determine the temporary home base(s) for each
respective airtanker and will adjust the airtanker’s temporary home base as activity warrants and the fire year
progresses."
NMAC 2020-14
Airtanker Updates
- 737 and 747 on CWN aircraft.
- Vendors have adopted COVID-19 procedures in contract ammendments.
- 5 more exclusive use awarded but in protest.
National Airtanker Updates
Exhibit 19:
Exhibit 19
ODF Aviation Updates
ODF Program Updates
New this year ODF has rented hanger D-7.
The hanger is located between Ericksons blade shop and the Jet center.
Hanger D-7 will house the ODF Air attack platform for the duration of the contract.
During the July construction of the taxi way between D and G hangers the Air attack platform will be parked at GA spot 126.
Afternoon Session
This concludes the program review and update portion of the Refresher.
The Afternoon Session will be focused on Base Operations specific to FWPT, RAMP, ATIM, and ATBM.
Lunch
MATB FWPT Refresh
FWPT Review
Goal:
To build on established techniques of FWPT's and introduce specific SABO verbage.
Fueling Expectations
SABO Page 19
Fueling
- Refueling operations are the responsibility of the contractor. The RAMP/FWPT will not participate in the fueling operations but will provide safety oversight while on the airtanker base ramp.
- Ensure no smoking within the fueling area.
- Be present during maneuvering of the fuel truck to maintain safe clearances for the aircraft.
- No cell phone or radio use within 50 feet of fueling operations,
- Ensure fuel trucks use chocks and bond to the aircraft.
- The RAMP should ensure that all fueling operations are conducted in a secure area, without presenting an undue hazard to other aircraft or personnel.
- Once fueling operations are complete, the FWPT will notify the pilot that the area is clear, and the pilot can start the engines.
Chocking Expectations
SABO pg 16
Chocking
“When propellers and engines have come to a full stop, give the pilot the Insert Chock hand signal and place chocks at an angle in the front and back of the nose/tail wheel. Once chocks are placed, use the same hand signal to notify the pilot that the chocks are in place”
Wing Walking Expectations
SABO pg 16
Wing Walking
“Wing walkers shall be used anytime any part of the aircraft is within 30 feet of an object over 3 feet in height. SEAT bases may have different restrictions, refer to the ABOP”
“Aircraft will not be taxied where any part of the aircraft comes within 10 feet of an object over 3 feet in height. Ensure ample “vertical clearance of wing and obstacles is observed”
SABO pg 17
SABO Full Bulletin Points
• Wing walkers should understand their roles and responsibilities before undertaking the assignment. RAMP, FWPTs, and wing walkers shall brief on roles and responsibilities before performing operations requiring wing walkers.
• Wing walkers can be stationed at a fixed object or could be asked to walk with an aircraft to ensure its clearance from potential hazards and need to remain within the eyesight of the FWPT marshalling the aircraft.
• Wing walkers should focus on their area of responsibility and not on the aircrew or FWPT.
• Maintain depth perception awareness and watch for wing growth and tail swing as aircraft turn.
• It is the wing walker’s responsibility to inform the FWPT marshalling the aircraft or pilot and stop the operation by crossing their arms in an Emergency Stop Signal and/or utilizing the radio before any part of the aircraft coming within ten feet of an object over three feet in height.
• It is preferable to stop an aircraft if unsure of clearances and assess the situation rather than have an aircraft damaged and unusable.
RAMP Review
SABO pg. 16
RAMP Review
- “RAMP will identify the area of responsibility for each FWPT. The FWPT will utilize hand signals and/or radio communication to direct the safe movement of aircraft, vehicles, personnel, and GSE within the assigned area.”
- “Ensure adequate staffing per the ABOP. Make requests for additional personnel as needed.”
MATB Expectations:
MATB's RAMP configuration is a horseshoe with two main pits 1 & 2 and Alpha pit between the two.
We emphasize limited movement of aircraft at our base meaning we would like to avoid a half turn into our pits and attempt a direct approach .
MATB Expectations
*GA parking will will have sections reserved for other vendors. Spot 126 will be reserved for ODF. both Millionaire and Erickson have reserved spots. Please get briefing prior to operations.
ATIM
- ATIM desk has changed quite a bit with the new FLIGHT tracking program. If you are unfamiliar or haven't been in the position since last year, please take some time and re familiarize yourself with the new process.
- Flight has visual and slight input changes. If you have not logged in recently please do.
- If you do not have a profile please request one.
ATIM
Review
Hot loading Simultaneous Refresh
Hot Loading/Simultaneous Review
Safe Loading
Mod 2 Part 1
Mod 2 Part 2