Again, not an aviation expert, but as I understand it, agency aircraft inspections of contracted aircraft (and other vehicles used on fires) include both a safety inspection and an inspection to validate the contract requirements. Both of these are, I think, different than an FAA inspection. 3/
I do know that the approval & inspection process for aircraft & pilot is extensive & complex, which is what you would expect given the exposure to hazards. Whenever we did a risk assessment, an aircraft failure is the one thing that was always listed as potentially catastrophic. 4/
The article also mentions the prospect of putting all federal wildland fire resources under a new agency. There's a good argument to be made for this, just as there are equally valid arguments against it. The one certainty is that we cannot keep going on as we are. 5/
We desperately need reform in organization, process, & expectations while keeping the elements that contribute to success, like the safety culture. We also need a focus & commitment to strategic thinking--our quickly changing world is now too complex to rely on old experience & more tactics. 6/
Before we create a wildland fire agency, we need to look at many things, including local knowledge, org structure, community involvement, how we set priorities, and so on. It cannot be a one-off, but must be done within the context of the larger emergency management world--we don't just do fires. 7/
I do not trust these folks to do the work necessary to test current assumptions or make meaningful reforms that will strengthen the wildland fire organization and protect communities. I do expect the real issues will be used to offer a false solution of privatization. 8/
Also, there will be good people that sign on because the idea of a centralized wildland fire agency has always had adherents (me included). But the devil is in the details, so be careful about what you support. 9/
For one, how are the vitally important support functions treated? Are they part of the new org?
We need an adaptable, strategic organization based in reality, not one based on old assumptions and the false security of more stuff. Under the best of circumstances, it would be a tough pull. 10/10