Base Knowledge
Basic knowledge about fuels, fire behavior, fire risk indexing and pyrometeorology is fundamental. This knowledge is acquired in the UC Ecology and Fire Management of the MRF, or in similar UC’s of degrees in forest sciences.
Teaching Methodologies
Face-to-face teaching, including theoretical-practical lectures, with fire behavior simulators.
Learning Results
To Know the operational and planning aspects associated with Wildland Fire Analysis and the Use of Suppression Fire. Students should gain skills in analyzing past fires and predicting the behavior of ongoing fires in order to support firefighting crews, using direct and indirect firefighting techniques.
Program
1 – Framework for the use of fire
Introduction
History of the use of fire
Purposes for the use of fire
Legal framework for the use of fire
Entities directly or indirectly involved in DFCI matters
2 – Fire behavior
Fire typologies
Large wildfires and limits of direct attack efficiency
Fire analysis methodologies: analysis according to the Campbell Prediction System (CPS), taking into account fuels, meteorology and topography, in fire behavior
Structural and meteorological fire risk indices
Analysis of opportunities and identification of critical points
Interaction of fire fronts
Management of fire impacts on soil, vegetation and fauna
3 – Safety in Forest Fires
security protocol
PPE, Personal safety, team safety
self-protection manoeuvres
Presentation and analysis of accidents
Accident management with analysis teams and use of suppression fire
4 – Protocol of action of the analysis teams and use of suppression fire
Organization and composition of teams and functions of the elements
Activation and deactivation of teams and intervention criteria
Leadership and human resources management in a crisis environment: leadership, conflict management and stress management
Ethics and organizational culture: entities involved
Organization of the theater of operations
5 – Operational planning of suppression fire
Strategic planning and action windows for tactical fire and counterfire
Preparation and execution of operations
Presentation and analysis of reports with practical cases
Introduction to FARSITE and WildFire Analyst simulators
6 – Fire Analysis and operational implementation of suppression fire (only for students who intend to apply for accreditation)
Decision support at the District Operations and Relief Command (CDOS) level, identifying and prioritizing the highest risk occurrences, and at the Operational Command Post (PCO) level, by analyzing fire behavior and outlining strategies and suppression tactics
Participation in fire analysis and use teams
Fire Intervention Reports in Extended Attack Situations (minimum 5 reports)
Curricular Unit Teachers
Internship(s)
NAO
Bibliography
Comissão Técnica Independente. (2017). Análise e apuramento dos factos relativos aos incêndios que ocorreram em Pedrógão Grande, Castanheira de Pera, Ansião, Alvaiázere, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Arganil, Góis, Penela, Pampilhosa da Serra, Oleiros e Sertã, entre 17 e 24 de junho de 2017. Lisboa: Assembleia da República.
Comissão Técnica Independente. (2018). Avaliação dos incêndios ocorridos entre 14 e 16 de Outubro de 2017 em Portugal Continental. Lisboa: Assembleia da República.
Finney, M. A. (1998). FARSITE: Fire Area Simulator-model development and evaluation. In (pp. 47): US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, UT.
Observatório Técnico Independente, Rego, F. C., Fernandes, P., Silva, J. S., Azevedo, J., Moura, J. M., . . . Santos, F. D. (2019). A valorização da primeira intervenção no combate a incêndios rurais. Retrieved from Lisboa: https://www.parlamento.pt/Documents/2019/novembro/Versao_Final_ESTUDO_OTI.pdf
Rego, F. C., Hoffman, C., Fernandes, P., & Morgan, P. (2021). Fire Science: From Chemistry to Landscape Management. Springer.