Signed! Fenberg & McCluskie Bipartisan Bill to Invest in Essential Wildfire Fighting Aircraft
Legislation approves funding for the state to purchase a second Firehawk helicopter to better support wildfire fighting efforts across Colorado
CENTENNIAL, CO – Today Governor Jared Polis signed Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, and Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie’s, D-Dillon, bipartisan bill to require the State Treasurer to finance the purchase of a Firehawk helicopter for wildfire fighting efforts.
Cosponsored by Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, and Senator Perry Will, R-New Castle, SB23-161 allows Colorado to purchase a second Firehawk helicopter, ensuring the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) has at least one Firehawk available for rapid response at all times.
“We no longer have wildfire seasons, we have wildfire years, which is why we are proactively investing in advanced wildfire fighting equipment like the Firehawk to keep our communities safe,” said Fenberg. “Firehawk helicopters are state-of-the-art and built for longevity, making this a smart investment for Colorado’s future. This will help ensure we are able to aggressively respond to and mitigate wildfires with greater speed and increased capacity, and will help us better protect homes, people, and property against increasingly dangerous wildfires.”
“When combatting a wildfire, every minute counts for our first responders and our communities,” said McCluskie. “We’re continually working to improve the state’s wildfire response time by investing in the latest technology to protect our homes, businesses and neighborhoods. By providing the funding to purchase a second Firehawk helicopter, we are helping ensure that our firefighters can combat and contain wildfires in difficult terrain and keep our communities safe.”
In 2021, Fenberg and McCluskie championed legislation to purchase Colorado’s first Firehawk helicopter, which will join Colorado’s fleet of firefighting aircraft later this year. Firehawk helicopters are considered the most technologically advanced firefighting aircraft available.