Long-Term Fire Retardant and Resources Deployed to Support Increased Airtanker Operations
Perimeter Solutions, the global leader in the production of fire retardants, foams, and water enhancing gels, along with a wide range of services for managing wildland, industrial, municipal, and military fires, today announced the company is sending additional quantities of fire retardant and resources in support of increased air tanker operations in Australia focused at combating and preventing bush fires.
On January 4, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced additional funds would be provided for leasing four additional Large and Very Large Air Tankers (LATs/VLATs) to supplement the current air tanker fleet of six LATs, one VLAT and nine large helicopters. Under the new funding, two additional DC-10s and two MD-87s have been contracted, bringing the air tanker fleet up to eight LATs and three VLATs for the current fire season. The additional aircraft are scheduled to arrive in-country over the next few weeks.
Perimeter Solutions is the manufacturer of PHOS-CHEK® Long-Term Fire Retardant (LTR), PHOS-CHEK® WD881 Class A foam and SOLBERG® FIRE-BRAKETM Class A foam, used by the USDA Forest Service and many other fire management agencies around the world, for prevention and suppression of wildland fires. In collaboration with the company’s Australian business partner, PHOS-CHEK Australia, the company has supplied these critical products to the Australian State Country Fire Authorities for years.
To support increased air tanker operations during this period of extreme and tragic fire activity, the company is sending additional US and Canadian production and technical service personnel to reinforce existing PHOS-CHEK Australia personnel currently providing airbase and equipment service operations. Since the start of the bush fire season, the company has sent thousands of tons of fire retardant and Class A foam in support of firefighting activities. This past week, over 100 tons of fire retardant were delivered to Nellis AFB in Nevada where the product will be flown by military transport to Australia.
PHOS-CHEK Australia’s Equipment Service Center Operations provides equipment, field services and distribution of parts and supplies for fire suppression operations. The company also operates a fleet of mobile equipment capable of ground applying fire retardant.
According to Edward Goldberg, Perimeter Solutions CEO, “sending additional resources greatly increases our ability to supply our customers the products and services they need to accomplish their mission. Our goal is to help the Australian firefighting community save lives and protect property by delivering quality products and exceptional services.”
In August 2019, Perimeter Solutions and PHOS-CHEK Australia jointly held workshops to support the fire agencies, aircraft operators and timber companies in the use of aerial and ground applied LTR. The workshops were in response to abnormally large damaging bushfire frequency that both Tasmania and New Zealand experienced from 2016-2018.
The workshops were conducted in Launceston, Tasmania, and Taupo, New Zealand. Participants included Tasmania Fire Service, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Sustainable Timber Tasmania, Timber Companies, National Heritage Area Personnel, SEAT Operators, pilots, vendors and other local Government personnel.
For more information please visit: www.perimeter-solutions.com
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