Mr. Bobby Rose in Bulgaria

RescEU is a common reserve of capacities at EU level, aiming at boosting the preparedness and response capacity including forest fires, where Sweden hosts aerial forest fire capacities. In the beginning of august, MSB sent four aircrafts to Bulgaria and North Macedonia to assist in firefighting efforts after an activation of the rescEU through the ERCC.

Since 2020, MSB has had scooping aircrafts within the RescEU. This was not the first time that we were activated towards an international mission. At the same time that we were in Bulgaria, another team from Sweden were activated in North Macedonia. Sweden has several planes of the type ”Air Tractor AT-802F Fire Boss”. These planes have a capacity of 3000L of water while scooping, but can of course also be tanked while grounded.

12 hours until departure

Once activated we try to depart within 12 hours. Three pilots fly to an airport nearby the affected area. One Chief Operating Officer, technician and mechanic from SAAB fly regularly together with two people from the MSB field staff roster. The team consists of eight people in total.

My role as Team Leader does not really differ that much from other missions. The main task is to make sure that our resources are being used in the best way possible in consultation with local rescue services. The pilots’ flight times and the plane’s service intervals have an impact on how involved we can be. I also maintain a dialogue with the assigned Liaison Officer where we both make sure that the checklist for international assistance is being followed. This for example means: what is going to be available at the airport regarding equipment, refueling, transport, accommodation, meals and other logistics.

Communication is key

Our base of operation in Bulgaria became Plovdivs International Airport. It is an airport that is quite low-trafficked, which made our involvement easier. Most often there are several teams involved that we need to cooperate with, but during our mission this time we were flying solo. An important part for me is to make sure that the communication between the Arial Coordination, who controls the flight operation, follows the established rules and procedures. In the beginning we had problems with the radio coverage between the ground staff and our aircraft, but this became better after we made them aware of the problem. The pilots does not release any water until the safety procedures are followed and you receive a ”Clear to Drop”.

The biggest challenge for the team was the need to work from a 2000 meters’ altitude, which led to a challenging mission for our pilots. Scooping at high altitudes on reflecting lakes places high demands on their skills. The lifting capacity is also significantly less than at sea level. This issue could be solved by a boat creating waves before the plane went down for scooping. In addition, they needed to drop water on steep mountain slopes. The biggest area affected by the fires were by the Greek boarder. The Greek planes and fire brigades were not in that area themselves, but instead focused on fires in other parts of the country. We had to apply for permission to scoop water from a lake in Greece to be more efficient. The planes don’t put out the fires entirely, but they slow them down. Having a good coordination with the ground staff regarding the drops and extinguishing of the fire is extremely important.

A professional mission

The mission in Bulgaria lasted for a week. The reception and support from the host country was very professional. Everything was well planned logistically. Problems and issues were solved immediately. The big difference from other missions I have been on is that my only point of contact in Bulgaria during the entire mission was their Liaison Officer. Except for the last day when we had our farewell-ceremony, when the Deputy Interior Minister, the Regional Fire Chief and a few others came to visit.

As per usual, it is incredibly interesting and exciting to have the honor to represent MSB around the world. To then also receive appreciation and gratitude from the host country makes the assignment even more enjoyable.