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Protecting the Community - GPS Mapping Technology Awareness Day

Ripley Valley RFB is one of several rural fire brigades who have been developing new mapping systems for nearly a decade out of necessity and the OziExplorer program became central to that process around 2004. In 2007, the GIS Mapping Team at QFRS under Mark Wallace invited a number of brigades to meet with the view to develop a standard process and selection of tools such as hand held GPS units. It quickly became evident that a number of Brigades such as Ripley Valley and Crows Nest RFB's were developing on very similar lines in isolation. The team combined their energies and the result was the Brigade Mapping Toolset released at the Volunteer Summit in 2010. To download the Brigade Mapping Toolset, please visit the Volunteer Portal

The Toolset delivered the theory to get Rural Brigades started but feedback from interested volunteers suggested a practical follow up day would be of value. Ripley Valley RFB hosted a GPS and computerised mapping technology awareness day on the 4th July 2010 in collaboration between the GIS Mapping Team at Kedron under Mark Wallace and the Air Operations Team under Wayne Bates. The main aim was to help other volunteer firefighters understand mapping and GPS technologies available to assist with fire mitigation and incident management. This technology awareness day was an opportunity to highlight some of the more practical potential applications for the technologies as well as looking at future directions.

To download a copy of the Garmin 78sMap GPS Unit Presentation, please Click Here.

To download a copy of the Ozi-Explorer Presentation, please Click Here.

Highlights from the Ripley Valley RFB Technology Day - 4th July 2010

The day was advertised on the Volunteer Portal with just over 50 visitors coming to the day came from Brigades as far west as Pratton near Warwick down to the Gold Coast hinterland at Coomera Valley. We thought a Ripley welcome of 5 degrees Celcius at 8AM was a bit brisk at 8.00AM but Warwick beat us with a -6 deg C start to the day.

The program for the day was split into three streams to illustrate various aspects of the technologies in practical applications:

Stream One: Mapping Technology Overviews The latest in Mapping Capabilities and Technologies
Presenter: Mark Wallace, Manager GIS for QFRS Rural Operations

Stream Two: Mapping/GPS Technology Practical Applications
The Use of GPS and Mapping Solutions in Wildfire Management
The Use of GPS and Mapping Solutions in Planning Hazard Reduction Burns
The Pathfinder Function Role
Presenter: Jim Runham, Ripley Valley RFB

Stream Three: Remote IMT Operations with GPS/Mapping Technologies Interfacing with Air Operations
Presenter: Wayne Bates, Manager Air Operations QFRS
Remote Technologies for Mobile Incident Management
Presenter: John Bowles and Gary Chapman, Ripley Valley RFB

Mark running through the newer technologies being developed that brings together multiple information sources.

Jim running through the practical use of GPS units and the OziExplorer software that helps Brigades manipulate map data.

Wayne running through an overview of the Air Operations Support functions.

A demonstration of the A-Tom integrated mapping system.

Gary and John running through some of the features of an incident support unit for a remote IMT application.

Documentation:

To read our SOP for understanding GPS technology and the use of OziExplorer, please Click Here.

To view the Wensley Road fire Case Study on the use of the GPS Mapping System, please Click Here.

To view the presentation on the use of the new Garmin 78s GPS units, please Click Here.

To view the user guide of the new Garmin 78s GPS units, please Click Here.

To read our SOP for the IMT Trailer, please Click Here.

A special thanks to Mark Wallace and Wayne Bates for their generous support of the day and all those who attended for making the day possible. If anyone has any questions, please contact George Ganzenmuller at: rv1@ripleyvalleyruralfire.org.au

 

..and a thanks to Jan and Steve (aka Squirt) for keeping us very well fed along with logistical support from RFS Area Office.