December 15, 2005

1. NWCG Incident Based Automation Strategic Planning Project Incident Based AutomationPhase 2 Strategic Plan Briefing December 15, 2005

2. Overview • Background and Purpose of Incident Based Automation – Phase 2 (IBA2) • Methodology • Strategic Plan • Strategic Areas • Recommendations • Conclusions and Next Steps

3. NWCG Incident Based Automation Strategic Planning Project Background and Purpose

4. Background and Purpose of Project • IBA2 was chartered by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). • NWCG was formed to expand operational cooperation and coordination of federal and state wildland fire agencies. • IBA will take place in three phases. NWCG Incident Based Automation Project Phases

5. IBA2 Project Objectives • Identify and obtain agreement from NWCG Agencies on key incident business areas to be included in the strategic analysis and resulting planning documents. • Conduct business area analyses for the business areas identified by the IBA2 Project Team and agreed upon by NWCG Agencies. • Develop a strategic plan that identifies recommended priorities for incident business area automation. • Utilize cost efficiencies by coordinating and sharing information with groups that are already formed for working on issues relating to incident processes.

6. Identified by NWCG: Operations Plans Finance Logistics Safety    Information Dispatch Cache General IBA2 Business Areas

7. NWCG Incident Based Automation Strategic Planning Project Methodology

8. Methodology for Developing the IBA2 Strategic Plan • Document draft “As Is” process models for incident business. • Develop Site Visit Plan to provide the framework for coordinating site visits to: • Incident command posts (ICPs) • External entities. • Conduct site visits and interviews. • Summarize findings form interviews in database. • Analyze site visit results. • Develop strategic areas and recommendations. • Synthesize findings in strategic plan.

9. Site Visit Plan: Targets • Incident Management Teams (IMTs) • Type I • Type II • Wildland Fire Use (WFU) • Area Command. • IMT home geographic area. • Management phase (e.g., build-up, steady state). • Host Agency • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) • United States Department of Interior (USDOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) • State. • Incident geographic area. • Incident setting/type (e.g., urban interface). • Other features.

10. Site Visit Targets and ResultsBlue: External Yellow: Incidents

11. Site Visit Summary • 20 site visits • 9 Wildland Fires • 3 All Risk • 8 External Entities • 164 interviews

12. 9 Wildland Fires 2 in Arizona Type I Type II 1 in Colorado Type I 2 in Washington Type I (State Team) Type II 1 in Utah Type I 1 in Montana Type I 2 WFU teams 1 on-incident in Colorado 1 off-incident Site Visit Summary: Locations

13. Site Visit Summary: Locations continued • 3 All-Risk – Hurricane Katrina • 1 Type I Team in Mississippi • 1 Logistics Management Team (LMT) in Alabama • 1 Area Command in Georgia

14. Site Visit Summary: Locations continued • 8 External entities • North West Coordination Center (NWCC) • Rocky Mountain Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) - Denver, CO • National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) – Boise, ID • Alaska BLM and Alaska Fire Service (AFS) in Fairbanks • Expanded Dispatch – Wenatchee, WA • NIFC Wireless – Boise, ID • Missoula, MT • California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) – Sacramento, CA

15. Site Visit Results: Building the Strategic Plan • Summarized all interviews in a data collection and analysis tool. • Collected data from interviews on topics such as • Business process changes • Automation opportunities • Standardization opportunities • Challenges associated with transition. • Extensively analyzed results • Looked for commonalities across interviews • Explored broader concepts.

16. Site Visit Results: Building the Strategic Plan continued • Developed three strategic areas. • Identified ten specific recommendations. • Estimated the timeframe for implementation • Short-Term – could be completed within 12-18 months • Medium-Term –could be completed within 18-36 • Long-Term – could be completed after 36 months. • Estimated the level of effort required. • Identified dependencies. • Identified action items.

17. NWCG Incident Based Automation Strategic Planning Project Strategic Plan

18. Overview • Three strategic areas were identified: • Data/information and applications/ technology • Infrastructure/connectivity • Trained and skilled workforce. • The strategic areas: • Are synergistic and inter-dependent • Serve as organizing principles for the recommendations.

19. Overview continued

20. Overview continued • Data/information and applications/technology is the centerpiece of the strategic plan. • Infrastructure/connectivity is the foundation – without this, there will be no foothold. • A trained and skilled workforce is necessary to leverage the recommendations effectively.

21. Background on Data/Information and Applications/Technology • Strategic Area Focus • Standardize data. • Facilitate data sharing within the incident and with external entities. • Provide appropriate technologies and applications. • Analysis/Discussion • Demand has increased for information, including demand from outside an incident’s operational boundaries.

22. Background on Data/Information and Applications/Technology continued • Analysis/Discussion (continued) • Challenges reported and observed regarding transfer of command. • Rapidly evolving technology has provided the capability for more, better, faster information flow; however, the use of technology is hampered by: • A slow pace of application development • A lack of data standards • Insufficient user training • Business processes that are entrenched in paper-based systems and culture.

