Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildfire Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves three-year pilot for autonomous aerial firefighting technology
Summary
AB 270 would fund a three-year pilot to test autonomous aerial firefighting helicopters, overseen by the Orange County Fire Authority; the committee advanced the bill to a subsequent committee.
The committee advanced AB 270, a three-year pilot bill to evaluate autonomous aerial firefighting helicopters in California, after testimony from fire officials and technology vendors about potential gains in response time and operational hours.
Assembly Member Petrie-Norris introduced the measure and said the pilot would be overseen by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) and would not replace existing aerial assets but act as a supplement. “This technology really offers us an opportunity to expand the envelope of time when aerial operations are possible,” the author said.
Brian Fennessy, fire chief of OCFA and president of the California Fire Chiefs Association, testified that autonomous suppression can be a force multiplier and increase mission hours, including operating in conditions that crewed aircraft might not be able to. “When time matters to the second, precision matters to the foot, and volume of water matters to the gallon,” Fennessy said, noting research that shortened response times can save billions annually.
Former Cal OES director Mark Ghilarducci, through a reader, supported the pilot and said it would let the state evaluate feasibility, time, cost and risks before any wider deployment. Industry representatives including Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and companies developing autonomous suppression technology also voiced support. Committee members queried costs and operational limits in high-wind events; Fennessy said autonomous platforms can “see the geography” and may operate in circumstances that limit traditional aircraft, though performance in extreme winds remains to be tested.
The author’s budget ask for the three-year pilot was presented as $15,000,000. Committee members discussed aircraft acquisition and conversion costs; testimony noted a range of prices for aircraft platform purchases and that conversion or configuration times vary. The measure was approved by the committee and advanced to the next committee for additional review; the roll call showed the motion carried with no recorded opposing votes.
