AIKEN, S.C. - Helicopter pilots Butch Richister and Brad Shealy departed the aviation facility at Savannah River Site (SRS) for a routine security overflight one night this past summer.
After lifting off, the aviators with SRS security contractor Centerra-SRS observed a large plume of smoke in a wooded area on the 310-square-mile site.
“The pilots immediately checked with the SRS Operations Center (SRSOC) to determine if a controlled burn was underway," said Herbert Craven, the Centerra-SRS chief pilot. “The SRSOC notified the pilots that a planned burn was not in progress and the pilots went into action."
Richister and Shealy reported the fire size, general location, and grid coordinates to the SRSOC, which alerted the SRS Fire Department. The pilots sent the center live video of the wildfire, which resulted from a lightning strike and had spread across about 11 acres.
“The pilots kept the helicopter flying in a safe location where the fire could be observed and directed the responding Centerra-SRS law enforcement officers and site fire department personnel to the scene," Craven said. “The helicopter crew linked communications with responding personnel to direct them safely to the fire location and coordinated the firefighters to the best access points to safely contain the blaze."
Although the primary role of the aviation operations department for Centerra-SRS is to carry out the security mission, it also supports other site tenants - in this case, observing for wildfires on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service.
“This was a textbook example of Centerra, the site fire department, and the SRSOC working effectively and efficiently together, responding to and mitigating a wildfire before it burned a much larger area that could have damaged site property and endangered lives," Craven said. “The quick response of the pilots to notify the SRSOC and direct responding law enforcement and fire department personnel to the scene ensured the fire could be contained."
Launched in 1984, the SRS Aviation Program is a five-time recipient of the DOE Aviation Program Award. Centerra-SRS operates two DOE-owned helicopters and supports emergency medical evacuations, forestry and ecological programs, and aerial photography in addition to the security mission.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
