Fire, GIS and the Northern Rockies
The management of wildland fire in the Northern Rockies requires the efficient gathering, movement, and display of information.
The Fire Intelligence function must provide useful information at three levels:
1. Level I Operations -Local Coordination Center, Initial Attack, Extended attack, and IMT situations. Information Examples: Fire location maps, and Operational maps.
2. Level II Strategic -MAC group, GACC, NIFC.
Information Examples: Fire location maps for Resource allocation and smoke management.
3. Level III Programmatic - Resource Planning at Forest, Area, or Perk Levels.
Information Examples: Resource (i.e. Vegetation & Fire History) data
All the identified needs require that data and geographic information be linked quickly and efficiently at each of the above levels.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a mechanism to achieve the stated objectives.
All Agencies are currently working independently on the implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to accomplish various fire and non fire resource needs.
Recommendation and Decision to be made by NRCG
1) Agree to coordinate to adopt and implement information protocols that will facilitate the efficient exchange of Fire Oriented GIS information.
2) Formulate an interagency task group to achieve the objective.