1. Wildland Fire Management RD&A National Interagency Fire Center Boise, Idaho February 19, 2009 Wildland Fire Management RD&A National Interagency Fire Center Boise, Idaho February 19, 2009 Wildland Fire Decision Support System Dispatcher Role Overview Wildland Fire Decision Support System Dispatcher Role Overview

2. WFDSS Decision Documentation Decision Support Implementation Actions Objectives Situation Information Validation Course of Action Periodic Assessment Decision Summary Reports WFDSS Framework

3. Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Summary Periodic Assessment WFDSS – Information Flow WFDSS has 7 Steps

4. Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Summary Periodic Assessment Purpose: Documents the initial and continuing fire situation, and provides required information to complete administrative fire reporting. WFDSS – Information Flow

5. Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Summary Periodic Assessment Purpose: Provides risk assessment and decision support information to support strategic decisions and development of course of action. WFDSS – Information Flow

6. Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Summary Periodic Assessment Purpose: Defines objectives as stated in Land, Resource, and Fire Management Plans and lists specific management and incident requirements that will frame and influence strategic decisions and tactical implementation. WFDSS – Information Flow

7. Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Summary Periodic Assessment Purpose: Defines a specific course of action ranging from a pre-planned initial response to an individualized response for a specific situation. Specificity varies with fire complexity and can include a defined planning area, management actions, resource commitments, and costs for the fire duration. When the current decision is no longer meeting objectives, it can include a set of actions to be used until a new decision is completed. WFDSS – Information Flow

8. Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Summary Periodic Assessment Purpose: Provides a review of the Situation, Objectives, and Course of Action to ensure that Objectives can be met, and in the event they cannot be met, the Validation guides the development of a new Course of Action. WFDSS – Information Flow

9. Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Summary Periodic Assessment Purpose: Documents the response decision, the rationale for that decision, and stipulates the timeframe for revisiting and reassessing the decision. WFDSS – Information Flow

10. Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Summary Periodic Assessment Purpose: Provides a process to periodically review the current decision, response, and accomplishments to evaluate effectiveness and confirm accuracy or, if needed, indicate progression to a higher response level and associated planning activities. WFDSS – Information Flow

11. Response Level 2 WFDSS – Response Levels Response Level 1 Response Level 3 Response Levels are the three stages of support and documentation of a decision Response Level 1 – Basic Inputs Response Level 2 – Medium Term Fire, Simulation and Value Inventory Response Level 3 – Long Term Fire Simulation, RAVAR, and SCI

12. Response Level 1 WFDSS – Response Levels Looks at short term fire weather forecast, forecasted fire danger and hazards and safety concerns. Defines a specific course of action. Management unit objectives are documented through spatial data link to Fire Management Units (FMUs). Relative Risk Assessment will be completed if fire for resource benefit objectives are identified. Will have the appropriate initial response per the management units objectives and plans.

13. Response Level 1 Response Level 2 WFDSS – Response Levels Looks at resource availability, medium term fire behavior, values and incident complexity analysis Incident Objectives and Management Requirements/Constraints will be documented. Recommended actions, resources, and estimated costs evaluated. Validation will consider fire simulation, values and resource availability. Response Decision Rationale, and Periodic Assessment Frequency are documented.

14. Response Level 1 Response Level 2 Response Level 3 WFDSS – Response Levels Looks at long term fire behavior (Fire Spread Probability (FSPro), Rapid Assessment Values At Risk (RAVAR) and Stratified Cost Index (SCI). Incident Objectives and Management Requirements/Constraints will be documented. Recommended actions, resources, and Mitigation Actions, Estimated Cost, and Contingency Actions evaluated. Validation will consider fire simulation, values, resource availability and FSPro, and RAVAR. Response Decision Rationale, and Periodic Assessment Frequency are documented.

15. RL1 RL2 RL3 Information Situation Objectives Course of Action Validation Decision Documentation Periodic Assessment WFDSS - Information Flow and Analysis Levels

16. Response Level 1 Response Level 2 Response Level 3 Characteristics – situation Information Fire Discovery Situation Assessment and Documentation Initial Action WFIP Stage I Extended Action WFIP Stage II Large Fire Suppression Long-Duration Fire WFIP Stage III LTIP Incident Documentation Situation Documentation Objectives Course of Action Reports Incident Documentation Situation Documentation Objectives Course of Action Decision Reports Land and Resource Mgmt Plan Fire Management Plan Incident Documentation Situation Documentation Objectives Course of Action Decision Validate Strategy Reports Spatial Data Upload – Pre-fire Planning

17. WFDSS – Eleven Specific User Roles Specific Roles Identified: Viewer Dispatcher Author Data Manager Geographic Area Editor National Editor Fire Behavior Specialist RAVAR Analyst Super Analyst Help Desk Admistrator These are 3 roles of most importance to the field

18. WFDSS – User Roles Viewer Has the access to view an incident Dispatcher Can do everything a viewer can plus they can create incidents Author Can do everything the previous two roles do and they also document the decision and request analyses to support/inform the decision Data Manager Can only create the Fire Management Units (or other land management units), strategic objectives and the management requirements based on land management plans and fire managements plans.

19. WFDSS – User Roles Geographic Area Editor Authorize new Viewer,Dispatcher, Author and Fire Behavior Specialist roles and prioritize analysis requests within their GACC National Editor Has all the capabilities of a Geographicl Editor, but at a National level. Fire Behavior Specialist Formerly the FSPro Analyst role, but the name change reflects additional fire behavior tools available in WFDSS This role conducts fire behavior analyses

20. WFDSS – User Roles RAVAR Analyst This role is provided by the Forestry Science Lab in Missoula which accept or reject a RAVAR analysis request. And post RAVAR summary documentation. Super Analyst Has maximum analysis authority, provides coaching and training to other analysts. Help Desk – this role is for the folks at the NIFC HELP DESK Administrator – This role is for the system developers

21. How to create a WFDSS Incident The Dispatcher Role Purpose: Enter information for a new WFDSS Incident. Edit incident information for incidents they create. Run simple fire behavior analyses.

22. Inside a WFDSS Incident First Lets Look at: Intelligence Zone Fire Weather Forecasts ERC- G Values Inventory RAVAR Results Values at Risk Results Basic Fire Behavior

23. INTELLIGENCE

24. Zone Fire Weather Forecasts

25. ERC-G

26. Strategic Objectives

27. Values Inventory

28. RAVAR Results

29. Values at Risk Results

30. BASIC FIRE BEHAVIOR

31. How To Create a WFDSS Incident and use the Intelligence Tab

32. 1 2

34. 2 1 3 4

37. Where to find WFDSS Request your user account now!! http://wfdss.usgs.gov

38. Questions