- Position Paper -Position Paper -
To the Montana Legislative To the Montana Legislative
Fire Suppression Interim CommitteeFire Suppression Interim Committee
March 4, 2008March 4, 2008
NRWCANRWCA
Executive SummaryExecutive Summary• Private Contracting, within the Northern Rockies, Private Contracting, within the Northern Rockies,
has changed from Emergency Equipment Rental has changed from Emergency Equipment Rental Agreements ( EERA ) to a Best Value contracting Agreements ( EERA ) to a Best Value contracting process.process.
• Local, State, Federal, and privates contractor Local, State, Federal, and privates contractor resources, work with private landowners on resources, work with private landowners on prevention, pre-suppression and suppression of prevention, pre-suppression and suppression of wildfire incidents. .wildfire incidents. .
• Private contracting sector has made significant Private contracting sector has made significant monetary investments, to stay in compliance, as monetary investments, to stay in compliance, as state and federal agencies have changed the training state and federal agencies have changed the training and equipment standardsand equipment standards..
• As the number of ranchers, farmers, mining and As the number of ranchers, farmers, mining and forestry jobs and businesses have declined over the forestry jobs and businesses have declined over the past 20 years, the availability and use of resources, in past 20 years, the availability and use of resources, in the local communities, has also changed. the local communities, has also changed.
• We have gone from the days of conscripting people We have gone from the days of conscripting people right off the street, to a professional, well trained and right off the street, to a professional, well trained and equipped private sector resource pool.The Incident equipped private sector resource pool.The Incident Business Management practices, required by State Business Management practices, required by State and Federal policy, demand this level of expertise.and Federal policy, demand this level of expertise.
• We have progressed from paying .25 cents an hour, We have progressed from paying .25 cents an hour, plus a bedroll, sourdough pancakes, coffee and plus a bedroll, sourdough pancakes, coffee and canned tomatoes to daily rates for equipment, catered canned tomatoes to daily rates for equipment, catered meals, showers, laundries and wireless internet. meals, showers, laundries and wireless internet.
• To improve the safety and effectiveness,of To improve the safety and effectiveness,of the private wildfire contracting sector and the private wildfire contracting sector and increase the level of trust, afforded them by increase the level of trust, afforded them by the other Federal, State and local fire the other Federal, State and local fire professionals, several policies and professionals, several policies and regulations were put in place or fine tuned.regulations were put in place or fine tuned.
• Labor LawsLabor Laws• Workers CompensationWorkers Compensation• InsuranceInsurance• Equipment and training StandardsEquipment and training Standards
The Resources We Have Been Called To The Resources We Have Been Called To Protect Have Also Changed…Protect Have Also Changed…
Private Sector ResourcesPrivate Sector Resources
• Water Handling Equipment including: Water Handling Equipment including: wildland engines, water tenders, skidgines, wildland engines, water tenders, skidgines, superskidgines, soft tracks, pumper catssuperskidgines, soft tracks, pumper cats
Heavy equipment including dozers, graders, Heavy equipment including dozers, graders, transports, excavators, feller buncherstransports, excavators, feller bunchers
• Rental Vehicles, potable water trucks, gray water Rental Vehicles, potable water trucks, gray water trucks, road watering trucks, caterers, sack lunches, trucks, road watering trucks, caterers, sack lunches, hand washing stations, port- a- potties and hand washing stations, port- a- potties and showers.showers.
• Faller Modules with experienced industry timber Faller Modules with experienced industry timber fallers.fallers.
• Support items like tents, canopies, yurts, Support items like tents, canopies, yurts, communication trailers, service shop truck, fuel communication trailers, service shop truck, fuel trucks, refrigeration trailer, mobile laundry, GIS unit, trucks, refrigeration trailer, mobile laundry, GIS unit, Type 3 Caterer, Mobile Clerical Support Office’s and Type 3 Caterer, Mobile Clerical Support Office’s and helicopter mods.helicopter mods.
We have come a long way, in the private We have come a long way, in the private sector, over the past 8-10 years, as the sector, over the past 8-10 years, as the
following photos show.following photos show.
From This…From This…
To This!To This!
Well Trained And Equipped, Well Trained And Equipped, Professional Wild-land Firefighters!Professional Wild-land Firefighters!
