National Wildfire Coordinating Group
Information Resource Management Working Team (IRMWT)
 
National Interagency Systems
Coordination Group (SCG)

December 2007

[printer friendly version]

Click on an Agency icon to go directly to their report.

Bureau of Land Management
Fire and Aviation Management
Information Systems

Phone: 208-387-5734

Email: nifc_helpblm.gov

• ASCADS (Automated Sorting Conversion and Distribution System) {Project Manager: Greg Jensen}
  • Lifecycle planning for end of life (i.e. Unify DB);
  • $300K for planning requested for FY2009
  • ASCADS – RAWS CMMS interconnect implementation completed in early December 2007.
  • Hardware refresh completed in November 2007
    
• Denver Backup - Network/Internet {Project Manager: Louie Leezer, PMP}
  • Network node at NIFC is proceeding
  • Internet circuit install tentatively scheduled for early April 2008
  • Install of new internal DS3 does not have a target date but will go in ASAP
  • Network hardware has been received at NOC. Configuration and shipping to NIFC pending circuit deliveries
  • New Backup systems scheduled for install January 2008
  • Current initial systems deployment plan is for the deployment of a web environment for fire related web sites
    
• FEOS (Fire Equipment Ordering System) {Project Manager: Greg Jensen}
  • This module has 4 components - order, inspection, deficiency, summary.
  • The requirements documents are being developed for the 4 components. The plan is to complete the documents for all components prior to beginning the design phase and coding for any of the components.
  • The O&M Unit is developing this application for the NIFC Equipment Group
    
• FireCode {Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP }
  • New development hardware has been purchased – once testing on new OS and DB software are completed, new hardware will be made production and old hardware will be development
    
• Firecode – Jobcode Interface {Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
  • Finalizing ISA/DEA w/ IBDB
  • Validate draft O&M charter
  • IBDB has their own ESB; not part of FS Fire.
    
• FirePix (Fire Picture Database) {Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
  • NIRMC has system functioning
  • External Affairs is rebuilding photo database
    
• FIRES (Fire Integrated Recruitment and Employment System) {Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
  • System normal
• FORS (Fire Occurrence and Reporting System Study) {Senior Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
  • Contractor on-board to help manage the data standard elicitation process
• ftp.nifc.gov (Interagency Incident Support FTP Site) {BLM POC: John Noneman, PMP}
  • Back-up site to NITC for incident related ftp needs
  • USFS is planning for Beltsville
  • We still need to determine if BLM workload can accommodate.
• IQCS – Incident Qualifications and Certification System
  • New webserver scheduled to be on-line in early January
  • Nomination Workflow Process development was completed Sept 1. Being utilized by Great Basin, Northern Rockies and others for training nominations.
  • Certification and Accreditation is scheduled for January.
  • Lifecycle Planning {Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
    • Need to explore options for Oracle dropping of PeopleSoft support in 2013, $300K for planning requested for FY2009, Looking at core mission; any other systems online
  • IQCS Development System Hosting {Project Manager: Mike Morgen}
    • System to remain at NITC; evaluate move to NIFC in conjunction with COO planning
• IQCS-I (Incident Qualifications and Certification System ROSS Interface) {BLM Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
  • Defect determination and fixing on-going
  • Implementation occurred in October, system testing is ongoing
• JFSP - Phase 2 (Joint Fire Science Project Proposal Management System) {Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
  • Business requirements analysis completed
  • ColdFusion/Oracle programmer provided via Ciber contract to work w/ in-house developer
  • System level use case elicitation occurred in November 2007
• RAWS Maintenance S/W (CMMS) {Project Manager: NIRMC}
  • ASCADS – RAWS CMMS interconnect implementation completed in early December 2007.

• ROMAN (Real-time Observation Monitor and Analysis Network) {Project Manager: }
  • Per Paul Schlobohm: FS fund this FY, FENWT completed business assessment (Oct 2007)
    
    
• Training Database - Competencies tracking {Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
  • Contractor selected
  • Kickoff Oct 3
  • Design/build started
    
• WFMI (Wildland Fire Management Information System) {Project Manager: Greg Jensen}
  • Ongoing discussion in regards to BOR joining change management board
  • Development to add fire occurrence data for Bureau of Reclamation is complete
  • Hardware refresh scheduled for FY 2008 pending design plans for new ARC/IMS deployment
    
    
• WildCAD (Wildland Computer Aided Dispatch) {BLM Project Manager: John Noneman, PMP}
  • Noneman and Skeels completed draft options paper relating to USFS adoption of WildCAD for enterprise use
  • Briefing Fire Directors on alternatives in December in preparation for presentation at January NWCG meeting

Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management Information Systems

Phone: 1-800-253-5559

Email: fire_helpdms.nwcg.gov

• AFF (Aviation Flight Following) {Project Manager: Bob Roth}
  • Nothing new
• AMIS (Aviation Management Information System) {Project Manager: Brad Harwood}
  • o The Aviation Business System has been implemented in all of the regions. All invoices that require payment are entered into ABS. All Forest Service aircraft must still be entered into AMIS. Plans are in place to allow Forest Service aircraft to be entered into ABS at which time AMIS will be discontinued.
    o F&AM will continue to provide support for AMIS and correct any problems. However, no changes or enhancements will be made.
    o The ABS data will be stored in the Data Warehouse and all aviation reports and queries will be done via the warehouse. The ABS source system has limited reporting functionality.
    
