wildland fire information and technologywildland fire information and technology

Two wildland fire engines stand ready to respond to spot fires during a prescribed fire in southern Idaho. Computer Aided Dispatch Standardization (CADS) Update - April 7, 2016. Often the last line of defense for trapped firefighters, a Sunseeker fire blanket can withstand temperatures of 3,000 degrees fahrenheit. Fire EGP leverages multiple sources of spatial data for mapping, decision support, business intelligence, and situational awareness through multiple tools to view and analyze wildland fire data. In December of 2017, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator requested the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) research new and emerging technology that could be applied to wildland fire incident response, given the loss of life that occurred in California during the fall of 2017 in Santa Rosa and Ventura. For Immediate Release: June 9, 2023 Contact: Carrie Bilbao, cbilbao@blm.gov, 208-387-5457 U.S. fire resources continue to support Canada. Learn all about future uses envisioned for commercial drones at Discovery.com. Establish wildland fire position standards, qualifications requirements, and performance support capabilities (e.g. Intended for students to pursue a career with a wildland fire management agency or for a specialty with a municipal fire control agency. We recognize that business processes and operations drive changes to information systems and technology infrastructure. If you are a member of the media or are seeking specific information about wildfire activity, please call our fire information line at ( 208) 387-5050. Fire Enterprise Geospatial Portal (EGP) is the authoritative source of standardized geospatial information for the full range of wildfire activities ranging from readiness to response to planning. The first 800 attendees will receive either a Smokey Bear baseball or a stadium cup. National Fire Plan Operations and Reporting System (NFPORS): allows fire managers to plan, track, and reportfuel treatments and other activities across the country. The Forest Service has been managing wildland fire on National Forests and Grasslands for more than 100 years. Are Electric Highways the Way of the Future? This is more important than ever because over the last few decades, the wildland fire management environment has profoundly changed. Its goal is to provide more effective execution of each agencys fire management program. These applications serve purposes like warehouse inventory control, planning for prescribed fires, dispatch, managing/sharing incident information, tracking firefighter qualifications, and more. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS For example, the implementation of remote tracking systems is enabling wildland fire managers and dispatchers to view the locations of vehicles and personnel in real time, improving situational awareness and rapid decision-making. For all other inquiries please call the main NIFC phone number at ( 208) 387-5512 and the receptionist will help you. Expanding connectivity also enables personnel on the ground to provide data on wildfires to the public in near real time, improving public safety. NWCG continues to provide leadership for a seamless response to wildland fire across the nation. Office of Wildland Fire staff support the consolidation and development of technology that puts the right information in the right hands at the right time., A dispatcher at the Boise Interagency Dispatch Center. These teams led the initial effort to achieve a broad national standardization in key areas of wildland fire management. Integrated Reporting of Wildland Fire Information (IRWIN), Interagency Dispatch Implementation Project (IDIP). Fish and Wildlife Services Wildland Fire Apprenticeship Program, A Research Project Aims to Improve Forest Resiliency to Future Wildfires, Interior Department Takes Action to Strengthen Endangered Species Protections. WFIT provides information and technology services and functions independent of agency or user location, thus providing a new level of flexible and adaptable technology for the users in the field. Elephant poaching prevention? With this, the fire regimes and the vulnerabilities of ecosystems are changing.. training courses, job aids) that enable implementation of NWCG standards. An official website of the United States government. National Wildfire Coordinating Group'sGlossary A - Z. Please refresh the page or try again in a moment. When existing systems reach the end of their life cycle or new technology needs emerge, WFIT team members provide analysis as well as oversight of project conception, approval, budget, management, operations, and maintenance. Firefighters form highly-trained ground and air teams. "We use the satellites to inform decisions on where to stage assets across the country," said Brad Quayle of the Forest Services Geospatial Technology and Applications Center. Teams tackling the California wildfires used the Global SuperTanker a modified jumbo jet that carries almost 73,000 liters (19,200 gallons) of fire retardant alongside the S-64 Aircrane heavy-lifting helicopter, which carries 10,000 liters (2,200 gallons) of water. Within weeks, Hansen, Henry, and their colleagues had set up a user group and began adding users. GIS specialists protect, update, and disperse this data. (DOI/Neal Herbert). Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fed into sophisticated computer modelling software, they can help predict the fire's behavior and possible spread patterns. The purpose of Wildland Fire Information and Technology (WFIT) is to promote interagency collaboration in the support of the business mission of the Wildland Fire Program. Making the planet safer with Earth-orbiting technology. From the Amazon basin to northern Siberian forests, the problem is spreading. PHOENIX Arizona fire officials are adding new tools and technology to help protect wildland firefighters across the state. The current wildland fire situation is summarized in the National Fire News and Incident Management Situation Report, produced by the National Interagency Coordination Center. Technology The Department of the Interior pursues technological innovation in order to promote a response to wildland fire that lowers risk for people and communities, increases the efficiency of our efforts, and reduces the overall costs to the American taxpayers. Assisting a group of specialists as large as the one that Hansen, Henry, and their colleagues do is no easy tasknot only because of the sheer amount of information the GIS specialists need but also because everyone is scattered across the country. Each year as the days turn warmer and drier, a breed of GIS specialists across the United States begins to stir: the thousands of geospatial technology professionals who help protect land and lives from catastrophic wildfires. The fire was calm and moving slowly towards us, about 50 yards away, until I felt a dramatic shift in the wind and knew we were in trouble. In the past, the development of new technology often focused on the needs of small groups of people without recognizing the potential to serve wider audiences. This highlights the wisdom of expanding drone fleets to provide support to fire teams. Preparedness Guide for Firefighters and Their Families(2022 Edition), U.S. Forest Service Supplement-of the Preparedness Guide for Firefighters and Their Families (2020 Update), Aerial Firefighting Use and Effectiveness (AFUE), U.S. Forest Service & Interagency Aviation Publications, Sweet Creek Milepost 2 Fire in 2020, Oregon Department of Forestry photo byMarcus Kauffman, Community Mitigation Assistance Team (CMAT), Official Smokey Bear Licensees and Products, Excess Personal Property & Firefighter Property Program, Interagency Fire Program Management Standard (IFPM), InteragencyWildland Fire Chemicals Policy & Guidance, https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire, National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, Information for Wildland Fire Professionals, Greening Fire Team - Sustainability and Fire, Aviation Technology Modernization Projects, John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act, Preparedness Guide for Firefighters and Their Families, Helitack Crews& Emergency Medical Short-Haul. Learn how U.S. Forest Service fire managers respond to wildfires on National Forest System lands. These air tankers are used to put out flames and monitor fire spread through sensors and video feeds coupled to GPS data. The Forest Service exchanges wildland fire knowledge, expertise, equipment and personnel through international agreements with Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Portugal. Instead, the agency works closely with other federal, tribal, state, and local partners. Stewarding Conservation and Powering Our Future, about Post Wildfire Restoration at Puukohol Heiau National Historic Site, about Investing in the Future: The U.S. The system was developed with two primary missions: Official announcements include evacuations, road closures, news releases, maps, photographs, and basic information and current situation about the incident. These standards may include guidelines, procedures, processes, best practices, specifications, techniques, and methods. https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/information. FireNet: an interagency communication and collaboration environment that can be used by Federal and non-Federal operators across the spectrum of wildland fire operations. Smokebot can help in forest fire situations mapping large areas filled with dust or smoke, where it is too risky to send in rescue personnel. As the Director of the Office of Wildland Fire, Jeff Rupert oversees the Department of the Interior's Wildland Fire Management Program, which spans four bureaus and administers over 535 million acres of public and Tribal lands. The Forest Service is already investing in many aspects of the development and deployment of an enhanced real time operating picture. The FireGuard program will provide fire managers with critical information on the fires they are responding to and greater access to satellite imagery and other data sources. Command and control centers are turning to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to keep costs down and provide additional capabilities. An official website of the United States government. Wildland fires are a force of nature that can be nearly as impossible to prevent, and as difficult to control, as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Official websites use .gov However technology is only a small part of the problem of integrating UAS into fireground