Factors affecting fire suppression costs as identified by incident management teams

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janie Canton-Thompson ◽  
Brooke Thompson ◽  
Krista Gebert ◽  
David Calkin ◽  
Geoff Donovan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Management Teams ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Factors Affecting

A method for estimating the socioeconomic impact of Earth observations in wildland fire suppression decisions

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 282
Author(s):  
Vincent Herr ◽  
Adam K. Kochanski ◽  
Van V. Miller ◽  
Rich McCrea ◽  
Dan O'Brien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Break Line ◽  
Socioeconomic Impact ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Socioeconomic Impacts ◽  
Earth Observations ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Behaviour Simulation

A method for estimating the socioeconomic impact of Earth observations is proposed and deployed. The core of the method is the analysis of outcomes of hypothetical fire suppression scenarios generated using a coupled atmosphere–fire behaviour model, based on decisions made by an experienced wildfire incident management team with and without the benefits of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite observations and the WRF-SFIRE wildfire behaviour simulation system. The scenarios were based on New Mexico’s 2011 Las Conchas fire. For each scenario, fire break line location decisions served as inputs to the model, generating fire progression outcomes. Fire model output was integrated with a property database containing thousands of coordinates and property values and other asset values to estimate the total losses associated with each scenario. An attempt to estimate the socioeconomic impact of satellite and modelling data used during the decision-making process was made. We analysed the impact of Earth observations and include considerations for estimating other socioeconomic impacts.

The influence of incident management teams on the deployment of wildfire suppression resources

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hand ◽  
Hari Katuwal ◽  
David E. Calkin ◽  
Matthew P. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Management Teams ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Detailed Data ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Wildfire Suppression ◽  
Resource Capacity

Despite large commitments of personnel and equipment to wildfire suppression, relatively little is known about the factors that affect how many resources are ordered and assigned to wildfire incidents and the variation in resources across incident management teams (IMTs). Using detailed data on suppression resource assignments for IMTs managing the highest complexity wildfire incidents (Type 1 and Type 2), this paper examines daily suppression resource use and estimates the variation in resource use between IMTs. Results suggest that after controlling for fire and landscape characteristics, and for higher average resource use on fires in California, differences between IMTs account for ~14% of variation in resource use. Of the 89 IMTs that managed fires from 2007 to 2011, 17 teams exhibited daily resource capacity that was significantly higher than resource use for the median team.

Muddling through troubled water: resilient performance of incident management teams during Hurricane Harvey

Ergonomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 643-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changwon Son ◽  
Farzan Sasangohar ◽  
S. Camille Peres ◽  
Jukrin Moon
Keyword(s):  
Management Teams ◽  
Incident Management

scholarly journals Orchestrating through Whirlwind: Identified Challenges and Resilience Factors of Incident Management Teams during Hurricane Harvey

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 899-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changwon Son ◽  
Farzan Sasangohar ◽  
S. Camille Peres ◽  
Timothy J. Neville ◽  
Jukrin Moon
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Management Teams ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Emergency Personnel ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
Common Operating Picture

While resilience in emergency management has been studied at the macro- (government) and micro-levels (individual field responder), little is known for resilience of incident management teams (IMTs). To investigate challenges and resilience factors of IMTs, this paper documents thematic analysis of 10 interviews with emergency personnel who responded to Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Themes emerged in four categories: goals, challenges, resilience factors, and technical tools of IMTs. Given similar goals but unique challenges during Harvey, IMTs sought to establish and maintain a common operating picture to make sense of evolving situations and make decisions adaptively. Various technical tools were used providing different functionalities, but a need for technology to reduce cognitive load was indicated. Findings of this study will inform the development of more resilient IMTs in future disasters.

