40 TEXAS FIREMEN OCTOBER <strong>2005</strong>
Texas Forest ServiceTFS <strong>Fire</strong> ReportingSystem Catches Onby Casey Flinn, TFS CommunicationsSpecialistEach year thousands of wildland firesgo unreported at the state and nationallevel, resulting in lost funding andinaccurate risk assessment at all levels.These unreported fires are usuallyresponded to by local fire departmentsNow, a new web based reportingsystem developed by the Texas ForestService allows municipal and volunteerdepartments the ability to submit andretrieve fire response information,including fire location mapping,through the Internet. The system isavailable at no cost to Texas firedepartment’s, paid or volunteer.The system also benefits localdepartments by allowing them toinstantly search and retrieve responseinformation in a number of callcategories including structural, EMS,search and rescue, haz-mat, and vehicle.There is also an “other calls” category.“We designed this reporting systemto be as user friendly as possible,” saidDon Galloway, Texas Forest ServiceVFD Assistance Programs Coordinator.“We know that most VFDs respond tomore than just wildland fires, and wemade sure this system reflects that.”For national reporting purposes, TFScombines its cost of wildland fireresponse with the cost reported byVFDs. In order for the state to beeligible for FEMA assistance for costsinvolved with fighting wildland fires,the costs must reach $3.4 million, Texas’sthreshold set by FEMA. Once thatthreshold has been met, the state canapply for emergency declarations forindividual fires. <strong>Fire</strong> departmentsresponding to fires which are declaredas emergencies by FEMA are alsoeligible to apply for reimbursement.“If the state can get some of its costsback, it benefits not only our agency’sprograms, including VFD assistance,but the communities as well” saidGalloway.Harris County <strong>Fire</strong> Marshall MikeMontgomery says he will ask all of thecounty departments to begin using theTFS reporting system. Montgomerysays that it’s a universal way to makeChanges for Texas Forest Service VFDAssistance Programby Casey FlinnAfter three years in existence, theTexas Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer<strong>Fire</strong> Department Assistance Programhas awarded more than $43 millionworth of trucks, equipment, andtraining to volunteer fire departmentsacross Texas. And with year fourbeginning September 1, some changesare being implemented to improve theprogram.One significant change involvesusing age of applications as a ratingfactor in awarding grants for watertankers, small brush trucks, large brushtrucks, small truck chassis, and largetruck chassis. Beginning one year afteran application for a truck or chassis isreceived by TFS, one-half point will beadded per month to the department’srating number. This addition of bonuspoints will gradually move olderapplications higher on the waiting list.The maximum number of bonus pointsan application can earn is 25, and arating of 100 will remain the highestpossible maximum rating.For example, if a department with arating of 70 submitted a grantapplication for a small brush truck inSeptember 2003, the rating wouldautomatically increase to 76 bysure the needed information gets whereit should go.“If anything, departments should useit to report wildland fire costs. That littlegrass fire is just one that could add upand help the state get reimbursed forcosts during a heavy fire season,” saidMontgomery.More than 300 departmentsstate-wide have already begun using thesystem, including the Bogata Volunteer<strong>Fire</strong> Department in Red River County.President Jerry Hutson says having theability to record everything in one placehas been beneficial.“We print out summaries all the time,it’s very easy to use.” said Hutson, whobegan using the system in June. “In thepast, I would wait until the end of themonth to write everything down byhand. Now, I log on every 3 or 4 days,and I’m done.”September <strong>2005</strong>.Other changes to the programinclude:• Increasing the maximum cost-shareamount for water tankers, smallbrush trucks, large brush trucks, andslip-on modules equipped with compressedair foam systems (CAFS) by$5,000• Increasing the wildland personalprotective clothing grant to 90% ofthe actual cost, with a maximumprice set by the Texas Forest Service<strong>Fire</strong> Safe Program• SCBA’s will now be eligible forfunding under the “Rescue Equipment”category• Dorm and meal ticket fees at theTEEX Summer <strong>Fire</strong> School areeligible for grants under the “TrainingTuition” category• Electronic projectors are now eligiblefor cost-share funding in the “TrainingLibraries” categoryAll of the changes were approved bythe HB 2604 Advisory Committeewhose member’s include fire servicepersonnel and private citizens fromaround the state, as well as TexasForest Service employees.Departments wishing to use orevaluate the new system canrequest access from the VFD <strong>Fire</strong>Reporting homepage at http://tfsdem-iis.tamu.edu/FDReporting/vfd/default.asp.For more information on any of theTexas Forest Service volunteer firedepartment assistance programs, visithttp://texasforestservice.tamu.edu.OCTOBER <strong>2005</strong> TEXAS FIREMEN41
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