In honor of Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on May 7, the National Inventors Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate Inductee Don Arney, inventor of the Bambi Bucket® for aerial fighting of wildfires.

A lightweight container available in a variety of sizes that releases water from underneath a helicopter to targeted areas, the Bambi Bucket was the first fully collapsible aerial firefighting bucket. It can be stowed within the helicopter — reducing drag — until deployment. The valve requires minimal electrical power and can be instantly hooked up to any helicopter using a standard power plug. And Bambi Buckets discharge a solid column of water rather than a spray, resulting in a more accurate and effective water dump, less evaporation on descent and greater impact force.

Now a helicopter firefighting standard, Bambi Buckets are used worldwide to help contain wildfires that ground crews are then able to control. Don’t forget to honor this world-changing innovator on Wildfire Community Preparedness Day!