Infrastructure and firefighting asset monitoring and condition assessment
Seeking to strengthen preparedness for EWE by enabling the constant monitoring, assessment and update of the current conditions of all firefighting assets.
Problem
Existing fire management systems lack effective monitoring and condition assessment of firefighting infrastructure and assets, resulting in compromised response capabilities, inefficient resource allocation, and increased vulnerability during Extreme Wildfire Events.
Why the Problem exists?
The problem of insufficient monitoring and condition assessment of firefighting infrastructure and assets arises due to several factors. Firstly, the aging infrastructure and limited resources allocated to maintenance and monitoring contribute to the degradation of fire stations, equipment, water supply systems, and access roads. This deterioration, combined with the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme wildfires, renders the firefighting infrastructure susceptible to failure, hindering effective response efforts. Additionally, the lack of integrated monitoring systems, limited data availability, and coordination gaps among fire management agencies exacerbate the problem, impeding proactive maintenance and timely identification of asset vulnerabilities.
Looking for solutions that completely or partially solve the following:
- Ensuring that infrastructure (water supply, access roads, etc) conditions are regularly monitored and the information is available and current.
- Ensuring that equipment conditions are regularly monitored and the information is available and current.
- Ensuring that equipment is regularly serviced, fire stations are well-maintained, water supply systems are functional, and access roads are usable.
- Identify areas needing reinforcement, assess road network conditions, and optimise resource deployment for effective firefighting.
Requirements
- Enable real-time monitoring of firefighting infrastructure and assets.
- Enable early detection of potential issues and proactive maintenance.
- Enable timely decision-making during Extreme Wildfire Events.
- Integrate with current infrastructure and data sources to avoid duplication of efforts and streamline information sharing.
- Scalable to monitoring various firefighting assets and infrastructure across geographies and stakeholders.
- User-friendly and easy access to monitoring data and condition assessment.
Limitation(s)
- Financial limitations for comprehensive monitoring systems and regular maintenance programs.
- Information accessibility across institutional silos.
- Ensure compatibility with current solutions.
- Ensure flexibility to accommodate future advancements and emerging technologies.
- Address data privacy and security concerns.
Fire Management Phase(s)
Prevention & Preparedness
Living Labs
Bulgaria Living Lab; Greece Living Lab.
Voice of the Living Lab(s)
“The road network is not in a good condition of maintenance, both for the initial approaching and for the firefighting operations. The difficulty of access is often due to the accumulation of forest fuels that hinders the work, and to the fact that the new type of fire engines (electronic) have difficulties moving on the unmaintained road network compared to the older type of fire engines (motorised). Several rural roads leading to cultivated/ agricultural areas are also inaccessible, making firefighting more difficult when fires break out“.
“The provision of equipment for extinguishing fires is hampered by the lack of sufficient equipment and the poor access infrastructure in some of the forest areas. So the response may be delayed. There is no established systematic, institutional and inter-institutional approach for analysis and classification, planning, financing, reporting and control of fire safety activities at the landscape level A good monitoring system and access to all endangered territories and objects is not maintained. There are also infrastructural problems with providing water sources for extinguishing in the forest areas of LL. The fire department does not have the authority or finances to monitor the condition of forest and agricultural roads, but it has the main responsibility for action in case of fire“.