Next-Gen SCOUT Tool Improves Situational Awareness and Collaboration Ahead of Wildfire Season
Working to provide California’s first responders a tactical and operational response platform to assist in communication and coordination ahead of an intense wildfire season, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) announced the deployment of Next-Gen SCOUT.
Utilizing information from the Cal OES facilitated Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System Program (FIRIS) aircraft, this new web-based tool provides California’s first responders and supporting agencies with near-real-time data from wildfires and other hazards in the field into a map-based common location.
“The utilization of this technology allows the firefighters on the ground, Incident Commanders, and key decision makers to have real-time situational awareness,” said Brian Marshall, Cal OES Fire and Rescue Chief. “This creates a proactive approach in responding to disaster, not a reactionary approach.”
Next-Gen SCOUT integrates statewide data during emergencies such as incident location, assigned resources, values at risk, and infrastructure. First responders and other vital agencies will also have access to information from the field, including road closures, automated vehicle location of fire apparatus along with camera and video feeds. The tool also captures predictive all-hazards analytics and integrates multiple sets of information into a single mapping solution.
Using data from the field, first responders and other emergency response coordinators will be able to track multiple concurrent incidents within the state, even providing workers in the field with spotty or no internet coverage access to use the application and have synchronizing capability with no data loss.
Rollout of this tool improves communication, coordination and collaboration between first responders, emergency response coordinators, and other vital agencies to enhance tactical and operational response to all-hazards events, improving the ability to keep communities safe.
To learn more about Next-Gen SCOUT, click here.