United States Marine Corps and Navy Helicopter Crews Assist CAL Fire With Wildfire Suppression

After the devastating wildfires of 2007 in San Diego, California, a historic agreement was put into place allowing the United States Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy to assist CAL Fire with wildfire suppression in the wildland areas of San Diego County. Since then the USMC and U.S. Navy helicopter pilots have trained with CAL Fire, making water drops in the wildland areas of Camp Pendleton. (cont. on site)

DC 10 Super Tanker.

Join Bill Lorin for a look at the DC 10 Super Tanker, a former DC 10 passenger plane that has been retrofitted to become a high capacity fire bomber. Owned by 10 Tanker Air Carrier, the fleet of DC 10’s have been modified and fitted with external tanks that hold 12,000 gallons of fire retardant. Research has shown that one of the most essential elements of controlling a wildfire is to deliver the biggest payload of retardant on a fire quickly. The DC 10 Super Tanker fits both bills, and since 2006, it has proven itself to be a critical tool for fighting wildfires in the states of Washington and California. With an expanding fleet they will soon be servicing states across the nation and countries around the world.

Fire Department Network News - CAL Fire Budget Crisis Debate Intensifies.

Thirteen HME Ahrens-Fox Type 1 Engines Delivered to California Fire Departments Through OES Grants.

In January of 2008, HME Incorporated was awarded a multi-year contract from the State of California to build over 120 Type 1 fire engines. These vehicles were to be distributed to Cal Fire, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), the Department of Corrections and the Sonoma Center. Models to be included in this contract were the HME Ahrens-Fox, Silver Fox, Wolf, CAT (City Attack Truck), RAT (Rapid Attack Truck), Rodent, and Arsenal. Since then and despite the economic downturn that the state has faced, thirteen of these new Type 1 engines have been delivered to fire departments throughout California through a grant awarded by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. (cont. on  site)

Cal Fire Communications Center in Perris Is Busiest 911 Dispatch Center in California.

The Cal Fire Communications Center in Perris is the busiest 911 dispatch center operated by Cal Fire in California, handling over 100,000 calls in 2008.

Temecula Roripaugh Ranch Fire Station Remains Unopened For 3 Years Due to Economic Troubles.

The Cal Fire and Temecula Fire Department’s Roripaugh Ranch Fire Station #95 was built during the housing boom in Southern California, but was never opened because the 805-acre housing development that it was intended to serve was never built.