scholarly journals Fire Suppression Resource Scarcity: Current Metrics and Future Performance Indicators

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin J Belval ◽  
Crystal S Stonesifer ◽  
David E Calkin
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
National Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Future Performance ◽  
Demand Information ◽  
Key Resources

Wildland fire occurrence is highly variable in time and space, and in the United States where total area burned can vary substantially, acquiring resources (firefighters, engines, aircraft, etc.) to respond to fire demand is an important consideration. To determine the composition and scale of this set of suppression resources managers may utilize data produced by past supply and demand information. The key challenge with this approach is that there is currently no clear system of record to track suppression resource supply and demand, and there are potential pitfalls within existing systems that may provide misleading information regarding the true levels of resource scarcity. In this manuscript, we investigate the issue of resource scarcity by examining two key resources that operations personnel have identified as both high value and scarce: type 1 firefighting crews and large airtankers. We examine data from the Resource Ordering and Status System and analyze the level of resource scarcity indicated by these data over the 2014–2018 fire seasons. We focus on data metrics with potential utility for managers responsible for annual national-level decisions regarding crew and airtanker acquisition; some of these metrics are already used to inform such decisions. We examine the limitations of each metric and suggest new metrics that could more accurately reflect true resource use and scarcity. Such metrics could lead to a substantially improved decision-making process.

The wildland - urban interface fire problem - current approaches and research needs

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 238 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Mell ◽  
Samuel L. Manzello ◽  
Alexander Maranghides ◽  
David Butry ◽  
Ronald G. Rehm
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
The United States ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Wildland Urban Interface ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Treatment Techniques ◽  
Exposure Conditions

Wildfires that spread into wildland–urban interface (WUI) communities present significant challenges on several fronts. In the United States, the WUI accounts for a significant portion of wildland fire suppression and wildland fuel treatment costs. Methods to reduce structure losses are focussed on fuel treatments in either wildland fuels or residential fuels. There is a need for a well-characterised, systematic testing of these approaches across a range of community and structure types and fire conditions. Laboratory experiments, field measurements and fire behaviour models can be used to better determine the exposure conditions faced by communities and structures. The outcome of such an effort would be proven fuel treatment techniques for wildland and residential fuels, risk assessment strategies, economic cost analysis models, and test methods with representative exposure conditions for fire-resistant building designs and materials.

scholarly journals Estimating Suppression Expenditures for Individual Large Wildland Fires

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 188-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista M. Gebert ◽  
David E. Calkin ◽  
Jonathan Yoder
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Intensity Level ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
Wildland Fires ◽  
Area Burned

Abstract The extreme cost of fighting wildland fires has brought fire suppression expenditures to the forefront of budgetary and policy debate in the United States. Inasmuch as large fires are responsible for the bulk of fire suppression expenditures, understanding fire characteristics that influence expenditures is important for both strategic fire planning and onsite fire management decisions. These characteristics then can be used to produce estimates of suppression expenditures for large wildland fires for use in wildland fire decision support or after-fire reviews. The primary objective of this research was to develop regression models that could be used to estimate expenditures on large wildland fires based on area burned, variables representing the fire environment, values at risk, resource availability, detection time, and National Forest System region. Variables having the largest influence on cost included fire intensity level, area burned, and total housing value within 20 mi of ignition. These equations were then used to predict suppression expenditures on a set of fiscal year 2005 Forest Service fires for the purpose of detecting “extreme” cost fires—those fires falling more than 1 or 2 SDs above or below their expected value.

Studying interregional wildland fire engine assignments for large fire suppression

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin J. Belval ◽  
Yu Wei ◽  
David E. Calkin ◽  
Crystal S. Stonesifer ◽  
Matthew P. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Logistic Models ◽  
The United States ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Large Fire ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
Fire Activity ◽  
Fire Engine

One crucial component of large fire response in the United States (US) is the sharing of wildland firefighting resources between regions: resources from regions experiencing low fire activity supplement resources in regions experiencing high fire activity. An important step towards improving the efficiency of resource sharing and related policies is to develop a better understanding of current assignment patterns. In this paper we examine the set of interregional wildland fire engine assignments for incidents in California and the Southwest Geographic Coordination Areas, utilising data from the Resource Ordering and Status System. We study a set of multinomial logistic models to examine seasonal and regional patterns affecting the probabilities of interregional resource assignments. This provides a quantitative and objective way to identify the factors strongly influencing interregional assignments. We found that the fire activity in the regions significantly affects response probabilities, as does the season and the national preparedness level. Because our models indicate significant unexplained variation, even when accounting for fire activity, seasonality and resource scarcity, we hypothesise that the existing system could benefit from future research.