23. Examples of Paper-basedManual Processes Check-in Helibase Photo courtesy of SAIC, Tani Converse

24. Recommendations on Data/Information and Applications/Technology • Recommendation 1.1: Develop a comprehensive incident support system that allows information sharing and efficient data management throughout the lifetime of the incident, increases situational awareness, and provides for better decision support. Timeframe: Long-term. • Effort: Large.

25. Action Items for Recommendation 1.1

26. Action Items for Recommendation 1.1 continued

27. Action Items for Recommendation 1.1 continued

28. Recommendations on Data/Information and Applications/Technology continued • Recommendation 1.2: Enable better information flow within an incident’s operational boundaries and to external entities. Provide teams with an interagency portal for dissemination of and access to current fire information. • Timeframe: Medium-term. • Effort: Medium.

29. Action Items for Recommendation 1.2

30. Action Items for Recommendation 1.2 continued

31. Recommendations on Data/Information and Applications/Technology continued • Recommendation 1.3:Actively participate in enterprise architecture and data standardization activities across the interagency incident management community to ensure that incident management activities are well-supported by these efforts. • Timeframe: Short-term. • Effort: Small.

32. Action Items for Recommendation 1.3

33. Recommendations on Data/Information and Applications/Technology continued • Recommendation 1.4: Formalize and standardize the process for implementing current and emerging technologies for incident management. Integrate the technologies with the comprehensive incident support system described in Recommendation 1.1. • Timeframe: Medium-term. • Effort: Large.

34. Action Items for Recommendation 1.4

35. Recommendations on Data/Information and Applications/Technology continued • Recommendation 1.5: Apply the use of Automated Identification Technology (AIT) to incident business processes identified as potential candidates. Integrate AIT into the incident support system described in Recommendation 1.1 • Timeframe: Medium-term. • Effort: Medium.

36. Action Items for Recommendation 1.5

37. Infrastructure and Connectivity • Strategic Area Focus • Ensure that teams have infrastructure (both hardware and software) and connectivity to utilize applications and technology for incident management. • This infrastructure must be: • Standardized • Scaleable • Agency-independent • Ready by the end of the first operational period(i.e., within 12 hours of the IMT arriving).

38. Background on Infrastructure and Connectivity • Analysis/Discussion • IMTs use a combination of kits, computer rentals, equipment from multiple agencies, and personally-owned equipment. • The availability of computers and infrastructure varies widely from incident to incident. • The infrastructure is often not scaleable, making it difficult (if not impossible) to expand the infrastructure if needed. • These factors make it difficult to get teams up and running and transfer command, as well as lead to Inefficiencies and duplication of effort.

39. Recommendations for Infrastructure and Connectivity • Recommendation 2.1:Standardize and provide the computing and communications infrastructure for incident management for: use in a variety of incident settings, availability within the "first operational period" (defined as within 12 hours of the IMT’s arrival), and the ability to scale to the incident environment. • Timeframe: Medium-term. • Expected Relative Effort: Large.

40. Recommendation 1.1: The Challenge… continued Photo courtesy of USDA Forest Service, Liz Kinney Currently, IMTs often find themselves in remote ICP locations with no electricity or connection to the Internet. Example above is an IMT on an All Risk incident. They waited several days for equipment to arrive.

41. Action Items for Recommendation 2.1

42. Recommendations for Infrastructure and Connectivity continued • Recommendation 2.2: The interagency community should remove information technology (IT) barriers that inhibit incident management teams. • Timeframe: Short-term. • Expected Relative Effort: Medium.

43. Action Items for Recommendation 2.2

44. Trained/Skilled Workforce and Information Technology Support • Strategic Area Focus • Ensure that the incident management personnel are trained and skilled in both using and supporting the automated environment. • Analysis/Discussion • Adequacy of training to ensure that personnel have the skills necessary to use the tools available. • Training currency, especially given the rapidly changing technology environment. • Ensuring that non-Agency employees had access to technology training.

45. Recommendations on Trained/Skilled Workforce and IT Support • Recommendation 3.1: Expand and modernize training methods to more effectively and efficiently teach emerging technologies, applications, and automation for business practices that will touch virtually all Incident Management positions. • Timeframe: Medium-term. • Expected Relative Effort: Large.

46. Action Items for Recommendation 3.1

47. Recommendations on Trained/Skilled Workforce and IT Support continued • Recommendation 3.2:Review all NWCG positions to more appropriately reflect “qualified” and “current” and to recognize the increasingly rapid change in automation, technologies, and applications. • Timeframe: Medium-term. • Expected Relative Effort: Medium.

48. Action Items for Recommendation 3.2

49. Recommendations on Trained/Skilled Workforce and IT Support continued • Recommendation 3.3: Develop, design, and implement a streamlined method for training (which includes current technology and applications), that is focusedon non-agency personnel with previous incident-related experience. • Timeframe:Medium-term. • Expected Relative Effort: Medium.

50. Action Items for Recommendation 3.3