TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 11 - MAFFS HISTORY AND WORKLOAD.pdf

ATTACHMENT X

MODULAR AIRBORNE FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM (MAFFS II)

SYSTEM AND WORKLOAD HISTORY

Established in 1905, the Forest Service is a federal agency that manages public lands in national forests and grasslands under a founding principle, “To provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run.” The agency’s mission is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.” The Forest Service has the responsibility for stewardship of more than 193 million acres of the nation’s forests and grasslands; for developing and communicating scientific knowledge through research and development that leads to informed natural resource decision-making; for delivering technical assistance through state and private forestry programs; and for sharing knowledge and experience with others in the global community through international forestry.

The Boise Interagency Fire Center (BIFC) was created in 1965 because the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and National Weather Service saw the need to work together to reduce the duplication of services, cut costs, and coordinate national fire planning and operations. The National Park Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs joined BIFC in in the mid 1970s. The US Fish and Wildlife Service later joined in 1979. The Center's name was changed in 1993 from the BIFC to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to more accurately reflect its national mission. The NIFC, located in Boise, Idaho, is the nation's support center for wildland firefighting. Eight different agencies and organizations are part of NIFC.

Decisions are made using the interagency cooperation concept because NIFC has no single director or manager.

In 1970, wildfires overwhelmed commercial tanker fleet, resulting in the Air Force developing the MAFFS for use on C-130 aircraft. The broad use and effectiveness of the MAFFS capability helped to establish a Memorandum of Understanding in 1975 between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to provide continued employment of MAFFS via the Air National Guard and Air Force (AF) Reserve aircraft when commercial assets are either fully committed or not reasonably available.

Although one element of the NIFC’s fire suppression activities during fires season is the MAFFS, MAFFS units can only be utilized when all commercial airtanker capability is fully committed or not reasonably available. As MAFFS are portable fire-retardant delivery systems that can be inserted into military C-130 aircraft to convert them into airtankers when needed, the MAFFS program is a joint effort between the USDA Forest Service and DoD. The USDA Forest Service owns the MAFFS equipment and supplies the retardant, while the DoD provides the C-130 aircraft, flight crews, and maintenance and support personnel to fly the missions.

In 2011, the U.S. Forest Service successfully transitioned from the systems developed in the 1970s, known as “Legacy” systems, to new systems, known as “MAFFS II” or 2nd Generation MAFFS. MAFFS II systems incorporate new design features and technology that provide a number of advantages over the Legacy MAFFS systems. While Legacy MAFFS relied on specialized ground-based equipment, the MAFFS II is more self-contained. This allows the MAFFS II to use existing agency airtanker bases and reduce flight time to and from fires.

D.15 - Technical Exhibit 11 - MAFFS History and Workload

Ultimately, this results in more efficient use with potentially reduced costs and more retardant on the fire. Also, the MAFFS II provides the capability for higher concentrations of retardant that can be more effective in creating fire containment lines than the Legacy MAFFS.

A MAFFS unit is a pressurized 3,000-gallon tank system containing either water or a water-based retardant used in fire suppression activities and is designed to fit into a C-130 aircraft. The Forest Service in conjunction with four (4) assigned Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airlift Wings (AWs) cooperate to provide a surge capability in dispensing retardant on wildland fires during periods of increased wildland fire

Currently, the USDA Forest Service owns 8 operational MAFFS II systems. The systems are housed at four military installations that provide C-130s to fly MAFFS II missions. The military installations are as follows:

o The 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, Cheyenne, WY;

o The 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, Reno, NV;

o The 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, Port Hueneme, CA; and o The 302nd Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve, Peterson Air Force Base, CO.

Pre and post season maintenance and inspections are performed at each location in coordination with the military airwings and their installations. It normally takes two mechanics four to five days at each location to complete the process. During activations in fire season, two MAFFS II mechanics are required anytime MAFFS II are activated. This is due to several reasons; 1) there are systematic inspections and checks that are conducted at the end of each day that MAFFS II flies; 2) if repair/replacement of one or several components are necessary, some of the components are heavy and require two people to lift and position them, and; 3) if more than one MAFFS II is activated it requires two mechanics to complete daily inspections and checks in a timely manner.

