The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) has indicated their intent to award contract Number 7CA01215 to DynCorp Technical Services (DTS). The effective date of this contract is December 1, 2001, and upon implementation DTS will team with CDF to provide both pilot staffing and maintenance support for CDF's fleet of Air tankers and Air Tactical Support airplanes as well as maintenance support for CDF's helicopter fleet. DynCorp will partner with CDF to provide maintenance management expertise and technicians for 22 helicopter and fixed wing bases statewide and the central maintenance depot in Sacramento California.

The CDF Mission provides aerial suppression aircraft in an Initial Attack format that provides resources to limit a wildland fire incident to less than 10 acres. Since urban sprawl has integrated with California wildlands, the CDF mission top mission priorities are saving lives, structures, and wildlands vegetation/wild-life.

In response to severe weather conditions and the subsequent high risk associated with wildland fires, CDF has developed and implemented a very aggressive initial attack policy. At a minimum, each wildland fire dispatch consists of five engines, one dozer, two hand crews, two air tankers, one helicopter, one helitender fuel support truck and one Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) to provide command and control of the aviation assets. As a result, and in nearly 98% of the total wildland fires incidents, CDF is able to limit the overall burn area to ten acres or less. CDF considers aircraft to be an essential element in their fire suppression team.

CDF's aircraft fleet presently consists of eleven Grumman S2-T Air tankers, twelve Grumman S-2A Air tankers, thirteen North American OV-10 Air Tactical command and control airplanes and eleven highly modified, Bell UH-1 "Super H" helicopters.

The Grumman S2A's carry 800 gallons of fire retardant while the Grumman S-2T's can deliver 1200 gallons of fire retardant by means of a specially designed tank equipped with a "constant flow" drop system. Both aircraft are normally flown single pilot. The North American OV10 Broncos have been extensively refurbished and equipped with numerous FM radios to provide all necessary command and control functions for both initial and extended attack incidents. Additionally, the OV-10's are equipped with an internal auxiliary fuel tank that provides up to six hours of flight time. These aircraft are crewed by a pilot in the front seat and a designated ATGS in the rear seat. CDF helicopters can carry a fully equipped, ten person "Helitack" firefighting crew in addition to the pilot. Once the crew is deployed adjacent to the fire area, the helicopter provides direct fire suppression by dropping water/foam from a 330 gallon "Bambi" water bucket attached to the cargo hook and suspended under the helicopter. Two helicopters operated routinely over heavily populated areas are equipped with a belly mounted, fixed tank that can carry up to 400 gallons of water/foam.