Wildland Fire and Chaparral Succession Along the California Baja-California Boundary

1995 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
RA Minnich ◽  
CJ Bahre
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fire Control ◽  
Average Mass ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
International Boundary

The United States-Mexico international boundary from ElPaso, Texas to the Pacific Coast shows clear differences in plant communities that were homogeneous prior to being split by a continuous fence at the turn of the century. This study evaluates how disparate fire regimes in California (fire suppression) and northern Baja California (little or no fire control) have influenced succession in the chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum) chaparral communities spanning the international boundary between the border towns of Jacume and Tecate. Fire history was reconstructed using U.S. Forest Service fire maps and repeat aerial photography. Once plotted onto topographic maps and dated, the burns were divided into age-classes and sampled using 50 m point-quarter transects to develop successional chronosequences. Although fires are more frequent and smaller on the Mexican side of the border, our repeat photographs of the boundary monument markers together with field samples show that chaparral succession is similar across the international boundary in species composition, stem densities, and average mass shrub height. Chamise chaparral appears to be stable under disparate fire regimes because sprouting habits and latent seed pools permit efficient stand establishment under either short or long fire intervals. Chaparral recovery during the period examined here is unrelated to fire size because recolonization of burns by long-range seed dispersal is not a trait of the majority of the local shrub species and the shrubs either resprout. or germinate from soil seed reservoirs.

Solar Renewable Energy Credit Price Volatility and Investment Returns: Have Policies Stranded Capital Investment?

Commonwealth ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Somayeh Youssefi ◽  
Patrick L. Gurian
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Price Volatility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Investment Model ◽  
Capital Investments ◽  
Demand Model ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
Investment Returns

Pennsylvania is one of a number of U.S. states that provide incentives for the generation of electricity by solar energy through Solar Renewal Energy Credits (SRECs). This article develops a return on investment model for solar energy generation in the PJM (mid-­Atlantic) region of the United States. Model results indicate that SREC values of roughly $150 are needed for residential scale systems to break even over a 25-­year project period at 3% interest. Market prices for SRECs in Pennsylvania have been well below this range from late 2011 through the first half of 2016, indicating that previous capital investments in solar generation have been stranded as a result of steep declines in the value of SRECs. A simple conceptual supply and demand model is developed to explain the sharp decline in market prices for SRECs. Also discussed is a possible policy remedy that would add unsold SRECs in a given year to the SREC quota for the subsequent year.

Applicability of management guidelines for surfing resources in California

Shore & Beach ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 53-64
Author(s):  
Edward Atkin ◽  
Dan Reineman ◽  
Jesse Reiblich ◽  
David Revell
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Management Guidelines ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Legal Frameworks

Surf breaks are finite, valuable, and vulnerable natural resources, that not only influence community and cultural identities, but are a source of revenue and provide a range of health benefits. Despite these values, surf breaks largely lack recognition as coastal resources and therefore the associated management measures required to maintain them. Some countries, especially those endowed with high-quality surf breaks and where the sport of surfing is accepted as mainstream, have recognized the value of surfing resources and have specific policies for their conservation. In Aotearoa New Zealand surf breaks are included within national environmental policy. Aotearoa New Zealand has recently produced Management Guidelines for Surfing Resources (MGSR), which were developed in conjunction with universities, regional authorities, not-for-profit entities, and government agencies. The MGSR provide recommendations for both consenting authorities and those wishing to undertake activities in the coastal marine area, as well as tools and techniques to aid in the management of surfing resources. While the MGSR are firmly aligned with Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural and legal frameworks, much of their content is applicable to surf breaks worldwide. In the United States, there are several national-level and state-level statutes that are generally relevant to various aspects of surfing resources, but there is no law or policy that directly addresses them. This paper describes the MGSR, considers California’s existing governance frameworks, and examines the potential benefits of adapting and expanding the MGSR in this state.

