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Wildfire
Equipment Development Priority Needs:
A Comparison 1984 to 1998
To evaluate the results of the 1998 fire equipment survey, a number of factors must be reviewed to set the proper context. These factors include:
Once these factors are considered, it is easier for the fire manager to understand the logic that led to the priorities. Using the 1984 fire equipment survey as a baseline, similarities and contrasts between it and the 1998 survey reflect a high degree of consistency, especially in areas of equipment related to firefighter safety.
Like most of society, the community of wildland firefighters tends to be driven by the most recent events and occurrences. The large wildfires and especially long and severe fire seasons since the 1984 survey probably bear a disproportionate weight on the priorities assigned by the respondents. The Southern Oregon/Northern California fires of late 1987 resulted in smoke inversions that lasted for weeks on end, conditions previously unseen. As a result, many on-the-ground firefighters experienced serious respiratory distress that lasted long after the fires were extinguished. This event, coupled with a similar but less intense condition of smoke inversion in the Yellowstone area during 1988, raised the awareness and concern about respiratory protection shown in the latest survey. The Yellowstone area fires of 1988 also raised other concerns, including the need for communications systems for greater interagency cooperation, an increased fire weather-forecasting capability to help predict significant fire weather events that result in major fire spread, and improved performance of firefighter personal protective clothing and equipment. In the fall of 1991, the late season wind-driven fires of October caused major fires in interface areas in both Oakland, CA and Spokane, WA. These fires brought a new sense of awareness of the risks of wildland-interface fires, and of the interagency coordination requirements necessary to battle them. The large numbers of fires in Montana during 1994 and in Oregon during 1996, coupled with the 14 fatalities on the South Canyon Fire in Colorado in 1994, reinforced the concern about personal protective equipment, communication equipment, timely weather information, and the use of improved technology such as infrared devices, and cell phones.
Since the previous survey was completed in 1984, major changes have occurred in the wildland firefighter work force. Today’s organizations are significantly smaller than they were in 1984, with an aging work force that experienced many of the large fires discussed previously. In addition, today’s firefighters have a much broader geographic background that those who completed the 1984 survey. The concept of total mobilization has been fully implemented, with firefighters routinely criss-crossing the country to assist in fire suppression in Alaska, Florida, and even occasionally into Canada.
These experiences have been coupled with an increased awareness of interagency operations, and the different techniques associated with those operations. Perhaps the best example can be found in the high priority given to dozer-plow operations in the 1998 survey. Although dozerplow operations are a rather small part of the national fire suppression picture, they received significant emphasis from a high percentage of the respondents. Another factor that distinguishes today’s firefighters from those in 1984 is increased computer literacy and access to communications, both in their every day lives and on the fireline. The Weather Channel, Internet access, E-mail, and 24-hour news on the television have all contributed to greater expectations of information and intelligence on the fireline. Those expectations are reflected in the survey responses. There is also an increased awareness of health-and-fitness issues among the 1998 survey respondents. Wellness programs, fitness centers, widely publicized health studies, nutritional values on food packages, and the Health Hazards of Smoke studies at MTDC have resulted in more health-conscious firefighters. Finally, the 1998 respondents show a keen awareness of the seriousness of fire safety issues, especially in the context of fatal fire events like the South Canyon Fire in 1994. For many wildland firefighters, the events of July 6, 1994, in Glenwood Springs, CO, are a defining moment equivalent to the death of President John Kennedy on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, TX. These firefighters are keenly aware of the significance of the deaths of 14 of their compatriots, regardless of agency affiliation or geographic region.
The last major factor to consider when studying the responses in the 1998 survey is the change in fire equipment uses in the 15 years since the 1984 survey. The late 1980’s and the 1990’s saw a major change in the numbers and capabilities of personal portable radios on the fireline. As lower cost, multichannel radios with scanning ability became more readily obtainable, many fire crews expanded their radio coverage from two radios to four or six. The scanning feature allowed them to be more fully informed about tactical operations, aircraft communications, and weather updates. Besides the increase in personal portable radios on fire operations, there has been a tremendous influx of other specialized electronic devices during the past 15 years: GPS, electronic weather instruments, cell phones and laptop computers all became commonplace on wildland fires across the country. The dependence on this type of equipment mirrors its use in society in general. Expectations of needed improvements in wildland fire equipment was reflected by the introduction of customized fireline equipment used by the individual firefighter. This equipment has included custom designed line packs and other web gear, as well as modified tools such as the super Pulaski and other fireline equipment. The last factor affecting fire equipment use trends is the increased emphasis on the survivability of the forest fire shelter because of events such as the Dude Fire (1990) and the South Canyon Fire (1994). The fatalities of the Dude and South Canyon Fires have prompted a renewed interest among the fire community in obtaining an improved fire shelter.
Interagency fire-equipment development needs have not changed much over the past 14 years.
In reviewing the top 20 items that emerged from the compilation of the 1998 Survey, several logical groupings become apparent:
Now that the survey results have been compiled and analyzed, the question is, what do we do with the results?
This survey, like its predecessor in 1984, was commissioned by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Fire Equipment Working Team to help set the priorities for fire equipment development for the next decade. This report will be forwarded to the FEWT for consideration and further action. It will also serve as a basis for setting priorities at the annual Fire and Aviation Technology & Development Centers’ Steering Committee meeting where work is assigned to the Missoula and San Dimas T&D Centers. It will also be shared with the fire equipment specialists in countries such as Canada, Spain, and Australia for their consideration in determining priorities for future fire equipment development.
It is also recommended that a followup survey be undertaken every 10 years to verify the results of previous surveys, and to continue to identify new equipment development needs that surface during the decade.
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