[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9096-H9097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BATTLING THE WILDFIRES THAT PLAGUE CALIFORNIA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for 5 minutes.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking the thousands
of firefighters who, each year, put their lives at risk to battle
wildfires like those that have plagued California and other western
States. We owe it to them, as well as to the American people, to use
every measure available to fight fires in ways that reduce the risk to
those firefighters and the risk of losing lives and property among our
population.
Just in the last year, and that is in 2018, wildfires in California
burned 1,117,000 acres. Nationally, there was 6.5 million acres burned.
In California, we had six fatalities. Nationally, there were 16
fatalities. California property losses were 2,356 houses--those are
people's homes--and 1,239 nonresidential buildings.
On that note, today, I would like to draw the attention of my
colleagues and the American people to what I consider to be an
inexcusable roadblock that is stopping the implementation of new,
innovative, and tested effective firefighting technology.
In 2008, I helped secure funding for research and testing of the
technology that ultimately became Precision Containerized Aerial
Delivery System, or PCADS.
{time} 1030
It was designed specifically for military aircraft, including the C-
17s and the C-130s and others as well. It has been tested over the
years and proven to deliver massive amounts of water or fire retardant
onto fires using GPS and other expertise. It is safer, more accurate,
and much more effective than traditional aerial firefighting.
Yet a decade later, this technology has not been put to use despite
the Air National Guard's report determining that the PCADs are
operationally effective and appropriate for the use of C-130
firefighting aircraft or military aircraft that can be made for
firefighting. This has been deemed operational, yet for the last 8
months, while we have lost all of these homes and all of these lives,
hundreds of these aircraft, C-130s and C-17s, have sat on the tarmac.
This aircraft was designed for military use, but without
modification, can save the lives and homes of American citizens
throughout this country who are victimized by wildfires and other types
of fires. The primary responsibility of our government is to protect
the lives of our people with the best available tools, and it is
certainly not doing so.
I include in the Record, Mr. Speaker, letters that I have written to
the Director of our Air National Guard; to Secretary Mattis, the
Secretary of Defense; and to Heather Wilson, the Secretary of the Air
Force.
Congress of the United States,
House of Representatives,
August 30, 2018.
Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice,
Director, Air National Guard,
Washington, DC.
Dear General Rice: I draw your attention to our military's
bureaucratic inertia that has led to a needless loss of life
and a tremendous loss of property. I am referring to the vast
damage caused in the Western United States, specifically
California, by out-of-control wildfires which have plagued
the region for the last few months. This loss of life and
property could have been dramatically curtailed had our
military acted upon an option that was, and is, readily
available.
Our inventory of C-130 and C-17 aircraft, with inexpensive
and slight interior modifications, could be used as a major
firefighting asset that could make a major difference.
Instead, these potential incredible firefighting assets sat
as California burned. Using these aircraft as valuable
firefighting assets would not involve any alteration of the
aircraft. This option however has been available and ignored.
I call your attention to the Precision Container Aerial
Delivery System (PCADS). I helped win Congressional approval
in the 2008 appropriations bill wherein $2.3 million was
provided for the research and testing of this system. It is
ten years later, and I am frustrated that it has not been
used to protect our citizens, our homes, our businesses, and
our wildlands.
The Air National Guard determined that PCADS is
operationally effective and is appropriate for C-130
firefighting. The final report on PCADS that found it to be a
reliable option was released in January 2018, yet seven
months later there has been no action taken to deploy the
system. During those seven months, we have suffered 109 large
fires which have burned 1.9 million acres, caused 16 fire
fatalities, and destroyed 2,356 houses. During this time, our
C-130's and C-17's equipped with this system could have had a
major impact on these fires. This is utterly unacceptable
when we have a proven technology that responds faster and
delivers massive quantities of water and fire retardant with
GPS directed drops in contrast to the status quo.
Furthermore, military transport aircraft can be rapidly and
easily reloaded with water or fire retardant as compared to
any other system. When the American people discover how
bureaucratic intransigence has caused such preventable
wildfire damage they will be justifiably outraged.
Today, I am demanding that actions be taken upon receipt of
this letter to facilitate the use of this simple and
inexpensive technology which will easily turn our inventory
of C-130's and C-17's into firefighting water and fire-
retardant bombers.
I hope you will take this letter seriously enough in order
to prevent even more damage in the state of California and
elsewhere.
Yours sincerely,
Dana Rohrabacher (CA 48),
Member of Congress.
____
Congress of the United States,
House of Representatives,
August 30, 2018.
Hon. James N. Mattis,
Secretary of Defense,
Washington, DC.
Dear Secretary Mattis: I draw your attention to our
military's bureaucratic inertia that has led to a needless
loss of life and a tremendous loss of property. I am
referring to the vast damage caused in the Western United
States, specifically California, by out-of-control wildfires
which have plagued the region for the last few months. This
loss of life and property could have been dramatically
curtailed had our military acted upon an option that was, and
is, readily available.
