FEMA pauses to think about USFS waterbombers

[budthespud]

“I understand that the U.S. Forest Service had water-tanker aircraft available to help douse the fires raging on our riverfront, but FEMA has yet to accept the aid."


Sen. Mary Landrieu (D - La)

http://www.fromtheroots.org/story/2005/9/3/19542/97952

[nmfire]

Well, obviously it is because they still use 10-Codes to communicate with their base.

[Dave1983]

“I understand that the U.S. Forest Service had water-tanker aircraft available to help douse the fires raging on our riverfront, but FEMA has yet to accept the aid."


Sen. Mary Landrieu (D - La)

http://www.fromtheroots.org/story/2005/9/3/19542/97952

I guess FEMA is waiting for a request from the city.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

“I understand that the U.S. Forest Service had water-tanker aircraft available to help douse the fires raging on our riverfront, but FEMA has yet to accept the aid."


Sen. Mary Landrieu (D - La)

http://www.fromtheroots.org/story/2005/9/3/19542/97952

The same fleet of water bombers that was grounded last year as a safety stand down after 2 units suffered catastrophic failure while airborne?

[mcaldwell]

Unfortunately, it is well accepted that water bombers don't do squat against a building fire. Even if the aerial drop can reach the seat of the fire, If you don't have the ground teams ready to move in and overhaul immediately after, it is fruitless.

And how many NO depts have working SCBA compressors to support these types of ops right now?

It may be tough to watch, but if a building is burning freely, and you can't get an engine/boat with ground team on it, let it go. You are just wasting resources.

[neiowa]

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[budthespud]

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[MEck51]

Another option to explore is the fact that there are so many helo's flying all over the city that adding more air traffic may make things quite the mess. I am not a pilot nor did I stay at a holiday inn express last night but, the planes forward speed in such a mass of buildings and other flying objects may not be able to manuver the way it needs to.

[Bones42]

Bud, an IL-76 would really be a poor choice in NO at this time, even you (I think) would have to agree on that.

This ain't one of your better threads.

[firenresq77]

WEow, someone's got his panties in a bunch!!!!!!

[SSTONER]

Neiowa: In the same way US federal officials could
not be trusted on New Orleans, they cannot be believed
on anything they say about the obsolete commie
ruskie flying albatross, as you put it.

Wasn't Soyuz an obsolete commie flying albatross?

Obviously, you like learning your lessons the hard way,
or not at all.

Your emergency response system has failed, due
to the same smart alec/wise guy attitude that
keeps out the obsolete commie ruskie flying albatross.

You should team up with Chertoff, and Brown, ex of
FEMA. You're a smart alec and a wise guy, just like them.

**** off.

Was this attitude the same type of thing that got another thread locked?

[IronsMan53]

That is really some inferiority complex you have going on the bud.

[budthespud]

Bud, an IL-76 would really be a poor choice in NO at this time, even you (I think) would have to agree on that.

This ain't one of your better threads.

I never mentioned the IL-76, did I? My first choice here
would be the Sky Crane. My second, the CL-215/415.

This ain't one of neiowa's better threads. Has he ever
had a good one or is he bitter and twisted all the time?

[Bones42]

A sky crane? THAT would be interesting to see making the trip over. Kind of curious how long that might take to actually get to scene.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Not long at all. My uncle was a pilot for one of the PA Guard units that flew these.

But I have to agree, dropping the equivalent of water balloons on a structure fire won't get the water to where it needs to be at the seat of the fire. Not unless the whole thing collapsed already, in which case, why waste resources doing that? Building is a loss, no likelihood of survivors, and if there are any exposures they're already lit too. Wrong tool for the situation IMHO.

[MEck51]

They are now doing drops with helo's.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Saw that on CNN while at the gym. They're only doing it to the buildings that already fell down from what I saw. Otherwise it's kinda hard to aim a few thousand gallons in a bucket on a string through a window and be effective.

Don't get me wrong, I'd have a good old time trying to do that if someone were hi enough to let me behind the controls of a helicopter. But the poor color vision keeps that from happening. Something about pushing the orange fuel dump instead of the yellow intercom button gets the FAA's drawers in a bind....

[allineedisu]

???




Might as well be peeing out the door of the helicopter for the good that it does. Air drops work wonderful on ground cover fires, but for structure, it doesn't work. Oh, it makes good copy for the talking heads on the news programs. What do they know any way? They are the ones that call the air cylinders on our SCBA's oxygen tanks.

They still figured out that most of the fires in New Orleans are the work of arson covering up where they have looted or have a hard on for the owners of those businesses or home owner. Wait until the water gets down so they can get all over the city and set more fires.