• ARS (Aviation Resource System
  • The existing ARS system is being written to run under the FAMWEB suite of applications. ARS will be available for testing June 9th, 2008 on the FAMWEB test page.
    
• AWSR (Annual Wildfire State Reporting) {Project Manager: Brad Harwood}
  • Changes have been made to the FS-3100-8 report in AWSR to make it an official OMB form.
    
    
• BehavePlus (Fire Behavior) {Project Manager: Pat Andrews}
  • The Beta release of BehavePlus version 4.0 is now available on FireModels.org.
  • A summary of changes from version 3 to version 4 is on the Downloads page. New features and modeling capabilities have been added. A problem that occasionally caused very slow operation has been fixed.
  • Training material has been updated as part of a JFSP project. Additional lessons are being developed. They will be posted to the web site as they are completed.
  • Individuals who subscribe to FireModels.org News Items will receive an e-mail with new information that is added to the News page.
    
• Dispatch Utilities {Project Manager: Sue Petersen}
  • Nothing new
    
    
• FAMWEB Applications (AWSR, AMIS, FIRESTAT) {Project Manager: Brad Harwood}
  • The new FAMWEB home page is available at http://fam.nwcg.gov/fam-web/. The trailing “/” is required. Note this url is different from the previous one which was http://famweb.nwcg.gov
  • The FAMWEB test page is available at http://famtest.nwcg.gov/fam-web/.
  • The FAMWEB security module has been changed to utilize a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), which will provide a single sign on for AWSR, AMIS, FIRESTAT, ARS and the warehouse. This change has been applied to the FAMWEB test page and will be applied to production by July 1st, 2008.
    
• FAMWEB Data Warehouse {Project Manager: Brad Harwood
  • Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) delivered V2.2 of the FAMWEB Data Warehouse to the Forest Service on April 23, 2008. This version contains the changes to the Aviation Business System (ABS) portion of the warehouse.
  • SAIC has installed V2.2 at NITC but is still working on a few problems and some performance tuning.
  • The warehouse has been released to a limited group of users to help with initial testing. Once this testing is complete we will release it to a larger user group for user acceptance training.
  • Formal training will commence once the user acceptance testing has finished. Details about the training (location, dates, etc.) have yet to be determined. If any region would like to host a training session please contact Brad Harwood at 208-387-5289. This is a great opportunity for users in your region to learn how to use the new GIS tool, build customized queries and analyze fire/weather data.

• FEPMIS (Federal Excess Property Management Information System) {Project Mgr: Brad Harwood}
  • The re-design of FEPMIS is currently underway and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2008.

• FireFamily Plus – FFP (Fire and Weather Analysis) {Project Manager: Larry Bradshaw}
  • Beta 3 test version of version 4.0 is available on the Firemodels.org downloads page. This version was tested at the Advanced NFDRS class at NAFRI in February. Work is progressing for the Candidate Release Version which will be sent to IRM for release testing on July 10th.
  • Be sure to get the quick start document that describes new and different features.
  • Individuals who subscribe to FireModels.org News Items will receive an e-mail with new information that is added to the News page.

• FIRESTAT (Fire Statistics) {Project Manager: Brad Harwood}
• The PCHA upload process is in the final stages of testing. We hope to have a full test upload done by June 13th, 2008 and the update run in production shortly after that date.
• To prevent users from updating fire records that may be changed by the PCHA upload we have added a restriction in FIRESTAT that prevents users from updating fire records prior to 2007. Once the PCHA upload is complete the restriction will be removed and users will be able to correct all fire occurrence records.
• Work is underway to develop an enterable electronic version of the FS-5100-29 form using FORMATTA. This will allow users to enter fire records without being logged into FIRESTAT or connected to the network. The data entered through the form can then uploaded into FIRESTAT.
• Several new fields are being added to FIRESTAT and will be available in production July 1st, 2008. The new fields are:'
  • Is the fire part of a complex?
  • Did the fire burn in a WUI?
  • Acres burned in a WUI
  • Number of Residences Destroyed
  • Number of Other Structures Destroyed
    
    
• FPA (Fire Program Analysis) {Project Manager: Dan Keller}
  • Nothing new.

• GIS (Geospatial Information Systems) {Project Manager: Joe Frost}

• Nothing new.

