Aviation Management
Overview:
Aviation Management during a disaster response is one of the most challenging and hazardous tasks we might perform.
Our aviation resources can be used in two ways. They may be used by our IMTs in aiding the execution of the Team’s assigned mission. In this case the aviation resources will be managed the same as we do during wildland fire ICS response. Our aviation resources may also be ordered as secondary support to other agencies. In this situation we need to stay in a support, not a command or control, role.
In addition, if Forest Service contracted aircraft are used they must remain within the scope of their contract. Since our aviation contracts are very specific to wildland fire suppression activities, it is often best to have the agency needing aviation support contract and/or use aircraft under their own authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration is the only agency with authority over all aviation resources, private, corporate, and government. As a result, they are the lead agency to manage airspace coordination and aircraft operations in a disaster. In the past we have provided aviation support personnel to the FAA. In doing so it is important that they not assume the command or control role that FAA is responsible for.