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Super Scoopers / Large Amphibious Aircraft / Purchase / Funding Plan / Locally Housed

Council File 25-0111

Under review — the Fire Department's analysis concludes super scoopers aren't the right fit for LA's geography and fire response needs, and recommends sticking with the current leased helitanker instead. The committees are weighing whether to accept this recommendation.

Introduced
2025-02-04
Last changed
2026-06-17
Status
open
Expires
2028-06-16
Committee
Budget and Finance Committee
Mover
TIM MCOSKER
Second
TRACI PARK

Brief

Councilmembers Tim McOsker and Traci Park moved to establish a funding plan and local housing arrangement for large amphibious aircraft—super scoopers—to support the Los Angeles Fire Department's aerial firefighting capabilities. The Council adopted the motion on April 23, 2025, by a 12-0-3 vote. A June 2026 Los Angeles Fire Department document was subsequently referred back to Budget and Finance and Public Safety committees, indicating ongoing implementation or refinement work.

Full summary

In February 2025, Councilmembers Tim McOsker and Traci Park moved to direct the LAFD and the Chief Administrative Officer to assess a funding plan for permanently acquiring one or more super scooper aircraft to replace those the motion described as being leased by the City. The motion also requested an inventory of available county, state, and federal funding sources, as well as viable storage and maintenance facilities for locally housing the aircraft. The Council adopted the motion 12-0-3 on April 23, 2025, after approval by both the Public Safety Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee. In a June 2026 report, Fire Chief Jaime Moore corrected a premise of the original motion: the LAFD has not leased super scoopers for roughly 25 years. The department replaced them in the early 2000s with a contracted heavy-lift helitanker — currently a Sikorsky S-64 — which it has leased seasonally for 150 days per year since at least 2007. The report evaluated both purchase and lease options for super scoopers in detail. New DHC-515 Super Scoopers cost $54-60 million each; legacy CL-415 models run $30-37 million. Lease arrangements from the two North American vendors willing to provide aircraft would cost the City $3.3 million to $9.4 million annually for availability, plus $12,900 to $17,900 per flight hour. The Province of Quebec, which already contracts two aircraft to LA County Fire, cannot supply the City because its maintenance cycles overlap with Southern California fire season. The LAFD's operational analysis found super scoopers poorly matched to the City's geography. The aircraft require a 4,224-foot water source to scoop from, leaving only the Pacific Ocean and Castaic Lake as options within reach — both of which proved problematic during the Palisades Fire, when ocean swells and LAX traffic disruptions forced County-contracted super scoopers to divert to Castaic Lake, producing long turnaround times. By contrast, the contracted S-64 helitanker can refill from virtually any water source in 30-45 seconds, carries up to 2,650 gallons, and can deliver nearly twice as much water as super scoopers over a two-hour fuel cycle. The report also cited integration difficulties: super scoopers drop water rather than retardant, requiring separate airspace sequencing that adds complexity for aerial supervisors. Fire Chief Moore recommended that the City not pursue the purchase or lease of super scoopers and instead continue contracting a heavy-lift helitanker, invest in replacing aging LAFD aircraft under the department's 18-year replacement policy, and expand full-time aircrew staffing and dual-pilot operations. That report was referred to the Budget and Finance and Public Safety committees on June 17, 2026, where the file currently sits pending further review.

Activity (11)

  • 2026-06-17 Los Angeles Fire Department document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Public Safety Committee.
  • 2026-06-16 Document submitted by Los Angeles Fire Department, dated June 16, 2026.
  • 2025-04-25 Council action final.
  • 2025-04-23 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-04-18 Community Impact Statement submitted by Studio City Neighborhood Council.
  • 2025-04-18 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 23, 2025.
  • 2025-03-04 Budget and Finance concurred with Public Safety Committee action of February 19, 2025.
  • 2025-02-28 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 4, 2025.
  • 2025-02-19 Public Safety Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2025-02-14 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on February 19, 2025.
  • 2025-02-04 Motion referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Public Safety Committee.

Documents (8)

Council votes (1)

  • 2025-04-23 Vote — 12-0-3 · Regular

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