• IBA (Incident-Based Automation) {Proj Mgr: Jon Skeels}

• ISUITE - Current release is 7.01.10.
• ISUITE Release 8.01.01 will be available in late May 2008.
• IBA – Infrastructure - The Infrastructure CWN Leasing Contract Statement of Work review is complete. Work to put the solicitation on the street in underway. Award is anticipated sometime late summer.
• IBA – Business / Data Modeling – The IBA Business and Data Modeling contract work is complete. Briefings to NWCG working Teams and the PMO have occurred. The deliverable and recommendation development phase will begin soon. It is anticipated that recommendations will be presented in late summer.
• IBA – Enterprise I-Suite (eI-Suite) – Work on the eI-Suite Application continues through the requirements and technical design stage. Release of this application is slated for 2009.
• Check the website for more information (http://isuite.nwcg.gov).
  
• ICBS (Interagency Cache Business System – Legacy) {Project Manager: Brad Harwood}
  • Will be replaced in the spring of 2008 by ICBS-R being developed by Manugistics.
  • F&AM will continue to provide support for ICBS; however, no changes or enhancements will be made.

• ICBS-R (Interagency Cache Business System) Re-Engineering {Project Manager: Andy Gray/Jon Skeels}

• The re-engineered ICBS system is now in production at NITC
• In late April the Rocky Mountain Cache in Denver came on board. The Prescott, AZ and London, KY caches are next in the queue
• User support is provided by "Interagency Helpdesk Services," which also supports ROSS, DMS, I-Suite, EaTIS and ABS (Note: the "Fire Applications Support Desk" will continue to support the legacy ICBS)
• This year, some caches will be on the legacy ICBS while others transition to the new system
• An interface with ROSS is scheduled for deployment in June. This first interface will just involve the NFES catalog
• Flint Cheney and Steve Simon have been working with the FS Network Support Staff and local IRM specialists to install WLANs and program scanning guns in caches in several regions. Any Regional IRM specialists who are interested in getting involved in this technology would probably be welcomed
  

• InciWeb (Centralized Public Incident Information Sharing) {Project Manager: Sue Peterson}

• Designing & Setting up new environment at NITC to support increased use and availability. No date for implementation.

• KCFAST (Fire Data and Reports Retrieval) {Project Manager: Sue Petersen}

• Nothing new

• Landfire {Project Manager: Bruce Jeske}

• Are in the latter stages of production in LF National East milestone.
• Of the 67 map zones in the lower 48 states, 51 have been completed.
• All remaining map zones have been started and are in various stages of completion for incremental delivery.
• Operation and Maintenance Plans have been approved by the Executive Oversight Committee and transmitted to LF project sponsoring agencies and bureaus.
• LF data are being used for a wide variety of purposes at national or regional scale. Data application case studies are available on the LF website.
• LF data and were used, or modified with locally relevant data, as inputs to WFDSS on over 150 wildland fire incidents this past season.
• The project has begun the early stages of the Alaska milestone and is making strategic plans for how to best complete Alaska and Hawaii with the time and funding remaining in the project.
• Initial Operations and Maintenance activities have begun with a Rapid Refresh process. The RR updates western map zones to use more current imagery and incorporates some recent disturbances into the data. The RR delivery dates have been closely coordinated with FPA schedule.
• Other Operations and Maintenance activities include progress on the long term Refresh procedures and Southeast update. These efforts insure that LF data from all areas of the USA are updated.
• Data distribution and technical transfer activities continue to be provided. The project gets good feedback on data distribution activities.
  

• NESS (FAM - National Enterprise Support Services) Project {Project Manager: Joe Frost}
  • Keri Vest will take over management of NESS on 6/1/2008 for 120 days
  • New equipment being installed
  • Replaced 2 end of life switches with hi end Cisco Switches (should see an improvement in in response time.

• PCHA (PC Historic Analysis) {Project Manager: Keri Vest}
  • Nothing new.

• ROSS (Resource Ordering & Status) {Project Manager: Jon Skeels}

• ROSS – Current release is 2.7.0.24.
• Testing of version 2.8 is in full swing. Deployment is planned for mid-June. Major components include: ICBS-R Data Exchange for Catalog, Incidents; Cognos Query Studio, and solutions to many Change Requests.
• Check the website for more information (http://ross.nwcg.gov)

• SitReport/209 (Incident Information Reporting) {Project Manager: Faye Chandler}

• Security contingency training for NICC & GACC Intel Officers completed
• Continuing C&A Phase II

• WFAS (Wildland Fire Assessment System) {Project Manager:Matt Nolly}
  • Nothing new

• WFDSS (Wildland Fire Decision-Support System) {Project Manager: Dan Keller}
  • Nothing new.

• WIMS (Weather Information Management System) {Project Manager: Jeff Barnes}
  • Updating Test Procedures and Test Plan for application testing.
  • Version 1.1.7 release date June 15, 2009
  • WIMS Change Board is compiling priority SPR for next version release.
  • Testing RAWS and NWS java gateway version.
  • Testing new database structure.
  • New user guide and training packages will be completed by end of summer.
  • Developing new dashboard to include fw9 export function.
  • Additional NWS forecasting offices have been added.
    
    

back to the top

back to the top

back to SCG