Internal review raises red flags over Colorado's helitak program and leadership decisions

An internal report obtained by CBS Colorado raises several concerns about how Colorado's helitak program is being run.

The state spent tens of millions of dollars on firefighting helicopters that were said to be a game-changer for crews across Colorado, who would no longer need to rely on federal air support.

"We now have four helicopters in our fleet, two of those being Firehawks. Those are year-round assets, which we have never had," said Mike Morgan, director of Colorado's Department of Fire Prevention and Control.

On July 10, a lightning strike ignited the South Rim Fire. For days, it burned through the winding walls of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on the Western Slope, scorching more than 4,000 acres.

That same day, Colorado's brand-new Firehawk -- a firefighting helicopter touted as the state's best defense at home -- never left the ground.

At the time, a spokesperson for Colorado Wildfire Management told CBS Colorado the helicopter was out for maintenance, required at 480 hours of flight time, adding in an email: "We currently have five mechanics working on this first (480-hour) inspection to get it back up and operational ASAP. We were planning to perform this inspection in the winter months, but we had no choice on this first helicopter."

"I guess I want to be clear. With, when a helicopter needs maintenance, you maintain it. Period," Morgan said.

As director of the Department of Fire Protection and Control, Morgan oversees the helicopter program.

CBS Colorado asked him about concerns from helitack crew members who felt the Firehawk could have been used when the fire started.

"I think the concern was, it was said to be required maintenance ... that it had reached the number of operation hours ... but that there were hours left at that time and could have continued to be used?" CBS Colorado Investigator Karen Morfitt asked.

"To my knowledge, that is not true," Morgan said. "I'll dig into that. But, we would not take an asset out of service for -- why would we do that? Sounds like a good story," Morgan responded.

But a public records request revealed the Firehawk had not reached 480 hours. CBS Colorado requested documents measuring the engine's total operating time for the Firehawk on the day it was taken out of service. A spokesperson for the department sent a list of numbers showing that on July 10, the Firehawk was at 367.6 hours - more than 100 operational hours short of the required maintenance.

That spokesperson now says the maintenance had been scheduled months earlier and that "maintenance team slots must be secured months in advance. We scheduled early based on projections of reaching the 480-hour threshold during the peak fire season."

Morgan says they anticipated having a second Firehawk by that time.

"Firehawk No. 2 is going to get delivered, we will get the last-minute training and put it in service. Firehawk 1 will go down for maintenance and Firehawk 2 will continue, and when the maintenance is done, we'll have both in service," Morgan said.

Except Firehawk 2's delivery was delayed until August.

Crew members who spoke with CBS Colorado anonymously said many questioned leadership on that maintenance decision and others.

A now-public 60-page workplace assessment examining how the helitack unit is being run details those frustrations.

"I think the first reaction is always, 'Ouch,' right?" Morgan said. "We've all been through organizational assessments where programs are being assessed. And if you ever think that that's not going to be painful, you're kidding yourself."

Forty-six helitack members were interviewed. Some said they have "a lack of meaningful work" and "clarity about the program's mission." Another added, "It seems like we're just here for looks rather than actually operating as firefighters." Nearly all of them reported a lack of adequate training -- and as a result, "many of them raise concerns about safety."

"The reality is is that's expensive, and the perception was that we don't want them to get trained," Morgan said. "How do we ... make sure they have the training and the opportunities they need while living within the budget limitations that the state of Colorado has right now, which are challenging."

In the report, crew members repeatedly point to issues with top leadership, with one saying it seems they have "a complete lack of knowledge about our work and unwillingness to adapt and change."

"When does it become, 'We need a change in leadership?'" Morfitt asked.

"Obviously, I can't speak to personnel matters in this conversation," Morgan said. "But I can assure you we are looking very closely at those things and why and where the breakdown is, and what corrections do we need to make."

Morgan and other leaders requested the outside group to conduct the assessment, but admittedly did not want it released publicly. He says they are committed to improving the program and have already formed a committee to address the issues in the assessment moving forward.