Firefighting Aircraft Wildfire Mgmt And Response

The bill directs the state treasurer to transfer $30,800,000 from the general fund to the Colorado firefighting air corps fund to support the following purposes:

• The purchase by the division of fire prevention and control (division) in the department of public safety of a fire hawk helicopter (helicopter) configured for wildfire mitigation; and
• The leasing by the division of a type 1 helicopter or other available and appropriate aviation resource configured for wildfire mitigation in advance of the 2021 wildfire season and for the operational costs associated with the leased and purchased aviation resources.

In addition to any other purpose for the use of money in the wildfire emergency preparedness fund (WEPF), the bill permits the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety to use money in the WEPF to provide wildfire suppression assistance to county sheriffs, municipal fire departments, or fire protection districts throughout the state at no cost to such entities pursuant to annual guidelines published by the division in the wildfire preparedness plan .

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)