BUCKLEY SPACE AIR FORCE BASE, Aurora, Colo. – For the past 10 years, the Colorado Army National Guard has partnered with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and other key partners to host an annual wildland fire training exercise called the Colorado Fire Aviation Summit.
“The Colorado Fire Aviation Summit is an important annual interagency wildland fire training exercise,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Bren D. Rogers, commanding general of the Colorado Army National Guard and retired fire captain from the Poudre Fire Authority. “We have multiple state and local agencies participating with an end state of improving coordination and interoperability. The Colorado Army National Guard continuously works to ensure we are always ready and always there when we are needed during a natural disaster, such as a wildland fire, to save lives and protect property. This training not only keeps our aviation community prepared and ready to respond to wildland fires, it builds their warfighting skills and readiness.”
During April 16-17, the COFAS conducted helicopter-based aerial fire suppression and classroom training in partnership with CDFPC, Boulder Fire-Rescue, the City of Longmont, the Longmont Fire Department, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Members of the Nebraska Army National Guard and the South Dakota Army National Guard also participated in the conference and training.
The training exercises included targeted aerial water delivery practices at Chatfield State Park, Littleton, Colo., Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Commerce City, Colo., and Ralph Price Reservoir at Button Rock Preserve, Longmont, Colo. The helicopters first took off from Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colo., and then flew north to Vance Brand Municipal Airport in Longmont, where they received a final briefing before taking off for their planned training scenarios.
“A significant portion of the Colorado Army National Guard’s mission is to support the citizens of Colorado,” said Colorado Army Guard Director of Aviation and Safety U.S. Army Lt. Col. Scott Tucker. “Aerial firefighting training with our civilian counterparts and neighboring state partners provides opportunities for our aircrews and ground personnel to be ready when called upon to protect our communities when threatened by wildland fires. This training is tough and realistic, which enables us to safely execute aerial firefighting in the dynamic environments found in Colorado. The training also translates into our combat missions by enhancing our aviation skills and aviation planning acumen.”
The Colorado National Guard is the first military responder during domestic emergencies, supporting the state of Colorado and local jurisdictions to help save lives, reduce suffering and mitigate property damage.
Some attendees have participated in the conference for years, including personnel who served in the Colorado Army National Guard before transitioning to flying for civilian firefighting agencies. Pilot U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Marc Kudlac flies for the Colorado Army Guard as a UH-72 Lakota pilot-in-command on the weekends and serves as chief pilot for the CDFPC during the week.
“I’ve been involved in the training for many years,” Kudlac said. “It’s great to see it grow from just National Guard aircraft to training ground personnel, logistics and airspace coordination. It’s more complex, more real and more valuable. Because of the interagency cooperation and support from land managers, our crews on the ground and in the air are better trained, more effective and much safer. The value of this event cannot be understated.”
“As a National Guard pilot, I received realistic training and experience for water buckets and air attack, setting me up for successful and, more importantly, safe fire suppression,” Kudlac said. “It prepared me well as the chief pilot for DFPC.”