Blue Ribbon Fire Commission February 5, 2004 US Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region Fire and Avi

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Blue Ribbon Fire CommissionFebruary 5,
2004US Forest ServicePacific Southwest
RegionFire and Aviation ManagementMike Wingate
and Dennis Hulbert
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CommunicationsMike Wingate
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CommunicationsImplemented

• Frequency Management
• Command 25 channel pairs, 5 standard
• Tactical 48 simplex channels
• Airborne
• Rotary wing 39 AM
• Fixed wing 24 FM
• Logistical 12 channels pairs
• 29 link channels, 36 simplex
• Initial Attack
• 8 AM, 10 FM

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CommunicationsImplemented

• Equipment Management
• 12 NFES 4390 starter systems
• 25 command repeaters
• 17 Logistical repeaters
• 25 Aircraft Base stations
• 435 NFES 4381 VHF radio kits
• 6960 VHF hand held radios
• 350,000 AA batteries
• 1550 7.5 volt Lantern batteries

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CommunicationsImplemented

• Work force management
• 39 electronic techs (state federal)
• 25 COML communications unit leaders or trainees
• 4 COMC communications coordinators
• Field
• Coordination Center
• Aviation Coordinator
• Border coordinator

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What went right!

• Preplanning
• Full time Communications Duty Officer
• At NIFC and in Region 5(CA)
• FIRESCOPE
• VHF platform
• Standard VHF channel plans
• STL propositioned radios
• NIFC-NIRSC assets
• R5 assets
• Cooperator assets

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What went right!

• WO Frequency management
• Provided additional frequencies
• Interfaced with other federal agencies
• Other Federal agencies
• Provided frequency assets
• FAA
• Provided aviation frequency assets
• FCC
• Provided frequency assets
• Mexico IX
• Restricted use on US/Mexico MOU Frequencies

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What went right!

• Radio IX between fires non-existent
• Aviation channels were available
• No Major hardware failures
• Prepositioned resources
• Time of year

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What went wrong

• Slow delivery of radio assets
• Slow dispatch process
• Slow transportation
• Slow Communications implementation
• Limited helicopter flight time
• Active fire at the planned communications sites
• Fire growth rate exceeded ability to implement
  designed communications system.

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What went wrong

• Delay until Monday to get additional FM channels.
• Some channels had Mexican IX
• AA Batteries had life problems
• Some agencies did not have the FIRESCOPE
  recommended 32 channel frequency plan in their
  VHF radios, used by their Chief officers.

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How We did it!

• Used standard VHF radio platform
• Compartmentalized each incident
• Didnt change anything operationally
• The ability to adapt our equipment to changing
  needs, was a key element.
• Frequency agility was an absolute asset

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RecommendationsCommunications
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Recommendations

• Ensure engines, crews, and Chief officers have
  the capability to communicate effectively across
  agency lines
• Work with vendors to develop new generation SDR
  for Fire Law Enforcement
• Task FIRESCOPE Communications Specialist group to
  develop short and long range strategies for
  communications interoperability

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Final thoughts

• Until we develop a radio that transcends all
  platforms and network protocols, we will be doing
  business as usual - using the VHF radio platform
  for incident communications support. It remains
  the least common denominator in fire service
  communications!

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Current and Emerging TechnologiesDennis Hulbert
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(No Transcript)
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Air Tactical IR Program

• Air Attack 07, out of Santa Barbara, has added a
  dual sensor imaging system and moving map
  software to gather visual information and
  document what is happening on the ground

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Dual Sensor Imaging

• Infrared to identify hotspots, spot fires, fire
  perimeter, lightning strike ignitions
• Digital photo to provide documentation of
  incident situation

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Moving Map Software

• AeroNavitracker
• To produce current incident maps showing fire
  perimeter, constructed line, division breaks, and
  helispots.

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FIREWATCH (Cobra) Program
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FIREWATCH (Cobra) Program

• Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) platform
  with enhanced Human Aided Technology (HAT)
  designed to perform 3 mission roles
• Air supervision module/leadplane
• Air attack (airborne command and control over
  fires
• Geo-referenced Infrared and video mapping with
  real-time downlink

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• Moving Map display with fire perimeter mapping
  and downlinking capability

• Realtime streaming video through microwave
  downlink

• Infrared equipped with FLIR
• Night vision capability

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• Complex IR or mapping mission will be separate
  mission from the ATGS role
• Possible use in L.E., FEMA or Homeland defense

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RecommendationsTechnology
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Recommendations

• Increase use of military aircraft with IR
  equipment and downlink capability to give the
  firefighter and decision maker 24/7 situational
  awareness
• Invest in 24/7 eyes in the sky and integrate
  existing technologies for dispatching and
  managing resources