Managing Aerial Firefighting Activities on Airports (2012)

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41 This appendix was developed during the research portion of this study. As noted in other sections of this report, most of the infor- mation on this subject comes directly from the web. Govern- ment agencies are placing files on their websites that would be useful, interesting, and helpful for an airport operator seeking additional information about a particular subject related to wild- land firefighting. As an example, on the NIFC website under the Aviation link [http://www.nifc.gov/aviation/aviation_main. html (accessed August 31, 2011)] is a hyperlink (Reference Materials and Guides) that connects to documents on a number of subjects of interest and use such as the Interagency Helicop- ter Operations Guide, the BIA Aviation Plan, and other sites related to this study. There is substantial information about how federal and state governments agencies deal with the suppression of wildland fires, the use of aerial resources (fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft), and the deployment of resources, but precious little about airport operations. To that end, the following is a list of sites where airport operators can educate themselves about these matters. With each link, there is a brief description of the information contained on the site. These sources are in addition to those cited in the References section of the report. The primary focus of the federal agencies responsible for wildland fire suppression is on the western states. In general, most information concerns operations in Alaska, Arizona, Cali- fornia, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ore- gon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. There is little, if any, reference to other states on the federal websites (USFS, BLM, BIA, or NPS) related to wildland firefighting operations; how- ever, much of the information relative to the western states is relevant to other states. The following is intended to guide readers of this study to sites directly related to the study’s subject. During the course of researching, this study reviewed hundreds of pages of web links; the following supplemental sites are highlighted because they are most useful and, in some instances, difficult to find. Bureau of Land Management The BLM website (www.blm.gov) is one of the most helpful web- sites in terms of information about wildland fire issues, most likely because BLM manages a significant amount of federal land, the largest amount of any federal agency according to the website. The www.blm.gov/nifc/st/en/prog/fire/Aviation/Administration. html (accessed August 23, 2011) site is recommended for further information. • On this web page BLM has posted state aviation plans from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming with links to each state’s plan. – The plans tend to follow a common format and are customized for each state. – Airport operators will find useful information about wildland aerial firefighting matters in the plans. Appendix C Additional Resources • On this web page is a link to the Office of Fire and Avia- tion Directory. This link leads to a portable document file (.pdf) phone directory for all units at the NIFC and for personnel within BLM and other agencies responsible for managing aerial wildland firefighting operations. national park Service This website hosts the best resources for information about how the federal firefighting service works and the documents that guide those operations. On the web page titled Fire and Avia- tion Management http://www.nps.gov/fire/fire/fir_wil_planning andpolicy.cfm (accessed September 1, 2011) is a document created by the NPS called the Reference Manual 18: Wildland Fire Management—National Park Service. A brief description of the information contained in this manual follows: Chapters 1 through 21 represent the most detailed and com- prehensive guidance on implementing Service-wide wildland fire management policy for the National Park Service. Refer- ence Manual 18 (RM 18) provides NPS field employees legal references, operating policies, standards, procedures, general information, recommendations, and examples to assist them in carrying out Management Policies and Director’s Orders. This document is intended to be read in its entirety. While certain chapters or sections provide important guidance by themselves, there is an interrelationship among the chapters that provides clarity and continuity for the management of wildland fire on lands administered by the National Park Service. The manual can be downloaded in pdf format at http://www. nps.gov/fire/fire/fir_wil_planningandpolicy.cfm. The most valuable section of the manual is Appendix I, which contains hundreds of web links in the “Toolbox”; each web link has a short title that identifies the information available. FedeRAL And nAtionAL AgenCieS U.S. department of the interior The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) was created by an act of Congress in 1849 with the charge to attend to the country’s internal affairs. Like many other federal agencies, DOI found its responsibilities were increased over time and now include the following agencies with direct responsibilities for wildland fire suppression. Each of these agencies is a member of the NICC: • The National Park Service • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Bureau of Land Management • Bureau of Indian Affairs. The DOI’s Mission Statement says it “protects America’s natural resources and heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to power our future” (DOI—Who We Are 2011).

