June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton THERMAL INFRARED PROGRAM HELICOPTER PLATFORMS Alberta Perspective

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Outline Introduction Why we use IR Statistics – Present concerns effecting IR use Completed to date Future Standards

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Background 1982 with Forest Service Over 2200 hours as an IR operator – 1982 – 1989 –Level I certification FLIR Variety of helicopter platforms –B206, B204, B205, B212, H500 3 main IR cameras –AGA 750, AGEMA 782, AGA 110 Multiple Search /Rescue missions with RCMP Team Lead –2001 – 2004 Provincial Fire Mapping Program Coordinator –2005 1/2 – present Provincial IR Program Coordinator

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Alberta Forest Protection, a Branch of Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Responsibility…….. To protect Alberta’s forests and forest communities by preventing and suppressing forest fires

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Why Do We Use IR ADM believes in the IR program and it’s fiscal use Aids in Mop-up operations –Maximizes the effective and efficient use of our ground crews Helps to determine areas of little or no fire activity –CAUTION!!!!! Tool to determine fire status –OC, BH, UC, EX Aids in the determination of hotspots, burning areas, and fire perimeter

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Definitions Hotspot: Burning Area: Fire Perimeter: Area of remnant heat > 300 degrees C. and 25 cm in size Extensive areas of active burning Maximum extent of fire destroyed vegetation

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton EXAMPLES: Hot Spots Fire Perimeter Active Burning Area

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton helicopter companies 16 different helicopter platforms Spent $4,851, Utilized 5583 hours helicopter time Utilized 3892 hours of IR operator time Statistics

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Helicopter Versus IR Operator Costs

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Present Concerns Effecting IR Use No justification on usage - We just use it Misconceptions –Weather plays an important role How long after raining do we wait before scanning? Does rain or snow interfere with effective operations? At least 2 days Drives heat down It attenuates IR signal

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Present Concerns Effecting IR Use Misconceptions – Con’t –Time of scan is important When is the best time to scan? What effect does a sunny day have on the detection capabilities? How far underground can I detect heat? Works best during night operations or early mornings/late evenings Creates false positives 1/32 inch

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Present Concerns Effecting IR Use Solar Reflectance And Water Vapour Can be your worst enemies

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Present Concerns Effecting IR Use Variety of IR equipment –Type III gimbel mount ( > $100,000) –Handheld (<$100,000) Inconsistent end products –Can your IR equipment give us the end products we want?

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Present Concerns Effecting IR Use Lag time of IR mission results to IC, SITL or GIS team –No accountability to the team Varied delivery times Right after landing Delivery times sometimes 2 hr late Breakfast more important Never Nothing to report

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Present Concerns Effecting IR Use Delivery formats varied –Flagged nails –Toilet paper –Hand drawn maps with hotspots delineated –Post-it notes Numbers transposed wrong Lost post-it notes –Cigarette packages –GPS coordinates in different formats DD – this what is needed DM – helicopter operations DMS- mapping –Thumb drives sometimes

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Present Concerns Effecting IR Use IR experience –IR operators experience varied None to lots –Pilot and IR operators out on their own ICS team member not present –Misunderstanding of how operation worked Pilot felt it was important to see hotspots also

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Present Concerns Effecting IR Use Time of hire – Expectations not conveyed Time of release – Exit evaluations not done IR providers require honest feedback on performance Upcoming companies are asking for direction

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Completed to Date

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Completed to Date

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Completed to Date

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Future Standards Sensitivity/File Format/Accuracy Ability to detect hotspot targets = > 25sq cm in size Ability to provide digital GPS shapefiles of hotspots and flight course taken by helicopter The coordinates of targets within a spatial accuracy of 10 meters

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Future Standards Format of Delivered Data Shapefile –Geographic(lat-long) or degree decimal degrees –NAD83 datum –Include - *.dbf, *.shp, *.shx, *.prj files

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Future Standards Format of Delivered Data-con’t Hardcopy maps – 11x17 –Quicklook product of identified targets JPEG, BMP, PDF format Must STAND on it’s own –Scale –Title –Author –North arrow –Date

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Crumb Trail as Evidence of Assessment Coverage

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton DESIRED PRODUCT - Black Perimeter Trace -GPS Locations of Hotspots -Tabular and digital data

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Future Standards Information Delivery Immediate delivery of shapefile data and maps upon landing –To ground crews via drop tube or landing at camps via thumb drive Future –Downlink capabilities of hotspots to sectors, camps, IC base –Downlink to simple printer –Real time downlink of IR images to IC base to aid planning section and IC in decision making

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton PDA – MOBILE MAPPING

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Future Standards Mission Plan Include –Where scan took place –Scan objectives –Average height of flight – AGL –Start/stop times –Type of scanner used –Name of pilot and scanner operator –Type and registration of helicopter –Fire number / fire name –Date of flight

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Example of THERMAL MISSION REPORT

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Future Standards IR Standards for Providers Standardize training/certification for IR operators –Need to understand the basics of infrared –Known training companies FLIR - Snell infrared - Minimum on-site training requirements 20 hours? Test IR companies over grid to promote consistency –Must pass to use on fires

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Future Standards Performance Feedback Expectations conveyed –At time of hire –Daily Evaluation at time of release - –Evaluations by designated ICS member –PSC –SITL –IR Coordinator?

June 8/2006 Detection Conference – Hinton Steve Simser, GIS/IR Specialist Wildfire Resource Information Wildfire Aviation and Geomatics Forest Protection Branch Forestry Division 9 th Floor, 9920 – 108 St. Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2M work cell gov.ab.ca Thankyou