Agency Opinion Of Best Value ContractingAgency Opinion Of Best Value Contracting
Equipment is better than ever.Equipment is better than ever.
Personnel are very capablePersonnel are very capable
Contract firefighters are the “workforce”Contract firefighters are the “workforce”
Priority list may slow down response timesPriority list may slow down response times
Equipment is normally ready for workEquipment is normally ready for work
Personnel and equipment have been pre-inspectedPersonnel and equipment have been pre-inspected
Known quantity of resources.Known quantity of resources.
Private ContractorPrivate ContractorEconomic Investment in Region 1Economic Investment in Region 1
Under Best ValueUnder Best Value
Wildland Engines 215 $23.4 Million
Water Tenders 137 $14.1 Million
Engine Boss 482 $28.2 Million
Firefighter 1 92 $ 1.42 Million
Firefighter 2 547 $ 8.6 Million
Water Tender Operator
320 $695,040.00
TOTAL $80.8 Million
2007 Best Value Savings2007 Best Value Savingsthrough competitive biddingthrough competitive bidding
Wildland Engines $57,015.00
Water Tenders $1,107,540.00
TOTAL $1,164,555.00
From Agency ReportsFrom Agency Reports
2007 Dispatching Facts2007 Dispatching FactsCompiled From Agency Dispatch Records.Compiled From Agency Dispatch Records.
• Dispatches are for wildland engines, water tenders, Dispatches are for wildland engines, water tenders, skidgines, superskidgines, pumper cats and soft skidgines, superskidgines, pumper cats and soft tracks.tracks.
• Dispatches within Montana – Dispatches within Montana – 1,1911,191
• Total Days out – Total Days out – 16,24616,246
• Average Length of Incident Assignment – Average Length of Incident Assignment – 14 days14 days
• Average total number of days out in 2007 - Average total number of days out in 2007 - 4040
These Dispatches Brought These Dispatches Brought $24 Million Dollars Back Into The Local $24 Million Dollars Back Into The Local
Communities Economies!Communities Economies!
Recommendations to theRecommendations to the Fire Suppression Interim Committee Fire Suppression Interim Committee
• Provide economic data to the Headwaters Provide economic data to the Headwaters Economics Research group, with regards to the Economics Research group, with regards to the monetary investment of private sector resources monetary investment of private sector resources
• Workers Compensation rates to reflect the industryWorkers Compensation rates to reflect the industry
• Support the efforts of the Northern Rockies Strategic Support the efforts of the Northern Rockies Strategic Action Committee, on Best Value contractingAction Committee, on Best Value contracting
• Support the need of Incident Business Management Support the need of Incident Business Management Advisors, by the agencies, for contract Advisors, by the agencies, for contract administration on incidents.administration on incidents.
• Support the NRCG workshops on equipment Support the NRCG workshops on equipment inspection training, with input from the private inspection training, with input from the private sector.sector.
• Modify the current inspection process, to stream line Modify the current inspection process, to stream line incident mobilization, thus making resources incident mobilization, thus making resources available to incident operations, in a more timely available to incident operations, in a more timely manner.manner.
• Assure that the use of EERA’s, not under Best Value Assure that the use of EERA’s, not under Best Value contracting, are incident specific and that contracting, are incident specific and that equipment inspections and training requirements equipment inspections and training requirements are consistent with best Value standards.are consistent with best Value standards.
• Support the NRCC dispatch system, that utilizes the Support the NRCC dispatch system, that utilizes the closest forces concept including local governments, closest forces concept including local governments, state, federal and private contract resources, that are state, federal and private contract resources, that are the most cost effective and efficient, for the the most cost effective and efficient, for the taxpayers and local communities in Montana.taxpayers and local communities in Montana.
• Recognize the cost savings of using local contract Recognize the cost savings of using local contract resources for severityresources for severity
• Support the collaboration and working relationships Support the collaboration and working relationships between local governments, state, federal, and between local governments, state, federal, and private contractor resources through cross training private contractor resources through cross training at wildfire training sessions and at state wide engine at wildfire training sessions and at state wide engine academies.academies.
• Private sector resources should once again be a part Private sector resources should once again be a part of the mobilization process.of the mobilization process.