operations. Hansen, Henry, and their team members ensure that the specialists are equipped with both the training and the resources they need to wield ArcGIS technology on behalf of the federal and state agencies they work for while managing active wildfires. The system was developed with two primary missions: Provide the public a single source of incident related information; and NOTE: The WFIT web pages are no longer located on the Forests and Rangelands website. How? Another invaluable tool within Esri Community is the ability for administrators to label posts, according to Henry. A lock ( To meet this commitment, we continue to monitor and update our content to make sure our documents meet these standards. Earth-observing satellites commonly detect wildfires in wilderness areas. Historically, maps of fire activity were compiled daily from field reports, and public information often lagged behind the situation on the ground by as much as 48 hours. In January 2022, the Forest Service launched a robust, 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis in the places where it poses the most immediate threats to communities. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi NPP satellite gives near real-time data to NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) on active fires across the world. It is mailed to subscribers within the United States. In addition, it will reduce IT development and maintenance needs by hosting the tools in a central location instead of maintaining a separate version within each system. It is a web based interface that allows you to learn information about an incident geospatially. Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools Project (LANDFIRE): provides agency leaders, managers and operators with a common all-lands data set of vegetation and wildland fire/fuels information for landscape assessment and resource management planning and analysis. He had learned about the resource through a family member who was serving as a community manager in Esri Community. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 2023 Warner Bros. WASHINGTON, DC Since the threat of wildfires extends beyond our borders, the wildland fire community reaches beyond them as well. Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS): helps fire managers make and record their key wildfire management decisions by providing critical data about an area, fire modeling tools, and risk analysis. Establish information technology (IT) capability requirements for wildland fire. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and small UAS (SUAS) technology hold great promise for facilitating the management of wildfires on forest lands. PARASIM provides the same performance as a parachute where trainers can change wind speed, weather conditions and terrain types inside a realistic 3D simulation. DOI is testing options for remote connectivity using FirstNet. For this reason, the National Interagency Fire Center's Fire Management Board last year proclaimed July 2 . But it is possible to create medical AIs that rapidly outperform doctors in certain tasks? WILDLAND LEGISLATIVE ISSUES. Wildland Fire Information and Technology (WFIT), Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management, and Restoration, Integrated Reporting of Wildland Fire Information, Interagency Dispatch Implementation Project, Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN), Visit the Wildland Fire Information and Technology Portal. Fact Sheet: Supporting the Wildland Firefighting Workforce, From the Chiefs Desk: Increased Payments for Firefighters Achieved. French inventor and elite jet skier Franky Zapata set the record to become the first person ever to use a hoverboard to cross the English Channel. Thursday, June 29, 2023. The Department of the Interior pursues technological innovation in order to promote a response to wildland fire that lowers risk for people and communities, increases the efficiency of our efforts, and reduces the overall costs to the American taxpayers. Many of the nations GIS specialists who focus on wildland fire are distributed among those agencies, and they use their skills to update and maintain interagency geospatial content thats available on an expansive instance of ArcGIS Online called NIFC Org. Source: Canadian Wildland Fire Information System Notes: Burned-area boundaries and hotspot locations are estimates based on satellite data, and hotspots indicate likely areas of burning detected . For all other inquiries please call the main NIFC phone number at (208) 387-5512 and the receptionist will help you. extreme fire behavior; and wildfire suppression operations in the wildland urban interface (WUI) have become the norm. From satellites to mobile devices and applications designed for wildfire personnel, technology is improving the strategic planning of wildfire mitigation efforts, enabling a more effective response to wildfires, improving firefighter safety, and providing real-time information for the public. Eight different agencies and organizations are part of NIFC. The MISSION of the Interagency Wildland Fire . Pick the types of information you want to receive directly to your inbox;edit your selections any time. Twelve working teams and a number of sub-teams, comprised of member agency leaders and experts in various fields, were established in functional areas such as