42 national park Service The NPS was formed in 1916 and is charged with the responsibil- ity to tend to the 394 units of the National Park System, includ- ing 123 historical parks/sites, 74 monuments, 58 national parks, 25 battlefields/military parks, 18 preserves, 18 recreational areas, 10 seashores, 4 parkways, 4 lakeshores, and 2 reserves. Respon- sibilities also include management of the NPS lands and manage- ment of wildland fire (NPS Overview 2010). As a point of clarifi- cation, “units” that the NPS administers include lands other then those commonly known by the public and identified previously. The NPS mission is “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations” (NPS website 2011). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service In 1940, DOI consolidated two existing bureaus, the Bureau of Fisheries and the Bureau of Biological Survey, resulting in the formation of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Over time, additional responsibilities were assigned to that agency, and in 1974 it was redesignated as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). According to the USFWS website, it manages more than 145 million acres, including 552 national wildlife refuges, more than 27,000 special management areas, and operates 69 national fish- eries in the United States and its territories (USFWS—About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2010). The USFWS mission is “to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people” (USFWS— About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2010). Bureau of Land Management BLM, according to the bureau’s website, manages more than 245 million surface acres of land (700 million acres of sub surface land) and is the largest land manager of all federal agencies. The majority of the lands administered by BLM are located in the 12 western states and Alaska (BLM: Who We Are, What We Do 2011). The BLM mission is “to sustain the health, productivity, and diversity of America’s public lands for the use and the enjoy- ment of present and future generations” (BLM: Who We Are, What We Do, 2011). Bureau of indian Affairs BIA is the oldest bureau in DOI, dating back to 1824. BIA administers and manages 55 million surface acres of land (DOI, Indian Affairs 2011). The BIA mission is to “enhance the quality of life, to pro- mote economic opportunity, and to carry out the responsibil- ity to protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives” (DOI, Indian Affairs 2011). U.S. Forest Service The USFS was established in 1905 within the Department of Agriculture with responsibility to manage public lands in the national forests and grasslands (USFS—About Us 2010). The USFS has multiple responsibilities for the public lands it administers, but one of the largest roles is its activities associ- ated with fire management and the aviation resources associated with those activities. As identified on the USFS Fire and Avia- tion Management web page (http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/), Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management “is a diverse group of people working to advance technologies in fire management and suppression, maintain and improve the extremely efficient mobilization and tracking systems in place, and reach out in support of our Federal, State, and International fire partners” (USFS—Fire & Aviation Management 2010). The mission of the USFS is “to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations” (USFS—About Us—Mission 2008). national Weather Service The NWS is one of the major components of the National Oce- anic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the U.S. Department of Commerce. The NWS’s critical role in support of the NIFC is to identify weather conditions and their impact on fire behavior. For airport operators, one of the most useful services of the NWS related to wildland firefighting is the up-to- date “Fire Weather” page (http://radar.srh.noaa.gov/fire/) where current fire conditions can be accessed. The mission of NWS is to provide “weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its ter- ritories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. NWS data and products form a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by other governmental agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global commu- nity” (NOAA 2011). Federal emergency Management Agency Of all the federal agencies with a major role in preparing for and dealing with disasters such as major forest/range fires, FEMA is probably the agency with the most dynamic background. Cur- rently, FEMA is part of DHS and now plays a major role in emergency planning and preparedness for all disasters, includ- ing terrorism. The follow information from “FEMA History” on the agency’s website http://www.fema.gov/about/history.shtm explains its evolution. The Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, miti- gating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. FEMA can trace its beginnings to the Congressio- nal Act of 1803. This act, generally considered the first piece of disaster legislation, provided assistance to a New Hamp- shire town following an extensive fire. In the century that fol- lowed, ad hoc legislation was passed more than 100 times in response to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters. By the 1930s, when the federal approach to problems became popular, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was given authority to make disaster loans for repair and reconstruction of certain public facilities following an earthquake, and later, other types of disasters. In 1934, the Bureau of Public Roads was

