Oregon Department of Forestry and GelTech Solutions Finish Preparations for 2016 Wildland Fire Season

JUPITER, FL—GelTech Solutions, Inc. (otcqb:GLTC), an innovator in the use of environmentally-friendly polymers for fire suppression and protection, in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Forestry, announces the completion of two new fixed air tanker bases at the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in The Dalles and at the Roseburg Regional Airport.
With single-engine airtankers (SEATs) operating out of these bases, ODF is prepared for both quick initial attack of wildfires threatening to get out of control as well as extended attack on large fire operations.
ODF has purchased enough FireIce for 160,000 mixed gallons to begin the season, and the agency can procure additional product in short delivery windows when needed. The fixed air tanker base equipment provided by GelTech Solutions provides high capacity, reliable and instant loading capability of the agile SEATs.
With 3,000 gallons of mixed FireIce HVO-F on hand and the capability to mix nearly 500 gallons per minute, the tanker bases can support as many as five air tankers at a time. Product is all delivered to tanker bases out of GelTech’s Pacific Northwest warehouse located in Vancouver, Washington.
“We are continuing to develop the ODF single-engine air tanker program, which was proven to be successful last year with the use of FireIce on initial and extended attack operations,” said Neal Laugle, ODF aviation manager. “With GelTech Solutions building and supporting these new fixed tanker bases, we will be able to support more aircraft with greater efficiency on both large and small fires.”
“Our new FireIce fixed tanker bases provide these agencies with high-end equipment capable of mixing and loading FireIce HVO-F faster and with greater capacity than ever before,” said Matt Struzziero, GelTech’s director of sales and strategic operations.
“Our team in the Pacific Northwest region will help support and maintain these bases, providing the fire agencies with the ability to fight fire more efficiently and cost effectively. ODF is a great partner, and we are very excited to be working with them again this year.”
Both regional airports held events surrounding the opening of the new tanker bases. In coordination with the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in Dallesport, Washington, FireIce was used for the second annual Dallesport Fly-In Fundraiser on June 18 as part of fire season commencement.
News media attending the opening of the Roseburg base on June 24 were able to observe the new mixing equipment. Both events included several drops made by the SEATs.
In addition to the two fixed tanker bases in The Dalles and Roseburg, ODF operates three other FireIce SEAT bases that use a mix of agency-owned and vendor-owned mixing equipment in Prineville, Salem, and the Walker Range Forest Protection Association in Gilchrist. The wildland fire season in Oregon typically lasts from July to late September.
About Columbia Gorge Regional Airport The Columbia Gorge Regional Airport, also known as The Dalles Airport, is located adjacent to the Columbia River and at the east end of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area, one of the most beautiful drives in the world.
The Columbia Gorge Regional Airport is unique in that it is jointly owned by the City of The Dalles, located in Oregon, and Klickitat County in Washington State.
About Roseburg Regional Airport The Roseburg Regional Airport, also known as Major General Marion E. Carl Memorial Field, is located in Douglas County, Oregon. Owned by the City of Roseburg, the Roseburg Regional Airport is a general aviation airport offering traditional airport services.
About Oregon Department of Forestry As Oregon’s largest fire department, ODF’s Fire Protection program protects 16 million acres of forest, a $60 billion asset. These lands consist of privately-owned forests as well as public lands, including state-owned forests and, by contract, U.S. Bureau of Land Management forests in western Oregon.
ODF is also part of an extensive fire protection network that includes landowner resources, contract crews, aircraft and inmate crews, with agreements among public agencies across Oregon, the U.S. and British Columbia.
ODF’s firefighting policy is straightforward: Put out fires quickly at the smallest possible size. Most of the lands protected by the agency are working forests that produce revenue and support jobs. It is crucial to prevent fire damage to the timber resource that is an essential element of Oregon’s economy.
This aggressive approach to firefighting also safeguards ecosystem values such as fish and wildlife habitats. Oregon is also a member of the Northwest Forest Fire Protection Compact, and provides mutual assistance and resource sharing to member agencies as well as federal agencies.
Compact member agencies include: Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Washington and Yukon. For more information on the Oregon Department of Forestry, please visit: www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire
About GelTech’s Wildland Fire Division
The GelTech Solutions Wildland Fire Division specializes in providing cutting-edge fire chemicals and equipment, as well as industry-leading training and support, to wildland fire agencies around the world. Our talented team has wildland fire and aviation experience in federal, state and Canadian government agencies, allowing us to understand the specific needs, challenges and goals of our customers in the wildland fire industry.
As an agile organization, we have an ability to be fast moving, flexible and robust — capable of rapid response to unexpected challenges, events, and opportunities in a wildland fire environment where the “new normal” of large and complex fires is unprecedented.
With fire seasons starting earlier and running longer than in past decades, providing wildfire response has become far costlier and more difficult to manage. Agencies that have implemented FireIce as part of their air tanker and fire engine programs have seen significant cost reductions in both direct costs, personnel support required, and product efficiencies.
GelTech Solutions also provides fixed and mobile airtanker and helicopter bases which can be rapidly deployed with our FireIce products to accommodate additional firefighting resources in a cost effective and timely manner, with expert support available at all times.
GelTech Solutions, under the guidance of chief technology officer Peter Cordani, developed the original FireIce product as a next-generation, environmentally-friendly firefighting agent in 2007.
Over the last ten years, GelTech has expanded the original FireIce product to a family of products, equipment and services designed to help fire agencies and departments around the world fight fire in a safer, more effective, less costly and more environmentally friendly way. For more information on FireIce, visit: www.fireice.com For more information on GelTech, visit: www.geltechsolutions.com.