From forest firefighting doctrine to digital battlefield: a case study

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of information technology (IT) in the fight against forest fires in southern France.

Design/methodology/approach

The focus is on specifying the infrastructure and equipment used during operational interventions, as well as the role and functioning of the mobile command posts, which represent the nerve centers. As part of the firefighters operational practices, the concepts of the “tactical situation” and the “mobile means board” are at the heart of operations management. The purpose of the tactical situations is to present a synthetic overview of the theatre of operations through graphic representation on a background map. The function of the mobile means board is to manage the life cycle of the different resources engaged in the operations. The author first shows how these concepts were developed within the framework of manual management only. This is followed by an IT solution using a geographical information system for each of these operational modes.

Findings

A profound recognition of operational practices was a prerequisite to enable the personnel to accept a progression towards the use of IT techniques.

Research limitations/implications

The implemented approach precisely reflects the French forest firefighting doctrine. Application to other countries would thus require some adaptation.

Originality/value

The software system provides an easy access to geographical information functionalities for firefighters managing forest fires. This is achieved in the framework of strict compliance with their recognized operational methods.

Citation

Dumond, Y. (2015), "From forest firefighting doctrine to digital battlefield: a case study", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 320-337. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-03-2014-0043