fire equipment, fire weather, incident operations, training, and incident business. Fire updates have now become available to the public within minutes of their collection. Smoke can obscure the ground for days at a time or pose a severe inhalation risk to air crews However, this is not a problem for drones. National Interagency Coordination Center. The latest version of IRWIN focused on the integration of resource data (i.e. We are also using edge computing to maintain connectivity in areas with low bandwidth by essentially creating a data center at the incident. The technology used to tackle large area fires has become more sophisticated to respond to this threat. The ability to track the location of people and equipment offers a promising way to increase the efficiency and safety of wildfire management. "We need to get to our safety zone!" someone yelled over the noise of the . The National Wildfire Coordinating Group provides national leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. Current hours for the NIFC are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (MST), Monday - Friday. The PMS 411 web portal includes 10 sections, each explaining a different part of the fire shelter, training for its use and the use of . In the future, swarms of autonomous drones could be used to track wildfires and spot fire spread. Support the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy goals: to restore and maintain resilient landscapes; create fire adapted communities; and respond to wildfires safely and effectively. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 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In 2019, when NIFC hosted its official wildfire incident management course for GIS specialists in Sacramento, California, it had to combine two classes. They also log in to ask questions and crowdsource answers from other community users, such as how to install software on incident computers that organizations often rent during response operations. U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. This update assists with decision making by allowing fire managers to see resource commitment levels across agency boundaries. During one of the training breaks, Triplett, the NIFC team, and others got on a call with Tripletts family member to learn about what the platform could do for NIFC. DOI collaborated with the USDA Forest Service to develop requirements for the integration of tracking technology in wildfire operations. At the California field event back in June, S&T successfully tested four prototype technologies for early detection of wildfires, closing out Phase 1 of the Smart Cities Internet of Things Innovation (SCITI) Labs wildland fire sensor effort. Interagency Fire Occurrence Reporting Modules(InFORM): provides a single, nationwide system of record for both federal and state agencies to report wildfires. Mostly likely, you've heard of the "hyperloop" in passing, but do you know what it is? As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, we can expect them to be used more often in the world of human medicine and healthcare. If you are a member of the media or are seeking specific information about wildfire activity, please call our fire information line at (208) 387-5050. The WFIT team works with leadership, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders to understand how technology can best serve the entire wildland fire community (not just one agency or department). ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. InciWeb provides a great example of this in action. Battle Bots is coming back to Discovery Channel with more hours of bot fighting fun than ever before. Establish information technology (IT) capability requirements for wildland fire. Their training at the US Forest Service now includes the PARASIM virtual parachute jump simulator to practice for real-life situations. Fire managers need reliable information to make good decisions. Solid State Batteries Promise Long Life and Rapid Refuel Electric Vehicles, Electric vs. Hydrogen: The Pros and Cons of Greener Transportation. Here, we explain Musk's vision for linking Earths cities using ultra-fast travel pods. Large fires onInciWebhave information about the wildfire, news, and announcements, contact information and hours of operation, maps, photographs,and videos. The web-based program provides information for wildland fire emergencies and prescribed fires, but can also be used for other natural disasters and emergency incidents such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. September 4 marked the 131st anniversary of the yellow box camera with rolled film patent. Maps for current large fires and fire potential outlook maps for the next four months can be easily downloaded. 