Resilient System Solutions for Using Data in Wildland Fire Incident Operations

Project Overview

In addition to the threat of fire losses in the expanding wildland urban interface, smoke from fires has a direct impact on the air quality, visibility, and atmospheric chemistry. Improving access to information for wildland fire incident operations would improve public safety through effective fire containment.

This project represents a transformational application of networking and data logistics software for operational partners in the wildland fire incident operations logistical support. The National Interagency Fire Center has put in place an enterprise geospatial portal (EGP) to improve the distribution, display, and analysis of geospatial information for wildland fire management. The EGP is a powerful tool that is in need of improved infrastructure for data sharing. Current data delivery capabilities cannot transmit certain large data resources, regularly obstructing wildland firefighting operations by the limitations in the construction and maintenance of ad hoc communication networks.

decision

Project Goal

To develop a wildland-fire data logistics network to enhance and extend current operational data sharing capabilities for:

Objectives

Deploy and test prototype hardware-software system with fire operations personnel that integrates the new data sharing system with existing capabilities and relevant data.
Co-develop software systems for data logistics based on existing tools, including future proofing and generation of ideas to advance capabilities with further R&D.
Work with the wildland fire management community to define specific requirements of an enhanced, resilient data sharing system.

System Overview

The research planned addresses the need for improved resilience. The WildfireDLN will be designed to make current systems stronger, more integrated, and with more resilient features than current digital networking systems allow. WildfireDLN has three important attributes that directly support resilience concerns: Local operation, intermittent connectivity, and heterogeneous connectivity.

WildfireDLN key features:

WildfireDLN Tools:

WildfireDLN Goal:

To deliver rich and informative data with a robust system that supports file transfer and access across disconnected, heterogeneous networks.

Figure 1

Figure 1: Conceptual overview of the WildfireDLN system deployment, and design of the prototype data node (inset). The WildfireDLN directly support resilience in the face of scenarios found in wildland fire operations with local operation and providing solutions for intermittent and heterogeneous connectivity problems. The storage icons (barrels) at the various nodes represent both storage and includes SSD and any other form of medium-to-long term persistence.

Project Outcomes

For Additional Information:

Dr. Nancy French
Senior Research Scientist, MTRI
Michigan Technological University
734.913.6844
nhfrench@mtu.edu

 

Project Leads:

Dr. Nancy HF French, PI
Michigan Technological University, MTRI

Dr. Martin Swany
Indiana University, Bloomington

Dr. Micah Beck
University of Tennessee Knoxville

 

logos

 

Poster:

View the poster entitled “Resilient System Solutions for Using Data in Wildland Fire Incident Operations”

 

Poster

 

Presentation:

View the presentation entitled “Wildland Fire Data Logistics Network (WildfireDLN) An Implementation of Resilient Networking”

 

Presentation