AHSAFA Questions Proposed State-Owned Airtanker Fleet

Washington, DC…April 22, 2013…The American Helicopter Services And Aerial Firefighting Association (AHSAFA) has questioned a proposal by the Colorado Senate to establish a state-owned and operated aerial firefighting fleet. The legislation, which would establish a Colorado Firefighting Air Corps, at a purported cost of $25 million, has been approved by the Senate’s Agricultural, Natural Resources and Energy Committee but funding has not been approved by the Senate Appropriation Committee.

“A privately operated fleet of fixed wing air tankers and helicopters is a far more cost effective option than a publicly funded state agency, which would incur huge start-up costs, and even larger, ongoing funding commitments to support the aircraft and staffing infrastructure required to sustain an effective aerial firefighting operation,” said Tom Eversole, AHSAFA Executive Director in Washington. “That infrastructure already exists in the private sector, which has consistently demonstrated it can provide aerial firefighting services at less cost, and with greater efficiency than government agencies, which should be supporting–not competing with–private industry.”

Read entire press release:

AHSAFAPressRelease-ColoradoAerialFirefightingProposal