Toward robust All-Hazards Incident Management Teams: Progress and priorities

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Amy K. Donahue, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Management Teams ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Systematic Process ◽  
Recent Conference ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
State And Local

In 2008, an effort to enhance the capability of All- Hazards Incident Management Teams (AHIMTs), and thereby improve the nation’s ability to respond to incidents of all types, was launched. To date, there have been three national learning conferences for AHIMT stakeholders. At the first conference, in 2008, attendees participated in a systematic process to identify priorities for the national AHIMT program. At the most recent conference, in December 2010, attendees participated in a study designed to review and update the insights gained from the 2008 conference. This article presents the findings of the 2010 study. The results can help federal, state, and local stakeholders understand AHIMT capabilities and the challenges teams face.

scholarly journals Weather, Risk, and Resource Orders on Large Wildland Fires in the Western US

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Bayham ◽  
Erin J. Belval ◽  
Matthew P. Thompson ◽  
Christopher Dunn ◽  
Crystal S. Stonesifer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Management Teams ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Additional Risk Factor ◽  
Fire Growth ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Western Us

Research Highlights: Our results suggest that weather is a primary driver of resource orders over the course of extended attack efforts on large fires. Incident Management Teams (IMTs) synthesize information about weather, fuels, and order resources based on expected fire growth rather than simply reacting to observed fire growth. Background and Objectives: Weather conditions are a well-known determinant of fire behavior and are likely to become more erratic under climate change. Yet, there is little empirical evidence demonstrating how IMTs respond to observed or expected weather conditions. An understanding of weather-driven resource ordering patterns may aid in resource prepositioning as well as forecasting suppression costs. Our primary objective is to understand how changing weather conditions influence resource ordering patterns. Our secondary objective is to test how an additional risk factor, evacuation, as well as a constructed risk metric combining fire growth and evacuation, influences resource ordering. Materials and Methods: We compile a novel dataset on over 1100 wildfires in the western US from 2007–2013, integrating data on resource requests, detailed weather conditions, fuel and landscape characteristics, values at risk, fire behavior, and IMT expectations about future fire behavior and values at risk. We develop a two-step regression framework to investigate the extent to which IMTs respond to realized or expected weather-driven fire behavior and risks. Results: We find that IMTs’ expectations about future fire growth are influenced by observed weather and that these expectations influence resource ordering patterns. IMTs order nearly twice as many resources when weather conditions are expected to drive growth events in the near future. However, we find little evidence that our other risk metrics influence resource ordering behavior (all else being equal). Conclusion: Our analysis shows that incident management teams are generally forward-looking and respond to expected rather than recently observed weather-driven fire behavior. These results may have important implications for forecasting resource needs and costs in a changing climate.

Investigation of Freeway Incident Characteristics and Their Influence in Planning an Incident Management Program

1998 ◽  
Vol 1634 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raktim Pal ◽  
Steven P. Latoski ◽  
Kumares C. Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
The United States ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Clearance Time ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
North West ◽  
Incident Type ◽  
Incident Data

Nonrecurrent congestion caused by highway incidents is a major concern for transportation agencies and millions of road users in most metropolitan areas in the United States. Incidents account for 60 percent of congestion-induced delay. As a low-cost approach to incident management, freeway service patrol programs have gained wide popularity. However, information on freeway incident characteristics is limited. In the current paper, incident data recorded by the Hoosier Helper program in north-west Indiana is analyzed. The distributions of incident frequency and clearance time by incident type and lateral location are reported. The variation of incident rate with time of the day is examined, and the influence of various factors affecting the frequency and clearance time of incidents is explored. Recommendations are made to improve the freeway service patrol program, based on the incident data analyzed. The information provided in this study may be useful for planning similar patrol programs in other metropolitan areas in Indiana and other states.

Decision Making Effectiveness in Wildfire Incident Management Teams

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim McLennan ◽  
Alina M. Holgate ◽  
Mary M. Omodei ◽  
Alexander J. Wearing
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Management Teams ◽  
Incident Management

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail: Capturing the Pre-incident Planning Needs of Firefighters

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 612-616
Author(s):  
Katelynn A. Kapalo ◽  
Joseph J. LaViola
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Demographic Differences ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Information Tools ◽  
Unpredictable Environments ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Shed Light

In a fire suppression operation, seconds can mean the difference between a fatality or successful incident management. There have not been many recent studies that examine the information, tools, and technologies firefighters rely upon to gather facts about the incident scene before arrival. We conducted an international, web-based survey in which 50 firefighters of varying ranks characterized the benefits and challenges of using pre-incident plans, documents that assist firefighters in understanding information about a facility during an emergency. Our analysis showed that despite demographic differences in regions and the size of the population served, most departments reported severe challenges in accessing and retrieving planning information. Based upon participant feedback, we shed light on the problems with existing user interfaces and provide a path forward for the human factors community to build robust technology for first responders operating in dangerous and unpredictable environments.

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