Recording time starting at 5 minutes 50 seconds is to the left of each explaination
The recording starts with Bullychoop Mtn lookout giving their reading on the original lookout's (Bear Mtn) smoke shot. By having two readings the ECC can triangulate on a wall map the exact location of the smoke column.
Redding starts the dispatch process with the prealert of 3 beeps, what the alert is for, and where it is at. Afterwards the series of tones is transmitted which activates the pagers and station alerts at each station that will be responding.
After the toneout Redding goes through the list of equipment dispatched by the tones and repeats it a second time. The order of a callout is: Admin/Command, Aircraft, Station Companies, Single Engines, Dozers, Watertenders, and Conservation Crews. Since Copter 506 is out of Weaverville USFS and not CDF, they immediately give the CDF incident information for paperwork purposes.
Initial Response:
2411
AA240
1 Tanker
Copter 506
Station 41
Station 42
Engine 2477
Engine 2464
Engine 2478
Engine 2485
Transport 2440
Trinity River Crew 5
second callout Sugerpine Crew 3
Redding gives an update to the location, possibly from a cellphone report giving an address or intersection. After the location update, Redding requests a response checkback to confirm every resource is responding to the incident. You can't hear 41 and 42 units because they are responding on County Net, a seperate frequency not in the recording. At the end of the checkback the tactical net is assigned for the incident, which all incoming resources will report to once arriving on scene.
5:50 Prevention 2422 responding and requesting a code 20 - (notify the media) and have them stage
6:02 Air Attack 240 lift off and smoke in sight, requesting 3 additional tankers. To a scanner listener - hearing a veteren air attack pilot immediately bump the order to 3 additional tankers can mean you're about to get some crazy radio action for a few hours.
SHF engine 51 at scene. This is a Shasta USFS Engine who responded on their own (their station is right across the freeway from the fire's location)
6:30 SHF Engine states structures threatened
6:35 An entire new incident - vehicle fire in anderson. Now you can guess the stress level is growing since this new incident is taking place while a large fire incident is still in its infant stage. The callout for the vehicle fire takes place.
Redding repeats the correct location now for Union IC
Air Attack is 1 minute out and estimates the fire at 5+ acres. While that doesn't seem large at all, you have to account for weather at the time (winds, heat) and this is urban-interface which means many houses are scattered in the vegetation.
8:00 Air attack 240 comes on scene, suggesting a command net, gives initial assesment of the fire from the air for the units responding. Starts directing units on the ground where to go since he can see the fire and better utilize ground resources.
9:25 Battalion 2411 at scene, going to establish an Incident Command Post on Union School House Rd.
beeps as the scanner is programmed for the incident ;)
10:05 Air Attack is calling ground units on Tact 12
10:20 Engine 2479 becomes available from a previous incident - ECC starts them to the Union IC
10:45 - At this time Local Net 151.160, Command Net 151.265, Tactical 151.460, and Air Tactical 151.295 is scanning and Local Net is on priority so ECC traffic (Redding) will cut in the traffic at times during the rest of the recording
11:20 - Air Attack is giving 2411 the latest on the fire on Tact 12
12:00 Tanker checking in on Air tactical, letting Air Attack know he's in the area.
The Air Attack is still giving 2411 directions on Tact 12 so he may not have heard the air tanker on the other radio (imagine one person in the air monitoring multiple radios at once, while directing units every which direction, at least there is a second person piloting the plane ;)
12:44 - Copter 506 reports at scene on Local net
12:50 Air Attack is calling tanker on air tactics now
13:00 Sugarpine Crew 2 is requesting a dispatch on local net- they are basically at scene waiting to be dispatched - Redding keeps missing them earlier. This is priority channel traffic on the scanner cutting over the air tactics - in the background you can hear AA directing the tankers.
13:20 Air Attack directing the tanker and instructing what is Base and Flanks. That way the tanker and air attack are playing out of the same play book. Air Attack can direct the tanker to douse the left flank and the tanker will know where that is.
13:35 Air Attack is directing copter 506 LZ - Landing Zone caution on power lines since copters fly low and only have one pilot (once they dump their fire crews). That one pilot has to fly the copter AND think about where to dump the water etc. Every bit of safety advice helps here.
14:09 Local net cuts in, utility 2433 doing traffic control etc.
14:20 - ECC directing some resources to start towards the valley for cover assignments or additional dispatch in the future.
14:32 Air Attack directing tanker 26 to the Right Flank - will drop 4 doors worth of retardant on the right flank, after the drop Air Attack will see how the drop was and redirect the tanker for another drop or hold
14:50 Tanker 26 requesting an additional 500ft clearance between the tanker orbit and the air attack orbit - Air Attack now going to 2500 feet "going to 25"
14:55 - ECC cuts in on local net, Engine 46 at scene of the vehicle fire in Anderson, confirming the fire is out (confusing - that is why Command Nets are established to keep incidents seperated from day to day routine incidents on Local net.)
15:00 - Air Attack calling Battalion 2411 on tact 12
15:25 Aircraft discussing powerlines on air tactical (their #1 enemy besides crosswinds)
15:40 Engine 2485 reporting to Redding they are in the area switching to Tact 12
15:50 AirAttack directing the copter to hold whereever he's at until the Tankers are in orbit and established so the AirAttack can keep track of everything in the air. Copters and Tankers don't mix well in the same airspace. For safety purposes Air Attack will pull copter operations off the incident for a minute or two while tankers drop their loads.
