Technologies Presented at Tangent Link Aerial Firefighting Conference Could Make Wildfires a Thing of the Past.
By Ron Fisher, Executive Director DFPA.
DFPA participated in the Tangent Link Aerial Firefighting Conference - The Future of US Aerial Firefighting -- Defining and implementing the correct path in Washington DC, May, 2011.
A week after this conference over 700 square miles of pristine forest in Arizona burned. With climate change, wildfires are bound to become much worse. However, the US Forest Service currently has the smallest number of Large Air Tankers under contract in decades, leaving the U.S more vulnerable than ever to destructive mega fires.
Technologies presented at Tangent Link's conference, which could be purchased for the cost of the damage of one megafire, could almost immediately extinguish all fires before they grow into even small/medium sized wild fires. This could make wildfires a thing of the past. However our politicians are intent on spending hundreds of billions of dollars on unnecessary wars, occupations, cruise missiles and nuclear weapons.
DFPA is currently concentrating on conversion of the military industrial complex to support a peaceful, green economy with no involuntary layoffs. We believe we should be building fire fighting aircrafts not bombers and fighters. For additional details see Permanently Disarm and Convert 90% of DoD-MIC Spending and Resources for Use for Peaceful Purposes with no Layoffs or contact Ron Fisher 703-725-7849, email dfpa@dfpa.org
Welcome
DFPA, a 501c(3), nonprofit, research foundation and consulting firm, has actively and successfully assisted the armed services, federal agencies and the private sector improve safety, survivability, fire, blast and chemical biological & radiation (CBR) protection since its inception in 1984.
Over the years the Navy has suffered numerous fires on its ships. One of the most serious of these fires occurred on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal in the South China Sea preparing for an attack against North Vietnam. This fire is depicted in the below video Trial by Fire. This fire began when an accidentally fired Zunni rocket struck a plane on the fully loaded flight deck of the Forrestal. The pilot of the plane struck by the Zunni rocket is now Senator John McCain.
In response to these ship fires, the Department of the Navy developed a Passive Fire Protection (PFP) Program. This program emphasized prevention, in particular fire safe materials and preparations for fires.
Principals of DFPA played a major role in the PFP Program and in particular in the 1984 and 1985 PFP Symposiums. Participants in the Navy PFP assisted in organizing DFPA. In 1987 DFPA held its first symposium in Annapolis, Maryland. The week before the attack and subsequent devastating fires on the USS STARK in the Persian Gulf.
DFPA:
- Has successfully completed numerous seminars, conferences, workshops, contracts, and studies. Click here for specific examples of DFPA's work.
- Assisted government agencies with planning and evaluations of equipment, materials and systems, and assists companies with proposals, marketing and sales.
- Had been on the National Advisory Committee of the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) since its inception in 1989 until recently and normally conducted a workshop or hosted an event in conjunction with CFSI's Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner.
- In April, 2001 and 2002, planned and hosted live fire, firefighting training sessions on Capitol Hill for thirty Washington, DC metropolitan firefighters who would have been the first responders to planes that crashed accidentally or on purpose on Capitol Hill and the White House. A 40-foot Navy Mobile Aircraft Firefighting Trainer from the Norfolk Naval Air Station, shown below was used for this training.
NAVY MOBILE AIRCRAFT FIREFIGHTING TRAINER
Used to Conduct Live Fire Training of Capitol Hill & White House First Responders
April 25, 2001 (Four and a half months before 9/11) and April 30, 2002
Planned and hosted by DFPA
Almost every major fire protection equipment manufacturers including like Task Force Tips, Elkhart Brass, Flame Seal, Dragger, Ansul, Automatic Sprinkler Corp. of America, Cairns & Brothers, Eagle Air Systems, Hale Fire Pump, Ingersoll-Rand, Phoenix Rescue, etc. and major chemical companies, Dupont, 3M, Dow Corning, etc. have been member companies of DFPA at one time or another.
DFPA no longer offers individual or company memberships.
In summary, DFPA has amassed an impressive track record and DFPA personnel have a detailed understanding of safety, survivability, fire, blast and CBR protection, damage mitigation, emergency response, homeland security, counter-terrorism, and emergency response programs and the individuals, companies and government organizations involved in these areas.
Below graphs depict the significant decreases in the number of shipboard fire mishaps and dollar losses from shipboard fires, from 1987 until 1998. These graphs were prepared by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy For Safety and Survivability (ASN S&S)
These improvements in shipboard fire safety can be primarily attributed to the leadership and teamwork of the following:
- Assistant Secretary of the Navy For Safety and Survivability (ASN S&S), the late Joe Taussig and his team/assistants: Dick Healing, Fred Crowson and Annie White
- The late Captain Bob Barr, who, while on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, organized the PFP Program
- Congressman Curt Weldon, Founder and Chairman of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and founder of the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI)
- Companies and industries some of which are mentioned above.
- NGOs, including DFPA and many of the many of the members of the National Advisory Committee of CFSI
- Engineers and technicians in the Naval Systems Commands, maintenance facilities and shipyards
- Individual members, member companies and the staff of DFPA.
- And, of course, the sailors and officers of the fleet. All of whom are trained to fight fires,
We need this same cooperation, leadership and teamwork in all areas of the Government.
The principles of DFPA work closely with Veterans Sales and Services described at www.VetsSS.com.
Email: DFPA@dfpa.org
Phone: 703-521-3926 - Fax: 703-521-0849
PO Box 1310, Falls Church, Virginia 22041-0310