Fire Geospatial Systems Committee 
National Park Service
Fire GIS News
Fall/Winter 2008
GIS Specialist (GISS) Position Information & Taskbook
S-341, 2009 GIS Specialist for Incident Management Course
2009 GPS for Fire Mgmt & ICS Course
GIS Standard Operating Procedures (GSTOP) on Incidents
Corpscon Version 6.0 - convert coordinates!
Geotag Photos with GPS-Photo Link
Download National Geographic TOPO! (NPS only)
Stewardship & Standards
There are several geospatial data layers that are critical to multiple program areas of fire management and for which the fire program could be considered the data steward. Those include but are not limited to: Fire Occurrence (ignition) Points, Fire Occurrence Perimeter Polygons (wildland and prescribed), Non-fire Fuels Treatment Area Polygons, Fuel Model Data Layers (NFBPS with canopy characteristics). Did you know that NPS and NWCG standards exist for geospatial data creation and data transfer?
NPS Reference Manual 18 (RM-18), Chapter 20 Information and Technology Management contains helpful guidance on these topics - check it out!
WFDSS-RAVAR & Enterprise GIS (EGIS)
Due to modifications to existing Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy, wildland fires may be assessed using a system known as the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS). WFDSS is being developed to enable a decision support process that can be used to examine the full range of responses for a given wildland fire. WFDSS will be operational as a decision support and documentation process beginning in the Spring of 2009. Values at risk assessment will be a key component of WFDSS. The NPS Enterprise Buildings Geodatabase is the main source for NPS structures in WFDSS. While many parks have entered structures into the Buildings Geodatabase, the majority have not.
Has your park? To access stats, go to NPMap (NPS only) > GIS Services > Buildings > "Click Here"to find out. Log into EGIS (NPS only) to find guidance on how to upload data. If you need more information or technical assistance with your buildings data, contact your Regional GIS Coordinator or Brian Diethorn.
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What other data layers does WFDSS need? Stay tuned - more information will be coming out in January and February. |
LANDFIRE Refresh
LANDFIRE, also known as the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools Project, is a five-year, multi-partner project producing consistent and comprehensive maps and data describing vegetation, wildland fuel, and fire regimes across the United States.
LANDFIRE Refresh is now underway. Data sought for Refresh include spatial polygon layers of recent wildland fires, insect and disease infestations, storm damage, and various land-management activities, plus any other natural-resource information that can be used to improve the existing maps of vegetation and fuel for the nation. Data must depict events or indicate conditions from 1999 or later. In addition to these spatial polygon layers, we seek any geo-referenced digital photos of vegetation or fuel conditions, vegetation or fuel plot data, and project descriptions or final reports available to support LANDFIRE Refresh. For Refresh data needs and details on how to participate, please click here. When does LANDFIRE need the data for Refresh updates? Target periods for geographic regions can be found here.
Stay tuned for memos and/or data calls in FY09 related to gathering polygon data for LANDFIRE!
Fire Program Analysis (FPA)
The purpose of the Fire Program Analysis (FPA) System is to provide managers with a common interagency process for fire management planning and budgeting to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative fire management strategies through time, to meet land management goals and objectives.
FPA deployment is happening in three waves. The waves are groups of Fire Planning Units (FPU). The FPA newsletter is an excellent way to stay on top of implementation for your FPU and training/workshops in your Geographic Area
Welcome!
Welcome to the first issue of the Fire GIS Newsletter! This newsletter will be published biannually as a communication aid within the fire management GIS and GPS user community of the National Park Service. Suggestions, comments, and contributions are welcome. Contact Kathie Hansen with your thoughts.
2008 GISS Activities
According to ROSS, over 650 GISS and GIST resource orders were filled during the 2008 wildland fire season between February 5 and October 26th. Positions were filled in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, LA, MT, NC, ND, NH, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT, VA, WA, and WY. Wait a minute... didn't the GISS position replace the GIST position? Yes it did, but we are still transitioning Geographic Areas and ROSS to implement that change. Hopefully for the 2009 season, the official position of GISS will be used exclusively.
Thanks to all of you who made yourselves available and went out this fire season (trainees also)!
Are you interested in being a GISS? GISS position information can be found on the NWCG Geospatial Task Group web site.
Fire Occurrence Data
Hardcopy wildland fire reports are permanent records of wildland fires on NPS lands and/or fire responses completed by NPS. Information collected is important data used in long-range wildland fire planning, operational decisions, general information reporting, and programmatic performance analysis. WFMI (Wildland Fire Management Information) Fire Reporting System is the official electronic wildland fire reporting database.
How accurate is the fire occurrence data (locations coordinates) reported in WFMI for your park? You can check! GIS-friendly export files can be requested after logging into WFMI. Talk to your FMO or FPMA to make that request or fill out an access request form to get your own user name and password. The GIS-friendly export file is comma delimited text (.csv). Simple directions for adding the decimal degree XY points to ArcMap are available for download. If corrections need to be made to reported coordinates, refer to the document that describes how to update coordinate locations in WFMI and work with your FMO and FPMA to make those corrections in WFMI. Fixing coordinates in your locally maintained GIS data layer is not enough - WFMI is the official system of record!
GIS Conference Calls
Each month (roughly every second Thursday), GIS-minded employees in the NPS hold a conference call that's open to anyone. You can join the call by dialing 877-989-1671 (code 894050).
Topics range widely but are always engaging and you can expect to come away better informed about GIS goings on in the Service. Log in to the Park GIS Coordinators' SharePoint site (NPS only) to see call notes and on-going projects. Contact Ben Zank for more information or questions.
NPS Fire Management - the who, what, where, and why...
NIFC NPS FMPC
The NPS Fire Management Program Center (FMPC) is located at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, ID.
NPS FMLB
The Fire Management Leadership Board (FMLB) provides strategic leadership for the NPS Wildland Fire Management Program. Membership (NPS only) consists essentially of the Regional Fire Management Officers (FMOs) and FMPC program leads. Click here (NPS only) to view their charter.
NPS FGSC
The Fire Geospatial Systems Committee (FGSC) was established and chartered under the authority of the FMLB. Membership includes:
National (NPS) Wildland Fire Geospatial Coordinator: Vacant (formerly Doug Stephen, Kathie Hansen acting)
AKR – Brian Sorbel: Regional Fire GIS Specialist
IMR – Dave Hammond: Regional Fire GIS Specialist
MWR - Kathie Hansen: Regional Fire GIS Specialist (chair)
NER – Dan Hurlbert: SHEN GIS Specialist, Justin Shedd: NCSU partner
NCR – Cynthia Wanschura: NCR GIS Specialist, Justin Shedd: NCSU partner
PWR – Robin Wills: Regional Fire Ecologist, Karen Folger: SEKI Fire GIS Specialist (vice chair)
SER –Annabeth Rice: GIS Specialist, Caroline Noble: Regional Fire Ecologist, Justin Shedd: NCSU partner
Regional Fire Management Officer Liaison to FMLB: Vacant (formerly Brad Cella)
Fire Program Information Resources Management Program Leader: Gladys Crabtree
NWCG GTG
The Geospatial Task Group (GTG) was formed in 1999 under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Information Resource Management Working Team (IRMWT). The IRMWT identifies policy level information resource management issues that affect, or are likely to affect, interagency fire management activities. The GTG provides the IRMWT and all other NWCG working teams with quality information, advice and recommendations regarding the use of geospatial data, applications, standards and processes in support of interagency wildland fire management, consistent within the mission of the NWCG. NPS members are Kathie Hansen (acting National Wildland Fire Geospatial Coordinator) and Brian Sorbel (Technical Advisor).