15:58 Tanker 26 is on final for the Right Flank drop
16:30 Air Attack now directing Tanker 26 for the second drop, sounds like right across the head of the fire,
16:49 - Tanker 26 is downwind for the Head drop
16:54 - Air Attack asking Copter 506 if their bucket is ready, then directs the copter to the west side (left flank) once Tanker 26 drops and exits to the air base to reload (Tanker 26 only tanker on scene at this time)
17:05 ECC is comparing what units she shows on scene with Battalion 2411's list. With everything going on, it is hard for the battalion to keep track of what units he has to play with.
17:20 Tanker 26 announcing turning from Base to Final on the Head Drop
17:25 ECC confirming with Battalion 2411 who is still responding but not at scene yet.
17:42 (BC from the city of Redding - Battalion Chief)
17:49 Redding City Engine 15 (RDN Engine 15) - RDN is their mutual aid designator
Right in between this conversation you hear Air attack stating "Load and Return" to Tanker 26, directing the tanker to go back to Redding Air Attack Base, load more retardant and return to the incident.
18:00 - RDN engine 1 and 15 responding to Union IC- ECC confirms the tactical with them
18:15 RDN 65 on scene
18:26 RDN Battalion 2 at scene
18:43 Air Attack sees a new spot fire - declares a "small problem here" and directs Copter 506 to surpress it immediately.
19:00 Battalion 2420 responding, suggests activating an Expanded Dispatch (that puts a dispatcher at ECC dedicated just for this incident to keep regular ECC on routine traffic, also starts the administrative tasks needed for an official Major Incident.) Time wise - this is 3:31pm.
19:15 Air Attack advising Battalion 2411 of the latest news (15 to 20 spots with copter working them) (almost cut the fire off (tied in) with the retardent on one of the flanks)
20:00 Transport given directions he can unload the dozer anywhere safe
20:24 AirAttack shows up on Local net and starts asking about Copters, requesting 3 more helicopters. ECC will give a rundown on the tankers responding now (ECC gets this info from North Ops - the agency in charge of coordinating federal and aerial fire assets.)
21:25 RDN 15 at scene
21:30 Air Attack talking to Battalion 2411 again
21:50 RDN Watertender 5 requesting tactical frequency
22:00 Air Attack still talking to Battalion 2411
22:20 - Battalion 2420 at scene
Air Attack still talking to Battalion 2411
22:38 Trinity River Crew 5 coming up to the scene shortly ("in the area")
22:48 you hear ECC calling Air Attack. When the mic cuts, the scanner switches to Air attack and you can hear Air attack still talking to battalion 2411 - directing engines to structure protection. You can hear "a crew bus just arrived" as air attack casually reminds battalion 2411 as air attack visually spots Trinity River Crew 5 arriving on scene. Hand crews are vital assets on a fire like this. They can scratch fire line fast where dozers can't go.
23:13 Air Attack answers ECC - he never misses a beat. ECC gives a run down of aircraft. Copter 506 Tanker 161 Tanker 92 Tanker 18 Tanker 26
23:35 ECC Local Net has a medical aid dispatch Sheriff requesting medical aid in Burney
24:07 Air Attack advising Battalion 2411 that a dozer showed up out of nowhere near a residence - might not be ours (meaning it is privately owned) Will be in the head of the fire (dangerous). Air Attack will keep watch to see if it's ours or a "local". It is dangerous to have "locals" on a fire since they don't know how to play the game, and they don't have communication with anybody else. In the long run, it hinders CDF instead of helping since they have to now babysit this person until they are safe.
24:40 Engine 2484 covering Station 43, which was emptied for the Union fire.
24:50 Air Attack directing battalion 2411 on SHF Engine 51 - stating it isn't benificial to put the fire out where they are located (west flank), best to use the resources to their advantage. Also gives a heads up to where the tankers are dropping and how the fire is working on Fish Mtn (the location of this incident)
25:27 very scratchy A unit asks ECC to have a lookout take a look in the Millville to Palo Cedro area for smoke or dust they he is seeing.
25:33 at the end of the above request scanner switches to Air Attack confirming the inbound estimated time of arrival of a tanker
25:42 SHF 51 calling IC on Tact 12
24:46 Shasta Bear Lookout advises ECC that it is dust in the Millville Plains area.
25:56 Unknown unit giving an address in need of a watertender on Tact 12
26:00 Now RDN Engine 7 responding to Meadowview Rd and Airport Rd to an unknown type incident. RDN 45 responding also. This might be another fire.
26:35 Battalion 2407 is released from an Incident in the Cottonwood area that was going before Union IC started.
26:45 Medical Aid in Burney second dispatch for any available Burney EMT's for the sheriff request
27:25 RDN Chief 2 responding Meadowview Rd and Airport Rd - wants to know what's going on out there (scratchy). Fire starting up - 2 RDN engines enroute and ECC will look for some CDF engines to respond (will be hard since most of them are committed to the Union IC)
27:50 ECC declares pre alert for a MTZ (Mutual Threat Zone) fire at Airport Rd and Meadoview Rd. This starts the CDF response to the new city fire.
28:00 Transport 2440 at scene of Union switching to tact
At this time any "17" unit you hear is related to the Burney medical call.
28:15 Air Attack requesting IC to meet them on the CDF Air to Ground - 151.220
28:30 2 CDF engines started to the new fire in city
29:13 Shasta Bear has spotted a new fire. 174 degrees for 4 miles (just south of the lookout's location) - Dry Creek Rd area. This is a nasty area for a fire. (Now we have 3 fires going) Lateur Butte gives a second reading on Shasta Bear's smoke
30:00 ECC calls Union IC possibly to advise them of the new fire in the area and to see if any units would be available. Now things are going to be stretched thin. The recording stops right after that and Air Attack is asking Copter 506 about the fuel time he has.
I am working on the next section of recording that will extend this transcript further into the incident.