Past, Present and Future

Yesterday Tomorrow?

Today

Past

1970 Fire Season

16 lives lost

772 structures lost

500,000+ acres

The 13 Day Siege

Governor’s Taskforce on the California Wildland Fire Problem

Original Partner Agencies

U.S. Forest Service

Cal Fire

California Emergency Management Agency

Los Angeles Fire Department

Los Angeles County Fire Department

Santa Barbara County Fire Department

Ventura County Fire Department

“FIRESCOPE” is created

FI RE S

C O P Erefighting sources outhern

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92nd Congress appropriates $675,000 to the U.S. Forest Service Research Station in Riverside

1971

A period of intensive research and development

1972 - 1979

Development of the First FIRESCOPE Documents

Concept Papers Concept to Reality

1975

Technical Advisory Team Changed to the “FIRESCOPE Board of Directors”

Unified Command Mapping Tools

Integrated Planning Resource Tracking

Further FIRESCOPE Developments and Products

1975At the inception of the FIRESCOPE program the original partner agencies developed 5 initial statements.

- Coordinate Multi-Agency Resources during major incidents

- Develop improved methods for forecasting fire behavior

- Develop standard terminology

- Provide multi-agency communications

- Provide multi-agency training

These 5 items were later into consolidated into two major components:

ICS and MACS

1976

Pacoima Fire – First Incident Managed Using the Principles of ICS

The Riverside OCC was identified as the Multi-Agency Coordination center for the Southern California FIRESCOPE Region

Early 1980’s

This period saw the adoption of ICS and other FIRESCOPE products by national organizations such as FEMA, NFA and NWCG - NIIMS

“All Risk – All Hazard”

1982-1984- ICS is fully implemented among the partner agencies

- System-wide test is conducted at the Riverside OCC entitled, “Top Hat”

- CALFIRMS is established consisting of representativesfrom the forest agencies, Northern CA Chiefs and Cal EMA as a working team to help spread FIRESCOPE products across the State. Two strategic goals were accomplished by this group:

o Evaluate and recommend technology transfer to Northern California

o Educate all agencies and areas on available FIRESCOPE products

1984

Orange County Fire Department is added to the FIRESCOPE list of “Partner Agencies” after several years of active participation on the Task Force and several Specialist Groups

The FIRESCOPE BOD and the Cal EMA Fire and Rescue Advisory Committee are combined

1986

1986

The FIRESCOPE Program received FEMA’s “Exemplary Practices in Emergency Management”

Award

Board of Directors merges with CALFIRMS

Nationwide Adoption of ICS

The FIRESCOPE Board of Directors Recognizing that the Fire Problem is Not Limited to Southern California, Strikes the Word “Southern” from the Acronym FIRESCOPE and a New Name is Established Representative of All California

“FIrefighting RESources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies”

1987

Tunnel - 1991 Laguna - 1993

FIRESCOPE Act of 1989

In 1988 California State Senator Bill Campbell authored SB 27

– SB-27 Became the FIRESCOPE Act of 1989

– The Bill directed 3 State agencies (Cal Fire, Cal EMA and SFM) to administer the FIRESCOPE Program and seek funding to support it.

– This ensured FIRESCOPE’s future

1990’s During this period, FIRESCOPE began to address all-hazard

applications

– Haz Mat Responses

– Mass Casualty Incidents

– Urban Search and Rescue

– High-rise Fires

1991 – Tunnel Fire

Statewide Adoption of FIRESCOPE Products

- Recognized ICS as basis for responses and the model for EOC operations.

- 1991 Tunnel Fire in the Oakland Hills initiated further expansion of FIRESCOPE products

- Senate Bill 1841 (Petris) established the “Standardized Emergency Management System” or SEMS.

Present

The Dynamic Present The FIRESCOPE program remains active and as strong as ever.

Old Fire, San Bernardino County - 2003

Southern California MACS Process, Riverside OCC - 2008

Mission Statement

The mission of the FIRESCOPE Board of Directors is to provide recommendations and technical assistance to the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA); to maintain and utilize the FIRESCOPE Decision Process to continue the operation, development, and maintenance of the FIRESCOPE Incident Command System (ICS) and the Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS).

Vision Statement

The FIRESCOPE Board of Directors/Cal EMA Fire and Rescue Services Advisory vision is to continue national leadership in the development of all-risk incident and multi-agency coordination systems, to enhance and encourage full California fire service in the statewide Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System and to provide a common voice for the California fire service as it relates to these issues.

Board Of Directors Strategic Initiatives

- Create a common voice within the California Fire Service

- Market FIRESCOPE and its products

- Maintain and improve the All-Hazard management system

The Decision Process

- Working Groups (Ad-Hoc Specialist Workgroups)

- Board of Directors (Chief Executive Level)

FIRESCOPE “Decision Process”

- Operations Team (Deputy/Assistant Chief Level)

- Taskforce (Battalion Chief/Manager Level)

- Specialist Groups (Standing Specialist Workgroups)

Representation

Membership of FIRESCOPE BOD, Ops Team and Taskforce includes representatives from:

– FIRESCOPE Partner Agencies

– Federal Agencies with Land Management Responsibilities

– County Fire Agencies

– City Fire Agencies

– Volunteer Fire Departments

– Fire Districts

FIRESCOPE Organizational

Structure

Specialist Groups

Current Specialist Groups (Standing)

– Predictive Services

– Hazardous Materials

– Safety

– Aviation

– Communications

– EMS (includes MCI)

– GIS

– US&R

Ad-HocWorking Groups

www.firescope.org

FIRESCOPE Website

- Order, Download or View the 2007 FOG and latest ICS and MACS Forms

- Links to Fire Intel Nationwide

- Predictive Services

- FIRESCOPE Program Updates

- CICCS

- California Fire Resource Inventory System (CFRIS)

Future?

The future of FIRESCOPE is dependant on the strong principles that guided it in the past

- A defined decision making process

- Non-agency specific organizational directives and tools

- All-Hazards perspective

- Continued Leadership in national ICS application and revisions

Remaining FIRESCOPE Tasks

- National Incident Management System Integration

- National Mutual Aid System

- Continue the MACS Process (All Hazards)

- National Resource Typing

Conclusion

FIRESCOPE’S proud past, dynamic present and exciting future create a model for cooperation regardless of level, response discipline, or geographic area.

Tomorrow’s caretakers of the program must use the past and the present as springboards to the future.

The Challenge Continues