Fighting talk

Abstract

Details how GIS is helping French fire officers to train in the specialized techniques needed to combat the seasonal threat of forest fires. During a training exercise a forest fire and evolution is simulated on a ground model. The model is displayed on a large computer screen which can be seen by those who would be located on the ground in reality. A GIS based system named Carica is used to support the exercises, designed to integrate data with information from areas affected by forest fires. The database is populated with details of previous fires such as reponse times, how particular fires have evolved, and strategies employed. Carica also incorporates a decision making process and training set up which is suitable for a range of different emergencies. In the future it could be applied to other incidents such as floods and chemical spills.