Bill To Acquire New Aircraft Through A Build-Operate-Transfer Partnership To Be Introduced

Colorado State Senator Steve King says he will introduce a bill in the state legislature that would authorize a private-sector partner to finance, design, construct, and operate a fleet of Next Generation airtankers. The legislator says that the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps can acquire Next Generation airtankers through a build-operate-transfer partnership and save the state billions of dollars in wildfire damage.

King (pictured) said that Colorado would obtain surplus aircraft and the partner would provide funding and technologies to convert them. The partner would then operate and maintain the airtanker fleet.

Each fire season, the partnership would make its airtankers and aerial firefighting services available to Colorado or to other agencies or states. At the end of the partnership period, ownership of all assets created by the partner would be transferred to Colorado.

King said that Next Generation airtankers deliver the largest payloads of water or retardant. They can use direct attack methods to help firefighters on the ground stay safe and contain wildfires faster.

King said the build-operate-transfer partnership is part of a long-term plan, but his bill would also provide new aerial firefighting resources for immediate use during the 2014 wildfire season.

FMI: www.leg.state.co.us