The Fire Management program manages several computer-based data systems. These systems include decision-support tools which help the program make important fire response and management decisions.
The Science and Technology Unit of Fire Management Section maintains these systems. This unit also investigates and applies new techniques and technology as it becomes available. Below are descriptions of some of the systems used in Ontario today.
- Communications
- Geographical Information System (GIS) Technology
- Global Positioning System (GPS)
- Information Systems and Modelling
Communications
The Ontario Fire Management program uses a series of towers and remote solar-powered sites to create a network that provides voice communications between handheld radios and between these radios and the fire base or headquarters. The solar-powered sites are usually located on fire towers that are no longer in use. All of the various radio sites are linked through a network of microwave towers and landlines.
This comprehensive network provides essential communication capability between firefighters in the bush, attack bases, headquarters and the regional fire centre. It also provides region-wide communications with all aircraft operating under fire management control.
The multi-channel handheld radios carried by fire-line personnel operate on VHF-FM low band frequencies. They are capable of scanning frequencies and are also equipped with tele-connect, which provides phone access for after hours and emergencies when base radio stations may be shut down.
Portable fire camps use a base station transceiver on a local antenna to provide communication with fire fighters in the field, headquarters, and all aircraft working on the fire.
Other communications tools include mobile satellite bases and portable systems such handheld satellite phones and cellular phones. The computer network provides telephone dial up access to e-mail, internet and intranet. Dial up can be done through regular phone lines, cellular or satellite. The radio communications network also allows access to automatic weather stations, which provide weather data that is critical in developing accurate forest fire behaviour predictions.
Geographical Information System (GIS) Technology
Since the early 1990s, the Ontario Forest Fire Management program has been integrating GIS technologies into its daily information systems and strategic planning tools. The Fire program uses a wide variety of spatial data related to resources management including Ontario Base Maps (OBM), Forest and Land Cover inventories, and the Natural Resources Values Information System (NRVIS).
Ontario Base Mapping (OBM)
The Ontario Base Mapping program has been in progress since the 1980s. Its purpose is to generate high-resolution digital map information for all of Ontario south of approximately 51° North latitude. The OBM data includes a large number of layers of physical and cultural features, as well as a digital elevation model. North of the OBM coverage area, the Fire program uses a combination of OMNR's own 1:600,000 scale mapping, and 1:250,000 or 1:50,000 scale mapping data from the National Topographic System.
Forest and Land Cover Inventories
Using forest cover information, the Fire program developed the Fire Behaviour Prediction fuels database for the entire fire region of Ontario. This database is used in the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System.
The provincial Forest Resources Inventory (FRI) and province-wide land cover inventory, created by OMNR's remote sensing program, were used to create the fuels database.
FRI data provides information about species composition, age and stocking of forest stands. The land cover inventory is based on satellite imagery and describes approximately 45 land and forest cover types across the province.
Natural Resources & Values Information System (NRVIS)
NRVIS is a GIS based system for managing the storage of the MNR's digital land information. It provides the ability to store, maintain and access information on over 690 different geographic feature types such as:
- roads
- lakes
- pickerel spawning sites
- peregrine falcon nesting sites
- moose calving sites
- traplines
This inventory provides the information needed to assess values at risk when a response is made to a fire.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
The introduction of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to the Fire program further enhances the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GPS receivers, used either on the ground or in the air, provide one of the most efficient and accurate methods for capturing the location and size of ongoing wildfires, as well as documenting other features and facilities.
This information can then be stored in a database and used with Geographic Information Systems for map updates and analysis.
The Fire program uses the information to carry out spatial analysis and to develop decision support tools that will enhance tactical and strategic planning and decision-making. GIS and GPS have become integral parts of the operations within the Fire program.
Information Systems and Modelling
Fire Management Information Systems
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources manages an advanced set of Fire Management Information Systems (FMIS) to support its fire response and planning structure.
FMIS provides the basis for decision support today and allows for continued development of new tools to meet the demands of a progressive and changing organization.
Daily Fire Operations Support System
The Daily Fire Operations Support System (DFOSS) was implemented in 1994. It is a computer system used to record details about incidents and fires, weather and lightning information, and display current and forecast information on a daily basis. This information is used to determine fire suppression needs and position resources (fire crews, aircraft, etc.).
At the end of each fire season, the information collected in DFOSS is stored in a database call the “fire archive”. This historical fire information is used to analyse fire occurrence in Ontario and is used in modelling and long-range planning exercises. Currently, the fire archive contains details from fires in Ontario from 1960 to 2004.
DFOSS has been upgraded from a server-based system to a Websphere/ArcIMS-based system. It will continue to provide for province-wide access to information in real time and will serve over 100 users on a daily basis. The new DFOSS was implemented in 2002.
Fire Equipment and Aircraft Management
OMNR uses two other systems to track fire equipment and monitor aircraft costs and use. These are called the Inventory Management Information System (IMIS) and Aircraft Information Management System (A/CIMS). These systems were developed using Graphical User Interface (GUI), Windows- NT, and Internet technologies.
Level of Protection Analysis System (LEOPARDS)
The LEOPARDS system is a computer model that simulates the day to day (and hour to hour) operations of a fire management organization. The user specifies the make-up of the suppression organization in terms of quantity, initial location and capability of resources, and suppression policy (dispatching rules).
This virtual organization is then used in the computer model to suppress fires. The fires used in the model are from the historical data record and thus are representative of the fire load encountered by the fire management organization. For each day of the fire season, the model assesses the resource requirements, deploys the available resources, and then as fires arrive throughout the day, resources are dispatched to the fires, and each fire is fought on an individual basis. Individual fire results are tallied and daily totals are tracked. This process is repeated for each day of the fire season, for as many years as data is available.
By running the simulation model a number of times with different mixes of resources, users can determine an optimum configuration of resources. For example, how many air tankers would provide the most efficient and economical response? In addition to resource mixes, users can test the effect of making changes in the protected land base, or test the effect changes in dispatch strategy can have on overall costs and suppression effectiveness. The program can address a wide range of questions.
The Fire program continues to refine and extend the model, and is looking into the possibility of developing the model for use in other jurisdictions.
