Public Reporting The Provincial Forest Fire Reporting Centre

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Public Reporting The Provincial Forest Fire
Reporting Centre
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BC Fire Facts

• Every year the BC Forest Service fights
  approximately 3,000 forest fires.
• 50 of those fires are caused by lighting, the
  other 50 by human activity
• 1998-2002
• Suppression costs amounted to 311 million
  (preparedness costs not included)
• Total mature volume destroyed was 13 million
  cubic metres
• Area destroyed was 101,878 ha
• Total damage to timber was 82 million
• Total damage to cut product, buildings, equipment
  and improvements was 10.2 million

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History of Public Reporting in BC

• Prior to 1995 using a zenith 5555 number
  wildfire reports were directed to one of six fire
  centres via a BC Tel operator.
• A review of the 1994 Garnet Fire identified
  potential problem with reporting fires by the
  zenith number and recommended the creation of a
  central reporting centre to eliminate the need of
  operator intervention.

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Creation of the Reporting Centre

• The entire Protection Program was restructured in
  1995 to centralize many services, (Fire
  Reporting, Accounting Payroll)
• The goal of the reporting centre was to eliminate
  operator intervention and create an efficient
  method for gathering and relaying wildfire
  information
• In 1995 the Provincial Forest Fire Reporting
  Centre was established in Kamloops, BC.
• The Reporting Centre receives all fire calls for
  the entire Province directly from the public.

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Provincial Forest Fire Reporting
1-800-663-5555

• The general public reports gt one-third of all
  forest fires each year.
• The objective of the forest fire reporting system
  is to provide a simple and direct means to report
  a forest fire.
• The 1-800 system provides the caller direct
  access to the Provincial Forest Fire Reporting
  Centre 24 hours a day, 12 months a year.

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The Reporting Centre Today

• Re-located to Victoria in 1998 the Reporting
  centre is equipped with the following
• .

• 8 work stations each with a multi-line phone
  network computer .
• A Computer system that is linked to the
  Provincial Dispatch and Protection Information
  Systems.
• Staff that is geared to level of activity.
• An after hours answering service which makes
  contact with a designated duty officer.

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Rationale for Relocating the Centre to Victoria

• Provide administrative support (payroll,
  accounts, filing, special assignments) during
  periods of low call activity resulting in FTE
  savings.
• Proximity to the IT support staff responsible for
  program maintenance and enhancements of database
  functionality
• Availability of reliable telephone line
  technology (line capacity) and IT support is
  more accessible in a major centre.

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TO REPORT FOREST FIRESCALL

• 1-800-663-5555
• OR
• 5555 for Cell Phones

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Agents collect information from caller to
determine

• Location of fire
• Approximate size
• Access to fire
• Burning activity
• If values or life are
• threatened

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There are 6 Fire Centres in the Province, these
include

• Coastal
• Northwest
• Southeast
• Cariboo
• Kamloops
• Prince George

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Open Fire Tracking SystemBurn Reference Number

• 1-888-797-1717

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1-888-797-1717

• Our purpose is to
• Register open burning activity in BC,
• Provide clients with a reference number,
• Provide information on safe burning and BC
  Environment Regulations,
• Answer any information questions that the public
  may have regarding open burning,
• Explain the current conditions.

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Open Fire Tracking System

• Allows clients to register over the phone and
  avoid commuting to a field office.
• Open burning is tracked on-line throughout the
  province.
• Information on burning activity can be made
  available in read only format to environmental
  and fire protection agencies.
• To make the caller aware of the legal
  responsibilities associated with burning in
  British Columbia.
• To have documentation that callers have been made
  aware of the legal responsibilities associated
  with burning.

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Agents fills out an OFTS form that contains
information on

• Client
• Location of burn
• Burn category info
• Legal description
• Once details are complete a reference and a
  client number is auto generated.

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Open Fire Tracking Overlay in Dispatch
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Graph depicting the relationship between the
calls received on the Forest Fire Reporting Line
and the Open Fire Tracking Line
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PFFRC is responsible for

• All forest fire reports within the province,
• Issuance of open fire reference numbers,
• Administrative support to the finance and
  administrative section,
• Individually assigned projects.

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Annual Cost Estimate for Operating the PFFRC

• Wages benefits to operate both the fire
  reporting and open fire tracking line 145,000
• Cost of the Answering Service for after hours
  and winter reporting 22,000
• Cost for maintenance and rental of sundry office
  equipment 3,000
• Total Annual cost 170,000

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Centralized Fire Reporting Centre Efficiencies

• Minimal staffing level of 4 agents on shift
  daily
• Provincially only 8 seasonal staff designated to
  the Centre a reduction from 36 individuals.
• After hours and winter calls are directed to a
  single Answering Service
• Incorporation of Open Fire Tracking in 1999
  eliminated the need of fire permits being issued
  at each district office.
• Reference numbers issued in place of paper
  permits.
• Open Fire Tracking System is integrated with
  Dispatch, and shares the same software.
• Reduction in the number of false dispatches

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