The Forest Service currently has two master mechanics, two journeyman, and two apprentices, all on independent contract(s). They are each scheduled individually to support pre/post season maintenance, annual training and recertification exercises, and activations during fire season. Parts inventory, replacement and/or repair is another facet of the program that is managed separately. Currently, when parts need to be replaced or repaired, the mechanic makes a recommendation, including specifications and source to the Forest Service MAFFS government Program Manager who then coordinates this activity. Over the past year the Forest Service has sought to add several mechanics and apprentices in this bifurcated fashion to support needs of the program, but those efforts have been challenging. It is difficult to find individuals to contract with who are willing or available to work sporadically during the year, often for one to two weeks at a time.

There is a comprehensive Operations and Maintenance Manual complete with checklists that is followed for pre/post season maintenance. For activations, MAFFS II mechanics are required to be in place within 48-72 hours of notification.

The mechanics also maintain the MAFFS II ground compressors, storage containers and trailers in accordance with their Operations and Maintenance Manual. It is possible to have up to six MAFFS II activated at one time, although two to four is the norm. Rarely if ever, would MAFFS II be activated in more than one location. This allows for the consolidation of MAFFS II support requirements (mechanics and lead planes).

In previous years the USDA Forest Service has contracted up to eight mechanics, consisting of five fully qualified master mechanics and three apprentices. In order to maintain proficiency of master mechanics and trained apprentices, the Forest Service would normally have two masters and one apprentice that would work 14 days straight and then swap out with a fresh crew of the same configuration.

As alluded to above, MAFFS II are considered surge capability and only used when Forest Service commercially contracted airtankers are either fully committed or not reasonably available. Historically, since the inception of MAFFS in the 1970s, there have been years that MAFFS II units were not activated. Typically activations occur in April or May for preseason military pilot recertification exercises and between July 1 and September 15 of any given year for wildland fire support. For instance, in 2017, MAFFS II were activated on July 22nd operating continually through September 16th. This activation consisted of three C- 130s/systems that conducted 293 sorties, which delivered 820,115 gallons of retardant. In the past five years (2015-2019) MAFFS were activated every year except 2019 for an average of 38 days per activation. See Table 1 below for actual MAFFS usage by year over an eleven-year period.

Table 1 – Historical Record of Gallons of Retardant Delivered by MAFFS from 2009 - 2019

Military C-130s equipped with slide-in MAFFS II units can drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant or water on wildfires. They can discharge their entire load over an area one-quarter of a mile long by 60 feet wide in under five seconds or make variable drops. Once the load is discharged, the MAFFS II system can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.

Maintenance and repair tools, parts, components and equipment hand tools are the responsibility of the contractor.

Normally it takes two mechanics 3 to 4 days (4 to 5 days every other year) at each military airwing location to complete the pre and post season inspection and maintenance process.

Two MAFFS II mechanics are required anytime MAFFS II are activated for purposes of systematic inspections and checks that are conducted at the end of each day that MAFFS II flies; repair and necessary replacement of one or several components require two people to lift and position them as some of the components are heavy, and; if more than one MAFFS II is activated it requires two mechanics to complete daily inspections and checks in a timely manner.

MAFFS II mechanics are required to be in place within 48-72 hours of notification for activations.

It is possible to have up to six MAFFS II activated at one time, although 2 to 4 is the norm.

Rarely, if ever would the USDA Forest Service activate MAFFS II in more than one location.

This allows for the consolidation of MAFFS II support requirements (mechanics and lead planes).

In previous years the USDA Forest Service has contracted eight mechanics, consisting of five fully qualified master mechanics and three apprentices. In order to maintain proficiency of master mechanics and trained apprentices, the USDA Forest Services would normally have two masters and one apprentice that would work 14 days straight and then swap out with a fresh crew of the same configuration.

For information purposes, companies that provide spare and repair parts in support of the MAFFS II include, but are not limited to:

o Caltrol, 1385 Pama Lane Suite 111, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119 o Sel-Tech, 108 Boeing Avenue, Chico CA 95973 o Ktech Engineering 389 N Industrial Road, Suite 5, St George UT

The following video provides detailed information about the AFFS/MAFFS II firefighting resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbMo7jVktqQ