Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Pilot Program
Summary
SCH Number
2021100492
Public Agency
Orange County Fire Authority
Document Title
Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Pilot Program
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/26/2021
Document Description
The project is an aerial firefighting perfom1ance-based program in collaboration with Southern California Edison, Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc., Perimeter Solutions, and the Orange County Fire Auth01ity to enhance regional wildfire aerial response. The project is anticipated to commence on August _ 4_, 2021 and end within _130_ days. The project calls for daytime and nighttime ae1ial firefighting during the 2021 wildfire season. The project would result in OCFA's temporary storage and operation of one Type 1 CH-47 Very Large Helitanker (VLHT) and one S76 coordination helicopter at Chino Airport for a period of up to _130 _ days. The helicopters will be operated and maintained by crew supplied by Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc.
Contact Information
Name
Maria D Huizar
Agency Name
Orange County Fire Authority
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Chino
Counties
Orange, San Bernardino
Regions
Southern California
Other Information
QRF will operate at Chino Airport
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Class 1, Existing Facility (14 Cal. Code Regs. 15301
Reasons for Exemption
CEQA's Class 1 Exemption applies to the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing or private facilities, strnctures or topographical features involving negligible or no expansion of an existing or fonner use. (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15301).
Here, the project will operate from Chino Airport. Chino Airport is an existing 1,097-acre, threernnway facility home to existing aerial facilities and operations. There are approximately 451 aircraft operations per day at the Chino Airpmi, including helicopter operations conducted by Southern California Edison.
Under the current project, a CH-47 Very Large Helitanker and S76 coordination helicopter would operate from the Chino Airport for an up to _130_-day period during the 2021 wildfire season. Notably, the CH-47 and S76 helicopters will be made available to over 15 other counties in the Southern California region; therefore, these helicopters could also be fighting fires in those other counties during that time. The project does not require any construction at Chino Airport. The project therefore calls for the operation of existing public and private facilities (namely, the Chino Airport) with no or a negligible expansion of an existing or former use, and the Class 1 Exemption applies.
County Clerk
Orange
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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