43 given authority to provide funding for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters. The Flood Control Act, which gave the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers greater authority to implement flood control projects, was also passed. This piece- meal approach to disaster assistance was problematic and it prompted legislation that required greater cooperation between federal agencies and authorized the President to coordinate these activities. The 1960s and early 1970s brought massive disasters requir- ing major federal response and recovery operations by the Fed- eral Disaster Assistance Administration, established within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Hurri- cane Carla struck in 1962, Hurricane Betsy in 1965, Hurricane Camille in 1969, and Hurricane Agnes in 1972. The Alaskan Earthquake hit in 1964 and the San Fernando Earthquake rocked Southern California in 1971. These events served to focus attention on the issue of natural disasters and brought about increased legislation. In 1968, the National Flood Insurance Act offered new flood protection to homeowners, and in 1974 the Disas ter Relief Act firmly established the process of Presidential disaster declarations. However, emergency and disaster activities were still frag- mented. When hazards associated with nuclear power plants and the transportation of hazardous substances were added to natu- ral disasters, more than 100 federal agencies were involved in some aspect of disasters, hazards and emergencies. Many parallel pro grams and policies existed at the state and local level, com- pounding the complexity of federal disaster relief efforts. The National Governor’s Association sought to decrease the many agencies with which state and local governments were forced to work. They asked President Jimmy Carter to centralize federal emergency functions. Executive Order 12127 President Carter’s 1979 executive order merged many of the separate disaster-related responsibilities into the Federal Emer- gency Management Agency (FEMA). Among other agencies, FEMA absorbed: the Federal Insurance Administration, the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, the National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, the Federal Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration, and the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD. Civil defense responsibilities were also transferred to the new agency from the Defense Department’s Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. John Macy was named as FEMA’s first director. Macy empha- sized the similarities between natural hazards preparedness and the civil defense activities. FEMA began development of an Integrated Emergency Management System with an all-hazards approach that included ‘direction, control, and warning systems which are common to the full range of emergencies from small isolated events to the ultimate emergency—war.’ The new agency was faced with many unusual challenges in its first few years that emphasized how complex emergency management can be. Early disasters and emergencies included the contamination of Love Canal, the Cuban refugee crisis, and the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. Later, the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 focused major national attention on FEMA. In 1993, President Clinton nominated James L. Witt as the new FEMA director. Witt became the first agency director with experience as a state emergency manager. He initiated sweeping reforms that streamlined disaster relief and recovery operations, insisted on a new emphasis regarding preparedness and mitigation, and focused agency employees on customer service. The end of the Cold War also allowed Witt to redirect more of FEMA’s limited resources from civil defense into disaster relief, recovery, and mitigation programs. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Joe M. Allbaugh as the director of FEMA. Within months, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11th focused the agency on issues of national preparedness and homeland security, and tested the agency in unprecedented ways. The agency coordinated its activities with the newly formed Office of Homeland Security, and FEMA’s Office of National Preparedness was given responsibility for helping to ensure that the nation’s first responders were trained and equipped to deal with weapons of mass destruction. A New Mission: Homeland Security Billions of dollars of new funding were directed to FEMA to help communities face the threat of terrorism. Just a few years past its 20th anniversary, FEMA was actively direct- ing its ‘all-hazards’ approach to disasters toward homeland security issues. In March 2003, FEMA joined 22 other federal agencies, programs and offices in becoming the Department of Homeland Security. The new department, headed by Sec- retary Tom Ridge, brought a coordinated approach to national security from emergencies and disasters—both natural and man-made. On October 4, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act. The act signifi- cantly reorganized FEMA, provided it substantial new authority to remedy gaps that became apparent in the response to Hur- ricane Katrina in August 2005, the most devastating natural disaster in U.S. history, and included a more robust preparedness mission for FEMA. As it has for almost 30 years, FEMA’s mission remains: to lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disasters with a vision of ‘A Nation Prepared’ (FEMA— History 2011). FEMA’s mission is “to support our citizens and first respond- ers to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sus- tain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards” (FEMA— FEMA Mission 2011). national Association of State Foresters The NASF is a “non-profit organization comprised of the direc- tor of forestry agencies in the states, territories and the District of Columbia for the United States” (NASF 2011). The NASF is an important agency because it represents a link between the federal fire agencies and the state agencies responsible for fire protection in the individual states and territories, including the District of Columbia. NASF is also one of the six participating agencies of the NICC (NICC 2011). RegionAL ASSoCiAtionS In the United States, there are three regional associations of state foresters that have been formed “to support forest management practices and polices unique to the regional characteristics and need of our diverse forest resources in the United States” (NASF 2011). These regional associations focus on matters of a regional nature and interests. • Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters—http:// www.northeasternforests.org/ [accessed Aug. 25, 2011] Ian MacFarlane Executive Director P.O. Box 4465 Washington, D.C. 20017-0465 202-526-4804

44 • Southern Group of State Foresters—http://www.southern forests.org/about [accessed Aug. 25, 2011] Mike Zupko Executive Director P.O. Box 930 Winder, Georgia 30680 770-267-9630 • Council of Western State Foresters—http://www.wflcweb. org/council/ [accessed Aug. 25, 2011] Caitlyn Peel Executive Director 2850 Youngfield Street, 4th Floor Lakewood, CO 80215 303-445-4362 StAte AgenCieS Within each state and territory of the United States, there are agen- cies designated as the primary entity to administer state lands; it is often these agencies that deal with aerial firefighting suppression efforts. These agencies are known by different titles such as com- missions, divisions, forest services, administrations, departments, offices, or units, but all of them have one thing in common: they tend to land matters and connect to one of the federal agencies identified above. These various state agencies belong to the NASF, which main- tains a website where members and their contact information is available (NASF 2011).

Abbreviations used without definitions in TRB publications: AAAE American Association of Airport Executives AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program ADA Americans with Disabilities Act APTA American Public Transportation Association ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ATA American Trucking Associations CTAA Community Transportation Association of America CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program DHS Department of Homeland Security DOE Department of Energy EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NTSB National Transportation Safety Board PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005) TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998) TRB Transportation Research Board TSA Transportation Security Administration U.S.DOT United States Department of Transportation