Command to Control

Effective emergency response is dependent on the quality of situational awareness, or how well those responding know what’s going on. Wildfire management teams use real-time data gathered from a variety of sources, coupled with internal experience, to coordinate fire containment strategies. Environmental science, climatology, and sophisticated imagery are used to predict the path wildfire will take and its intensity. Maintaining an accurate inventory of all available firefighting assets, their individual capabilities, and location, determines what response to deploy. When all elements are brought together, the bundle plays a vital role in determining effective firefighting response tactics. However, although technology is advancing, there are still situational awareness gaps over a wildfire. Support from the sky to overcome these challenges is needed. Taking command over the fire from a surveillance aircraft, coordinating with teams on the ground, is key to effective response. Tactical aircraft, such as Conair’s Daher TBM 960 Air Attack platform, offer a wide range of operational efficiencies and flexibility. Read more in Air Med Rescue Magazine….