In Boise, Idaho I visited the
National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) where I spent my first day hosted by Doug Alexander, acting Chief, Fire Management Branch, of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. First up Doug arranged a meeting between me and Tom Zimmerman, the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) Program Manager.
Tom gave me a potted history of the genesis of WFDSS that I understood to be the result of an integration of a previous disparate set of fire management computer applications into a single system. The idea was to streamline the reporting and analysis processes, as well as taking advantage of advances in technology, fire modeling and geospatial analysis. The resulting web based program, the Wildland Fire Decision Support System, documents decisions, supports analysis as well as allowing for the completion of an operation plan.
Text and spatial information from land management and fire management plans is designed to be preloaded into WFDSS to assist in the development of fire analyses. Fire behavior modeling, fire spread probability, value assessment and cost estimation tools are incorporated into the system. The information is spatially oriented and graphically displayed reducing the need for text input.
Planning documents, spatial data and modelling information are easy to access and allow for risk-informed decision making that is both analytical and deliberative. The process is linear and does not require the use of alternative comparisons or the development of decision trees. Decision makers can follow a progressive decision process that can be scaled, adapted and is responsive to changes in the wildland fire environment. Through WFDSS, information is assembled, consolidated, processed, validated and shared among decision makers in a system designed to foster collaboration and improve strategic decision making during wildfires. The use of WFDSS is mandatory for all Federal Fire Agencies.
After the discussion with Tom I had an opportunity to see WFDSS demonstrated with the research and development team and ask questions about how it worked in practice and how fire managers used it during wildfire events.
Later Doug arranged an orientation tour for me of the National Interagency Fire Center campus that was conducted by Ross Babiak.
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Outside the front gate at NIFC in Boise, Idaho
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Outside the office is the Wildland Firefighters Monument (a garden) dedicated to
"Honoring wildland firefighters and the people who support them: past, present and future" |
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| The National Interagency Co-ordination Center |
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the Smokejumpers Centre with the parachute drying tower on top
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| smokejumpers equipment |
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| when returned to the cache every item is maintained, repaired if necessary, cleaned, repacked and stowed |
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radio repair shop
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| Where the Remote Area Weather Stations (RAWS) are made and maintained |
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| Portable RAWS waiting to go out |
Thanks Doug, Tom, the WFDSS Team and Ross!
