Research Catalog

Title

Air attack against wildfires : understanding U.S. Forest Service requirements for large aircraft / Edward G. Keating ... [et al.] ; sponsored by the United States Forest Service.

Publication

Santa Monica, CA : Rand Corporation, 2012.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Keating, Edward G. (Edward Geoffrey), 1965-
• RAND Homeland Security and Defense Center.

Description

xxv, 114 p. : ill. (some col.), col. map; 23 cm.

Summary

"An aging fleet of contracted fixed-wing airtankers and two fatal crashes in 2002 led the U.S. Forest Service to investigate how to recapitalize its fleet of airtankers. The Forest Service asked RAND for assistance in determining the composition of a fleet of airtankers, scoopers, and helicopters that would minimize the total social costs of wildfires, including the cost of large fires and aircraft costs. The research team developed two separate but complementary models to estimate the optimal social cost-minimizing portfolio of initial attack aircraft -- that is, aircraft that support on-the-ground firefighters in containing a potentially costly fire while it is still small. The National Model allocates aircraft at the national level, incorporating data on ten years of historical wildfires, and the Local Resources Model provides a more nuanced view of the effect of locally available firefighting resources, relying on resource allocation data from the Forest Service's Fire Program Analysis system. Both models favor a fleet mix dominated by water-carrying scoopers, with a niche role for retardant-carrying airtankers. Although scoopers require proximity to an accessible body of water, they have two advantages: shorter cycle times to drop water and lower cost. Two uncertainties could affect the overall optimal fleet size, however: future improvements in the dispatch of aircraft to fires and the value attributed to fighting already-large fires with aircraft."--P. [4] of cover.

Series Statement

Rand Corporation monograph series

Uniform Title

Rand Corporation monograph series.

Subjects

• Airtankers (Forest fire control) > United States
• United States > Forest Service > Equipment
• Aeronautics in wildfire control > United States

Note

• "RAND Homeland Security and Defense Center."
• "MG-1234-USDAFS"--P. [4] of cover.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-114).

Contents

Introduction -- Background -- The costs of large fires -- The costs of large aircraft -- The RAND national model -- The RAND local resources model -- Concluding remarks -- Appendix A: Equations used to construct high and low fire cost estimates -- Appendix B: Trends in fire aviation demand through 2030.

Call Number

JBE 13-991

ISBN

• 9780833076779
• 0833076779

LCCN

2012944768

OCLC

805044015

Title

Air attack against wildfires : understanding U.S. Forest Service requirements for large aircraft / Edward G. Keating ... [et al.] ; sponsored by the United States Forest Service.

Imprint

Santa Monica, CA : Rand Corporation, 2012.

Series

Rand Corporation monograph series

Rand Corporation monograph series.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-114).

Connect to:

Link to electronic resource

Added Author

Keating, Edward G. (Edward Geoffrey), 1965-

RAND Homeland Security and Defense Center.

Research Call Number

JBE 13-991