Our inventory of C-130 and C-17 aircraft, with inexpensive
and slight interior modifications, could be used as a major
firefighting asset that could make a major difference.
Instead, these potential incredible firefighting assets sat
as California burned. Using these aircraft as valuable
firefighting assets would not involve any alteration of the
aircraft. This option however has been available and ignored.
I call your attention to the Precision Container Aerial
Delivery System (PCADS). I helped win Congressional approval
in the 2008 appropriations bill wherein $2.3 million was
provided for the research and testing of this system. It is
ten years later, and I am frustrated that it has not been
used to protect our citizens, our homes, our businesses, and
our wildlands.
[[Page H9097]]
The Air National Guard determined that PCADS is
operationally effective and is appropriate for C-130
firefighting. The final report on PCADS that found it to be a
reliable option was released in January 2018, yet seven
months later there has been no action taken to deploy the
system. During those seven months, we have suffered 109 large
fires which have burned 1.9 million acres, caused 16 fire
fatalities, and destroyed 2,356 houses. During this time, our
C-130's and C-17's equipped with this system could have had a
major impact on these fires. This is utterly unacceptable
when we have a proven technology that responds faster and
delivers massive quantities of water and fire retardant with
GPS directed drops in contrast to the status quo.
Furthermore, military transport aircraft can be rapidly and
easily reloaded with water or fire retardant as compared to
any other system. When the American people discover how
bureaucratic intransigence has caused such preventable
wildfire damage they will be justifiably outraged.
Today, I am demanding that actions be taken upon receipt of
this letter to facilitate the use of this simple and
inexpensive technology which will easily turn our inventory
of C-130's and C-17's into firefighting water and fire-
retardant bombers.
I hope you will take this letter seriously enough in order
to prevent even more damage in the state of California and
elsewhere.
Yours sincerely,
Dana Rohrabacher (CA 48),
Member of Congress.
____
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, August 30, 2018.
Hon. Heather Wilson,
Secretary of the Air Force,
Washington, DC.
Dear Secretary Wilson: I draw your attention to our
military's bureaucratic inertia that has led to a needless
loss of life and a tremendous loss of property. I am
referring to the vast damage caused in the Western United
States, specifically California, by out-of-control wildfires
which have plagued the region for the last few months. This
loss of life and property could have been dramatically
curtailed had our military acted upon an option that was, and
is, readily available.
Our inventory of C-130 and C-17 aircraft, with inexpensive
and slight interior modifications, could be used as a major
firefighting asset that could make a major difference.
Instead, these potential incredible firefighting assets sat
as California burned. Using these aircraft as valuable
firefighting assets would not involve any alteration of the
aircraft. This option however has been available and ignored.
I call your attention to the Precision Container Aerial
Delivery System (PCADS). I helped win Congressional approval
in the 2008 appropriations bill wherein $2.3 million was
provided for the research and testing of this system. It is
ten years later, and I am frustrated that it has not been
used to protect our citizens, our homes, our businesses, and
our wildlands.
The Air National Guard determined that PCADS is
operationally effective and is appropriate for C-130
firefighting. The final report on PCADS that found it to be a
reliable option was released in January 2018, yet seven
months later there has been no action taken to deploy the
system. During those seven months, we have suffered 109 large
fires which have burned 1.9 million acres, caused 16 fire
fatalities, and destroyed 2,356 houses. During this time, our
C-130's and C-17's equipped with this system could have had a
major impact on these fires. This is utterly unacceptable
when we have a proven technology that responds faster and
delivers massive quantities of water and fire retardant with
GPS directed drops in contrast to the status quo.
Furthermore, military transport aircraft can be rapidly and
easily reloaded with water or fire retardant as compared to
any other system. When the American people discover how
bureaucratic intransigence has caused such preventable
wildfire damage they will be justifiably outraged.
Today, I am demanding that actions be taken upon receipt of
this letter to facilitate the use of this simple and
inexpensive technology which will easily turn our inventory
of C-130's and C-17's into firefighting water and fire-
retardant bombers.
I hope you will take this letter seriously enough in order
to prevent even more damage in the state of California and
elsewhere.
Yours sincerely,
Dana Rohrabacher (CA 48),
Member of Congress.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I would hope that we would get some
support from these leaders who have been appointed by President Trump
to protect the American people in any way they can.
Having these airplanes sit on the tarmac in California and elsewhere
throughout this country when they could drop fire retardant and massive
amounts of fire retardant water saving homes--little cul de sacs that
would catch on fire and be destroyed, one flight over those cul de sacs
could have saved them.
Thousands of people have lost their lives needlessly because of
bureaucratic intransigence in our military, so we are calling on the
Air National Guard, the Air Force, and, of course, our Secretary of
Defense to unblock this impediment to protecting the lives of our
people with U.S. military equipment that can do the job.
____________________