Patient Autonomy, Capacity, and Consent

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Donnelly ◽  
Jessica Berg
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
National Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
National Standard ◽  
Legal Principles ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Human Rights Norms ◽  
Law And Legislation

This chapter explores a number of key issues: the role of competence and capacity, advance directives, and decisions made for others. It analyses the ways these are treated in the United States and in selected European jurisdictions. National-level capacity legislation and human rights norms play a central role in Europe, which means that healthcare decisions in situations of impaired capacity operate in accordance with a national standard. In the United States, the legal framework is more state-based (rather than federal), and the courts have played a significant role, with both common law and legislation varying considerably across jurisdictions. Despite these differences, this chapter identifies some similar legal principles which have developed.

scholarly journals Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for Seafood Do Not Translate into Increased Long-Chain Omega-3 Levels in the Diet for U.S. Consumers

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1816
Author(s):  
Michael F. Tlusty
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
National Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dietary Guidelines ◽  
Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Complete Understanding ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Long Chain

Humans under-consume fish, especially species high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Food-based dietary guidelines are one means for nations to encourage the consumption of healthy, nutritious food. Here, associations between dietary omega-3 consumption and food-based dietary guidelines, gross domestic product, the ranked price of fish, and the proportions of marine fish available at a national level were assessed. Minor associations were found between consumption and variables, except for food-based dietary guidelines, where calling out seafood in FBDGs did not associate with greater consumption. This relationship was explored for consumers in the United States, and it was observed that the predominant seafood they ate, shrimp, resulted in little benefit for dietary omega-3 consumption. Seafood is listed under the protein category in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and aggregating seafood under this category may limit a more complete understanding of its nutrient benefits beyond protein.

scholarly journals C-Peptide as a Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 270
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Washburn ◽  
Karl Mueller ◽  
Gurvinder Kaur ◽  
Tanir Moreno ◽  
Naima Moustaid-Moussa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Vascular Complications ◽  
The United States ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Pancreatic Islet Transplantation ◽  
C Peptide ◽  
Increased Risk

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex metabolic disease affecting one-third of the United States population. It is characterized by hyperglycemia, where the hormone insulin is either not produced sufficiently or where there is a resistance to insulin. Patients with Type 1 DM (T1DM), in which the insulin-producing beta cells are destroyed by autoimmune mechanisms, have a significantly increased risk of developing life-threatening cardiovascular complications, even when exogenous insulin is administered. In fact, due to various factors such as limited blood glucose measurements and timing of insulin administration, only 37% of T1DM adults achieve normoglycemia. Furthermore, T1DM patients do not produce C-peptide, a cleavage product from insulin processing. C-peptide has potential therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo on many complications of T1DM, such as peripheral neuropathy, atherosclerosis, and inflammation. Thus, delivery of C-peptide in conjunction with insulin through a pump, pancreatic islet transplantation, or genetically engineered Sertoli cells (an immune privileged cell type) may ameliorate many of the cardiovascular and vascular complications afflicting T1DM patients.

scholarly journals Shooting from the ‘Scrip: Scope of Practice Laws and Access to Immunizations in the Pharmacy Setting

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 444
Author(s):  
Charles Stoecker
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Influenza Immunization ◽  
Immunization Rates ◽  
The Impact

In the past two decades, most states in the United States have added authorization for pharmacists to administer some vaccinations. Expansions of this authority have also come with prescription requirements or other regulatory burdens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of these expansions on influenza immunization rates in adults age 65 and over. A panel data, differences-in-differences regression framework to control for state-level unobserved confounders and shocks at the national level was used on a combination of a dataset of state-level statute and regulatory changes and influenza immunization data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Giving pharmacists permission to vaccinate had a positive impact on adult influenza immunization rates of 1.4 percentage points for adults age 65 and over. This effect was diminished by the presence of laws requiring pharmacists to obtain patient-specific prescriptions. There was no evidence that allowing pharmacists to administer vaccinations led patients to have fewer annual check-ups with physicians or not have a usual source of health care. Expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice laws to include administering the influenza vaccine had a positive impact on influenza shot uptake. This may have implications for relaxing restrictions on other forms of care that could be provided by pharmacists.

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