6879. There were over 60 students and 15 instructors conducting the scenario-based training, said Henry. Whether it's with a modified jumbo jet or state-of-the-art thermal imaging cameras, we take a look at the tech behind fighting the worlds most devastating fires. Photo credit: Jutta Pence from Fairbanks, Alaska Group 7:15PM UPDATE: Forward progression of the fire has been stopped but The change to Preparedness Level 2 for the U.S. is based on the sustained level of national fire activity primarily in the Southern, Eastern, and Southwest geographic areas. View a more complete list of applications on the WFIT website. A single transposed number or misplaced decimal (in a 30-character string) can locate a fire in a different county or state. Please refresh the page or try again in a moment. Use of multiple forms of technology allows fire crews to gather and share reliable information about fire . FireNet is a web environment with the security of a .gov site. The Yarnell Hill Fire was the deadliest wildland fire since the 1933 Griffith Park Fire in Los Angeles that killed 29 firefighters, and the largest loss of life for firefighters since the Sept. 11 . Not all systems used the same data format (GPS info comes in different shapes and sizes), further complicating the sharing of key information as fire managers planned their response to an incident. The economic losses were estimated at between $8.5 billion and $10.5 billion. Home / Wildland Fire Information & Technology. Current hours for the NIFC are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (MST), Monday - Friday. Over the past month, the . 4 The Bronco wildland SUV is going to Bandalier National Monument, a 33,000-acre . Stewarding Conservation and Powering Our Future, Toggle Dyslexia-friendly black-on-creme color scheme, Wildland Fire Information and Technology Program. Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan, Saltwater Underground With Nick Honachefsky, Wildfire Technology: Tackling the Spread of Wilderness Fires with Digital Tech. Advances in technology are also improving firefighter safety. With this, Hansen, Henry, and their teammates hope that people not only know summertime for its formidable wildfires but also increasingly recognize the impressive teamwork that the GIS community engages in to face them. First response firefighters who parachute into wildland fires known as smokejumpers are among those who need them most. Thermal imaging technology has become widespread and less expensive to use. Robots are also making a difference. The Department of the Interior is working to integrate tracking technology so managers can view the location of resources on an incident in real-time. Evaluations are being conducted using photochemical models of fire plume chemistry related to ozone and fine particulate matter. Research Highlights: Studies are evaluating plume rise differences for flaming and smoldering components of wild and prescribed fires. Ford, through its Bronco Wild Fund, is donating a customized Bronco SUV with advanced communications gear, creating a go-anywhere wildland firefighting command rig to help coordinate firefighting crews across rough terrain in Bandelier National Monument ; Modified by Darley, a global manufacturer and distributor for defense, fire and rescue vehicles, the vehicle will aid National Park . Please check the IMSR for more information. The team was impressed. For the crews tackling these blazes the risks are high too. Embers and chunks of burning trees fell all around us. The FMSF will provide users with improved performance, consistent data, and faster analysis. Katie Hansen and Walker Henry are two of four ArcGIS Online administrators at NIFC who position themselves within quick reach of these GIS specialists. Support the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy goals: to restore and maintain resilient landscapes; create fire adapted communities; and respond to wildfires safely and effectively. "When theres high competition for firefighters, tankers and aircraft, decisions have to be made on how to distribute those assets.". LockA locked padlock The Bureau of Land Management Idaho State Office and Boise National Forest, in cooperation with wildland fire management partners from NIFC will be celebrating National Wildland Firefighter Day on Sunday, July 2 at 7:05 p.m. Mountain Time with the Boise Hawks. Wildfires are among the most destructive forces on Earth. National Wildland Fire Preparedness Levels 1 - 5, The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), Provide the public a single source of incident related information; and, Provide a standardized reporting tool for the public affairs community. National Fire News National Preparedness Level 2 as of May 8, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. MDT (on a scale from 1 to 5) Current hours for the National Fire Information Center are (MST) 8:00 am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday 208-387-5050 This report will be updated on Fridays. Firefighters responding to the Piledriver Slough Fire (#151) in Salcha, Alaska on June 28 at mile 334 of the Richardson Highway. Learn more at Discovery.com. Entering these arrangements requires significant interagency and international . However, the Applications and Projects web pages for the Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN) and the Interagency Dispatch Implementation Project (IDIP) remain hosted on this website. These guidesprovidehonest information, resources, and conversation starters to give you, the firefighter, helpful tools toprepareyourself and your family for therealities of performing as a wildland firefighter. Thermal cameras inside the helmets mean that firefighters can operate in environments completely obscured by smoke. The information sharing then just came naturally, Henry remembered. Read on about the growing trend towards cobots that work in harmony with humans is transforming robotic use worldwide.around the world.