Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) celebrated the announcement by CAL FIRE that the first of the seven C-130 Hercules aircraft transferred from the federal government to CAL FIRE will begin flying missions. Rep. Calvert played a lead role in the bipartisan effort to transfer the aircraft and use them for critical firefighting missions.
“We need all the assistance we can get fighting wildfires in California, so the addition of these C-130 Hercules aircraft is welcome news,” said Rep. Calvert. “These aircraft will make a real impact in the protection of lives and property in Riverside County and throughout our state. I’m proud that my bipartisan efforts along with Senator Alex Padilla, and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, will be making a difference in our ability to confront life-threatening disasters in California.”
As stated by the Governor’s office, “Governor Gavin Newsom — in partnership with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, and Representative Ken Calvert — spearheaded this initiative for California to take on ownership of these aircraft, speed up the time to have them flying firefighting operations in California, and expand CAL FIRE’s firefighting capabilities.”
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