Advisory Circular AC No. 00-59 November 13,199s Integrating Helicopter and Tiltrotor Assets Into Disaster Relief Planning Initiated by AND-710 AC 00-59 1 l/13/98 1. PURPOSE. This Advisory similar to a helicopterand can fly Circular (AC) providesgeneral guidance similar to a turboprop airplane. on integratinghelicopters and tiltrotor aircraft into disasterrelief planning 4. OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS. efforts. This documentis advisoryin This AC encouragesStates and natureand is intendedto provide a municipalitiesto plan for the useof planningtool to assistState and local helicoptersand tiltrotors in supportof emergencyplanners. It is fully disasterrelief operations. As this recognizedthat every Stateand planningprogresses, the effort is likely municipality has distinctive and unique to generatenumerous questions dealing requirementsthat may warrant with aircraft operationalissues. The modificationsto the advicepresented Flight StandardsService is the primary herein. FAA office responsiblefor promoting aviation safety and ensuringcompliance 2. BACKGROUND. During the last with the operationsand maintenance four decades,helicopters have proven safety standardsfor aircraft operations. their valueto communitieswhen Flight StandardsDistrict Offices disastersstrike. And yet, all too often, (FSDO’s) throughoutthe country work peoplesimply assumethat theseaircraft closely with aviation authoritiesand will arrive when needed. However, with other federal, state,and local without careful planning,helicopters officials in the establishmentof a variety andtiltrotors may not appear,or if they of aircraft operations,including vertical do, they may not be usedto their best flight aircraft involved in Emergency advantage.This AC identifies issues Medical Services,Search and Rescue, that needto be addressed,provides and DisasterRelief. Questionson generalguidance on how they may be aircraft operationalmatters shouldbe addressed,and lists variouscontacts and referredto the FSDO’s. FSDO referencesthat may be helpful during addressesand phonenumbers are given the planningand executionof disaster in Section1 of AppendixA of this AC. relief plans. 3. TERMINOLOGY. As usedin this document,the term “vertical flight aircraft” appliesto both helicoptersand tiltrotor aircraft. The “tiltrotor” aircraft Shelly L. Myers c) is onetype of aircraft that are called Director, Communications,L.-J Navigation, “powered-lift vehicles”. Tiltrotor and SurveillanceSystems aircraft can takeoff, land, and hover - AC 00-59 1 l/13/98 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Paragranh Page 1. Background.. ......................................................................................................... 1 2. The Need for Planning.. ......................................................................................... 2 3. The Use of Helicopters and Tiltrotors in Disaster Relief ..................................... 2 4. Advisory Circular Goals.. ..................................................................................... 4 5. Assumptions.. ........................................................................................................ 5 6. Potential Helicopter and Tiltrotor Missions Supporting Disaster Relief Efforts . 7 7. Operational Priorities.. ......................................................................................... 10 8- 19. Reserved.......................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 2. PLAN PREPARATION 20. Planning Assumptions ........................................................................................ 13 21. Basics.. ................................................................................................................ 13 22. Alert Levels ......................................................................................................... 14 23. Special Response Procedures.............................................................................. 16 24. Planning Versus Integration ................................................................................ 16 25-29. Reserved........................................................................................................ 16 CHAPTER 3. RESOURCE INVENTORY 30. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 19 3 1. Identify and Survey Helicopter and Tiltrotor Operators ..................................... 19 32. Resource Survey ................................................................................................. 19 3 3. Conducting the Survey ....................................................................................... 20 34. Verifying and Updating.. .................................................................................... 25 3 5. Task Matching .................................................................................................... 25 36. Sample Survey Form.. ........................................................................................ 25 37-39. Reserved........................................................................................................ 25 CHAPTER 4. COMMUNICATIONS 40. Communications Network ................................................................................. 27 41. Terminology, Phraseology, and Acronyms.. ...................................................... 27 42. Establish an Emergency Communications Net.. ................................................ 27 43. Establish Procedures and Protocols.. ................................................................. 30 44. Medical Information.. ........................................................................................ 32 45. Mission Assignment.. ......................................................................................... 32 46. Air Traffic Control.. ........................................................................................... 33 47. Predetermined Helicopter and Tiltrotor Call Signs ............................................ 34 . 111 AC 00-59 1 l/13/98 Paragranh PaRe - 48. Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) . .. .. .. ...*.. 34 49. Documentation . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 35 CHAPTER 5. HELICOPTER AND TILTROTOR LANDING AREAS 50. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 37 5 1. Safety Perspective .............................................................................................. 38 52. Selection Criteria.. ............................................................................................. 38 53. Surveys and Inventory ....................................................................................... 42 54. Survey of Existing Aviation Facilities ............................................................... 42 55. Special Arrangements with Heliport Owners and Operators.. ........................... 43 56. Development of Public-use Heliports and Vertiports ........................................ 43 57. Pre-designation of Emergency-Use-Only Landing Sites ................................... 43 58. Documentation of Landing Sites.. ..................................................................... 43 59. Reserved............................................................................................................ 44 CHAPTER 6. ACTIVATION, EXERCISES, AND ANALYSIS 60. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 45 6 1. Activation Checklist .......................................................................................... 45 62. The Need for Training/Exercises ...................................................................... 46 63. The Value of Training/Exercises.. ..................................................................... 46 64. Realistic Exercise Scenarios.. ............................................................................ 46 65. Exercise Schedules and Objectives.. .................................................................. 46 66. Three Types of Exercises ................................................................................... 47 67. Training Programs.. ............................................................................................ 48 68. Post-Incident Analysis.. ..................................................................................... .48 Appendix A. Resource Inventory Sources (22 pages) ............................................ 49 Section 1. FSDO’s and FSFO’s .................................................................. 49 Section 2. FAA Regional Heliport Development Coordinators .................. 56 Section 3. Additional FAA Sources of Information ................................... 57 Section 4. Federal Emergency Management Agency ................................. 58 Section 5. State Emergency Management Directors ................................... 60 Section 6. U.S. Coast Guard District Offices .............................................. 65 Section 7. Military Support ......................................................................... 66 Section 8. Professional and Industry Associations ..................................... 67 Section 9. Sources of Information .............................................................. 69 iv AC 00-59 1 l/13/98 - AppendixB. Outline of Elementsfor a Typical Helicopter IntegrationPlan (3 pages). .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..~............................................