Ahead of this year’s Wildfire Technology Management Summit, we had the privilege of interviewing Ben Miller, the Director for the Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Aerial Firefighting (The CoE), to gain his insights into How UAS are Impacting the Future of Fire Fighting.

The interview delves into:

• The current uses of UAS and drones in wildfire management, and where Ben sees the future of these technologies headed
• What COTAK is and an update on its roll out
• Why Ben believes local engagement and partnerships are instrumental in implementing fire safety measures in Colorado, and much more!

Read the full interview here >>

Ahead of the 5th iteration of the Wildfire Technology Management Summit (The Westin Pasadena, California | April 23-24), IDGA sat down with one of last year’s notable speakers, Tami Parkinson, a Fire Management Specialist for the Wildland Fire Management Research Development and Application Group, a department in the U.S. Forest Services to discuss 'Embracing Technology and Collaboration in the Fight Against Wildfires.'

In the interview, she delves into: 

• Her experience with managing wildfires, the challenges and complexities she faced, and the lessons learnt from the process
• Why Tami believes successful inter-agency partnerships or collaborative efforts are vital to effective wildfire management
• How her department has embraced technological advancements to enhance wildfire prevention, detection, and response
• Why she thinks industry events such as IDGA’s Wildfire Technology Management Summit are important, and the gaps she thinks they address.

>> Read the full interview here.

As the frequency and extent of wildfires continue to grow and evolve, a new, complex set of challenges arise. Indeed, climate change, human population growth and new cultural and natural landscapes call for enhanced cooperation at a national, regional, and global level, in addition to effective and innovative solutions. In this interview, Professor Johann Goldammer, Chief of the Global Fire Monitoring Center, delves into the current most pressing challenges in wildfire management, as well as the areas where he believes we should be shifting our efforts. He gives an honest state-of-play of the threat landscape, referring to his long-standing experience and research. In this piece he:

• Describes the major challenges in mitigating and preventing wildfires
• Provides examples of best practice
• Touches on a number of frameworks employed by different nations
  

Ben McGrane, Assistant Director for incident procurement operations, is an expert on all things procurement for firefighting. This written interview focuses on the procurement frameworks and challenges facing the agencies. Ben discusses the direction in which procurement is going and incorporating new technologies. Whether you are a veteran contractor or looking for guidance in a new market, this interview serves as a jumping-off point for new ways of thinking about procurement.

The wildfire threat landscape continues to evolve as climate change accelerates, increasing the need for international and interagency collaboration, as well as the utilization of the latest technologies that can address emerging challenges posed to communities and vital infrastructure. In this interview Chief Z delves into the importance of the Wildfire Technology Management Conference and shines a light on innovative technological solutions that can be leveraged to confront elongated and increasingly severe wildfire seasons.

This factual presentation features Everett Hinlkey, National Remote Sensing Program Manager, US Forest Service and Sean Triplett, Tools and Technology Director, Fire and Aviation, US Forest Service who talks about all things related to wildfire management. Click here to view the past presentation.