Maintenance
The Bambi Bucket is made from a variety of materials including heavy-duty fabric coated with man-made rubber, specialty fiberglass stiffeners, heavy-duty seat-belt type webbing, stainless steel cables, and aluminum valves and components, Tayler said.
The typical life expectancy for the Bambi Bucket is 10 years, he said, but some customers have maintained their bucket for as long as 30 years. Regular inspections and maintenance will keep it operational, and helicopter operators are typically the inspectors. SEI also conducts maintenance at its headquarters in Delta, British Columbia, and other authorized in-country locations. “Some customers treat their Bambi Bucket like gold; they store it in a hangar, dry it and inspect it. (Life durability) is dependent on how they care for the product,” he said.
SEI Industries shows its appreciation to new customers who take the time to participate in Bambi Bucket training that includes maintenance tips. “We treat our customers well when they are on location,” Tayler shared. “They get the training at the factory, free of charge. Customers are certified in maintenance repair for the Bambi Bucket once they take the training.”
A Bell 407 collects water from an SEI Fireflex Pumpkin Tank.
Use and applications
Remote and wildland-urban interface wildfires are both good applications for
the
although Tayler notes there can be some debate about using the product in an urban area.
“Some urban interface areas want a belly tank because there can be a risk that a bucket could be mistakenly released where a belly tank cannot,” he explained. “The belly tank is fully attached to the aircraft. The Bambi Bucket can be on a hook and the pilot can release what is on the hook if they are in trouble. It is done in a controlled manner.”
Put simply, the Bambi Bucket is one of many tools in the wildland firefighting toolbox. “You’ll see some that want belly tanks, Bambi Buckets, or super tankers,” Tayler said.
One major Bambi Bucket advantage is the multiple water sources it can utilize, including shallow ones. “Lake, stream, river, pond, pool or tank, use the one that is closest to the fire to maximize the number of drops per hour,” he said.
product,
62
July/Aug 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
