HELI-HYDRANT™
The patented Heli-Hydrant is the next step in helicopter firefighting technology. Heli-Hydrants™ provide helicopter pilots with easily accessible water during wildland fire potentially saving crucial minutes and even seconds. And in a windy wildland fire, seconds count.
For InQuires
Orange County Fire Authority has been training with Yorba Linda's newly installed Heli-Hydrant. Installed in water-challenged communities, Heli-Hydrants can provide on-demand water to fight wild land fires thus reducing flight time, workload on ground crews and increased firefighting efficiency.
Learn more about Yorba Linda Water District's Heli-Hydrant here
Learn more about Yorba Linda Water District's Heli-Hydrant here
HELI-HYDRANT™
A Force Multiplier for Fire Threatened Communities!
A Force Multiplier for Fire Threatened Communities!
Free up ground crews! In today’s common practice, when a pilot cannot find a water source, ground crew support becomes necessary. Heli-Hydrants allow helicopter pilots to access water independent of a support crew. Each Heli-Hydrant operates unmanned leaving ground crews to engage fire.
Water Departments are key. By integrating Heli-Hydrant technology into already existing municipal water systems, water system engineers are able to strategically place units in the environment, providing helicopters with accessible Heli-Hydrant sites to access water in order to fight fires in wildland urban interface (WUI) communities.
Heli-Hydrant Systems stand by until needed. During use, Heli-Hydrants provide snorkeling helicopters with a basin or dip tank to draw water from to aid in wildland fire suppression. When not in use, the Heli-Hydrant is dry.
Heli-Hydrant™ technology reduces costs; Helicopter fleet maintenance is reduced due to less rotor time, fire departments suppress fire sooner and keep fires smaller, communities benefit by paying for infrastructure that stays in their area providing water near local homes 24/7/365.
Free up ground crews! In today’s common practice, when a pilot cannot find a water source, ground crew support becomes necessary. Heli-Hydrants allow helicopter pilots to access water independent of a support crew. Each Heli-Hydrant operates unmanned leaving ground crews to engage fire.
Water Departments are key. By integrating Heli-Hydrant technology into already existing municipal water systems, water system engineers are able to strategically place units in the environment, providing helicopters with accessible Heli-Hydrant sites to access water in order to fight fires in wildland urban interface (WUI) communities.
Heli-Hydrant Systems stand by until needed. During use, Heli-Hydrants provide snorkeling helicopters with a basin or dip tank to draw water from to aid in wildland fire suppression. When not in use, the Heli-Hydrant is dry.
Heli-Hydrant™ technology reduces costs; Helicopter fleet maintenance is reduced due to less rotor time, fire departments suppress fire sooner and keep fires smaller, communities benefit by paying for infrastructure that stays in their area providing water near local homes 24/7/365.
MORE PRESS COVERAGE
august 2020
Check out
Rainbow Municipal Water District's Rapid Aerial Water Supply
a Heli-Hydrant
october 2020
Yorba Linda Water District: Heli-Hydrant Enhances Blue Ridge Wildfire Response
The Yorba Linda Water District’s award-winning Marc Marcantonio Heli-Hydrant supported aerial firefighters battling the Blue Ridge Fire.
EM WEEKLY Interview: Innovations in Wildland Firefighting.
Listen to EM Weekly interview Whaling Fire Line Equipment discuss the Heli-Hydrant with Todd De Voe.
November 1, 2019
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Yorba Linda's new Heli-Hydrant offers firefighting helicopters a refill closer to the action
Marking off another dry, blustery October, people who live in the hills in and near Yorba Linda might rest easier knowing firefighters now have a new weapon to use if — or when — the city’s backyard burns again.
Authorities call it a “heli-hydrant.” It’s a water tank that is 12 feet wide, open to the sky and can serve as a remote water source for water-dropping helicopter pilots to use, and re-use, during a wildfire.....
Authorities call it a “heli-hydrant.” It’s a water tank that is 12 feet wide, open to the sky and can serve as a remote water source for water-dropping helicopter pilots to use, and re-use, during a wildfire.....
Benefits of the Heli-Hydrant System Technology
- Helicopter fleet maintenance is reduced due to less rotor time.
- Fire departments suppress fire sooner and keep fires smaller.
- Heli-Hydrants™ stand by until needed. During use, Heli-Hydrants provide snorkeling helicopters with a basin/dip tank to draw water from to aid in wildland fire suppression.
- When not in use, the our portable and permanent basin/tanks are dry. For this reason, Heli-Hydrants are safer for wildlife and humans than traditional tanks.
- Dependent on terrain and/or community preference, options for Heli-Hydrants are portable or permanent metal tanks or concrete basins in a variety of natural colors. Every Heli-Hydrant features remotely activated, helicopter pilot controlled, radio signaled supply and trickle drain valves. Over all, loss of power has minimal effect on operations. Options for alternative power include: rechargeable solar batteries, a solar power recharging system, and manual option.
- Given the dynamic nature of fire, impacted communities need as many water source options as possible for helicopters to access. Strategically placed, Heli-Hydrants allow helicopters to snorkel water from more locations then are currently available.
- Cities can successfully magnify the water dropping capability of helicopters with Heli-Hydrants!