Document

Title

New capability for early fire detection and location [abstract]
Document Type: Conference Paper
Author(s): J. Williams; G. Cooper
Editor(s): Leon F. Neuenschwander; Kevin C. Ryan; Greg E. Gollberg
Publication Year: 2000

Cataloging Information

Keyword(s):
  • computer programs
  • digital data collection
  • fire intensity
  • fire management
  • firefighting personnel
  • forest management
  • GPS - global positioning system
  • Idaho
  • INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
  • JFSP - Joint Fire Science Program
  • photography
  • telemetry
Topic(s):
Region(s):
Record Maintained By:
TTRS Staff; https://talltimbers.org/contact-us
Record Last Modified: March 16, 2021
FRAMES Record Number: 44160
Tall Timbers Record Number: 19476
TTRS Location Status: In-file
TTRS Abstract Status: Fair use, Okay, Reproduced by permission

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.

Description

This paper describes the function and capabilities of a new approach to incipient and mature fire detection, geolocation, tracking and characterization for the firefighting and forest management industry. This approach consists of a system, made up of an airborne pod and a ground station, currently under development by Synergistics and InterCountNet as a joint business venture. The airborne pod detects IR hot spots, computes their 'virtual GPS* based location, characterizes the fire intensity and spectrum then downlinks this data to the system ground station on low data rate RF telemetry. The data is filtered and processed at the ground station where it is overlaid onto a digitized map display. No focal plane array FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) type of imaging is involved, yet the system will achieve a near instantaneous and thorough surveillance of large forest areas with high geopositioning accuracy. Enhancements to the system also include two way duplex voice relay and data communications capability from the ground station through the pod and to ground firefighting units at the fire scene and pod mounted scene cameras which are commanded (worn, pan, tilt) from the ground station. The pod is entirely self contained with no electrical or mechanical interfaces to the host aircraft or helicopter except for attacbment points. Other capabilities will be addressed in the paper. The paper summarizes by describing various applications and capabilities. © University of Idaho 2000. Abstract reproduced by permission.

Online Link(s):
Link to this document
Citation:
Williams, J., and G. Cooper. 2000. New capability for early fire detection and location [abstract], in Neuenschwander, L. F., Ryan, K. C., and Gollberg, G. E., Joint Fire Science Conference and Workshop Proceedings: 'Crossing the Millennium: Integrating Spatial Technologies and Ecological Principles for a New Age in Fire Management'. Boise, Idaho. University of Idaho and the International Association of Wildland Fire,Moscow, ID and Fairfield, WA. Vol. I, p. 62, http://jfsp.nifc.gov/conferenceproc/GISRS-10-AOWilliamsetal.pdf.