Transcript Aircraft Tactics

Aircraft Strategy &Tactics
• Terminology
• Parts of Fire
• Basic Tactics
• Drop Patterns
• Example
• Review Ten
Principles of
Retardant
Application
By
Steve Hubbard
“SEE” WHAT YOU CAN DO!
• “SEE” =
• Safe (Always assure safety
before any other goal)
• Effective (….actually putting the
fire out is nice….but safety first)
• Efficient (….only if Safe &
Effective)
STRATEGY
• Mental process for establishing
incident objectives and priorities.
• What do you want to save…and
how bad?
TACTICS
• A series of tasks or operations
done to achieve an objective.
• How are you actually going to do
the job?
Parts of a Fire
BOTTOM LINE: This is how the fire fighters describe things.
HEAD
LEFT
RIGHT
SHOULDER
SHOULDER
SPOT
FIRE
ISLAND
LEFT
FLANK
RIGHT
FLANK
ROAD
HEEL (ORIGIN)
ANCHOR POINT
“AMOEBA” Fire
N
E
W
S
For this fire, you may have to resort to Cardinal directions
when talking to ground folks.
Downhill Fire
Firefighters still relate to
left and right.
ROAD
RIGHT
FLANK
DOWNHILL
SLOPE
LEFT
FLANK
Head is still the most active
part of fire.
FIRE ATTACK TACTICS
• THREE BASIC METHODS
• INDIRECT
• DIRECT
• PARALLEL
INDIRECT ATTACK
USUALLY A LARGE-FIRE TACTIC
A DISTANCE AWAY
UTILIZE NATURAL BARRIERS
BURN OUT BETWEEN
DIRECT ATTACK
WORKING DIRECTLY ON FIRE EDGE
“ONE FOOT IN THE BURN – ONE IN THE GREEN”
PARALLEL ATTACK
MOVE OFF FIRE EDGE A SHORT DISTANCE
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LIGHT FUELS/BARRIERS
MOST DANGEROUS METHOD FOR FIREFIGHTERS
FIRE OUT
BETWEEN
TACTICS
• EVERY FIRE IS DIFFERENT
• DIRECT? INDIRECT?
• ANCHOR POINT =
• WORK FROM IT
• HONEST EVALUATION =
• COMMUNICATE WITH THE
GROUND!
AIRCRAFT PATTERNS
• FLANKING
• TANDEM AHEAD
• TANDEM
BEHIND
• HOOK
• NARROW “VEE”
• WIDE “VEE”
• ANGLE TIE-IN
•
•
•
•
SPOT FIRE
PRE-TREAT
ANGLE-OUT
COOLING
CONVECTION
COLUMN
• SPOT FIELD
COVER
FLANKING
GOOD METHOD = STARTS FROM ANCHOR POINT
USED ON FAST RUNNING FIRES
CONSERVATIVE
TANDEM AHEAD
PROVIDES MOST ASSISTANCE TO GROUND FORCES
OFTEN TO SUPPORT
DOZERS IN HEAVY
BRUSH
ANCHOR DONE BY
GROUND TROOPS
TANDEM BEHIND
ASSIST GROUND FORCES TO HOLD HASTILY DONE LINES
PICKS UP SPOTS AND
SLOP-OVERS
MOST OFTEN USED WHEN
HIGH VALUES ARE BEING
PROTECTED
ANCHOR MADE BY GROUND
TROOPS IS RE-ENFORCED
HOOK
USED OFF FLANKING PATTERN
FLANKING CONTROL
COULD HAVE BEEN
DONE BY GROUND
FORCES
NARROW “VEE”
QUICKLY CATCH HEAD OF SMALL FIRE
AGGRESSIVE METHOD
ADDITIONAL DROPS,
HOSELAYS, OR LINE
CONSTRUCTION MUST
BE ASSURED TO
FOLLOW SOON!
ASK YOURSELF: HOW SOON
WILL IT GET ANCHORED?….AND
WHO IS GOING TO DO IT?
WIDE “VEE”
A LITTLE OUT IN FRONT – “JUST TO SLOW IT DOWN”
OFTEN USED SIMILAR
TO CREW HOT-SPOTTING
= BUYING TIME
ANCHOR PROBLEM IS WORSE –
BECAUSE YOU EXPECT EVEN
A LONGER DELAY
BEFORE ANCHORING!
ANGLE TIE-IN
FREQUENTLY USED METHOD THAT PROVIDES A
DEFENDABLE TIE TO THE ANCHOR POINT
PLAN USUALLY WOULD INCLUDE FIRING OUT
TO THE BARRIER
SPOT FIRE
USUALLY NO PLACE TO ANCHOR
OBJECTIVE IS TO HOLD UNTIL GROUND
FORCES ARRIVE
TRY TO DROP FROM TWO DIRECTIONS
FOR BETTER COVERAGE (SHADOWING)
PUTTING AN “X” ON IT WORKS WELL ALSO
PRE-TREAT
USED TO WIDEN A NATURAL BARRIER
PROVIDES BACKFIRE SUPPORT
HELPS TO LOWER SPOT FIRE SPREAD POTENTIAL
PLACE OUTSIDE OF MAIN LINE AND ON LEE SIDE
ANGLE OUT
USED WHEN YOU CAN’T GET TO BOTTOM (STAIR-STEP?)
TELL GROUND FORCES WHAT YOU DID
NOT PERFECT – BUT LEAVES SOMETHING FOR THE
FIRE TO BUMP AND HOLD LONGER
COOLING CONVECTION
TO STOP HAVING TO CHASE SPOT FIRES ALL DAY
DROP TIGHT TO BACKSIDE AND ALLOW
CONVECTION WIND TO DRAW IT IN
GROUND SIDE-VIEW
HEAD IS MOVING
SPOT FIELD
SPOT FIELD COVER
MULTIPLE LINES SPACED NARROWER THAN THE
FIRE-RUNNING DISTANCE NEEDED TO BUILD UP
SPOTTING HEADS FROM NEW SPOT FIRES
(USE NATURAL BARRIERS TOO)
REQUIRES LARGE NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT BE QUICKLY
COMMITTED AT SAME TIME AND THIS WILL FORCE
PLACING LINES A LONG DISTANCE OUT IN FRONT
THIS IS A
NEW TACTIC
PLEASE
SHARE ANY
STORIES
EXAMPLE
WIND
ROAD
EXAMPLE
WIND ON RETURN
ROAD
10 PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
From The National Wildfire
Coordinating Group
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
1.
• DECIDE TACTICS = DIRECT OR
INDIRECT?
• SIZE-UP
• RESOURCES AVAILABLE
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
2.
• ESTABLISH ANCHOR POINT
• WORK FROM IT
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
3.
• USE PROPER DROP HEIGHT
• UP/DOWN WIND?
• LIGHT/HEAVY GPC?
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
4.
• APPLY PROPER COVERAGE
LEVELS
• EFFECTIVENESS VERSUS
WASTE
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
5.
• DROP DOWNHILL AND DOWNSUN WHEN FEASIBLE….BUT:
• SAFE EXIT IS KEY = LEVEL
RUN OVER RISING TERRAIN
INTO WIND MAY BE AS GOOD
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
6.
• DROP INTO THE WIND FOR
BEST ACCURACY….BUT:
• “SEE” = BE SAFE BEFORE
TRYING TO BE MORE
EFFECTIVE(or EFFICIENT)
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
7.
• DO HONEST EVALUATIONS OF
AIR ATTACK EFFORTS
• TALK TO GROUND WITH SAME
HONESTY
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
8.
• GO DIRECT ONLY WHEN
GROUND SUPPORT IS
AVAILABLE
• OR WHEN EXTINGUISHMENT
IS PROBABLE
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
9.
• PLAN DROPS SO THEY CAN BE
EXTENDED OR INTERSECTED
EFFECTIVELY
PRINCIPLES OF
RETARDANT APPLICATION
10.
• MONITOR EFFECTIVENESS AND
ADJUST AS NEEDED….OR
• SHUT IT DOWN?
• SHOW-TIME ANYWAY?
Aircraft Strategy &Tactics
• Terminology
• Parts of Fire
• Basic Tactics
• Drop Patterns
• Example
• Review Ten
Principles of
Retardant
Application