Predicting the Path of a Fire
This is cool (from Firehouse.com). NOTE: You'll want to read the whole thing.
The desk-bound helicopter pilot has devised a computer-driven mapping process that can predict where a brush fire is likely to burn -- and how fast it will get there. It can also tell how many people are in the path of a potentially dangerous chemical cloud or might be trapped in rubble after an earthquake.Robinson's fire forecaster was put to its first test last month during the 24,175-acre brush fire that burned from Chatsworth to Thousand Oaks.
Fire officials say the system accurately predicted the fire's path and burn rate, allowing authorities to evacuate thousands from residential neighborhoods on Sept. 28. A day later, the forecasting system helped firefighters stop the blaze before it could cross a major freeway and burn toward Malibu and the ocean, as previous wildfires have done.
Bravo to Steve Robinson. This type of technology will really change how we fight fires and deal with other large-scale disasters.
After reading the whole article, its pretty clear that integrating all of the technologies and setting things up in the computer will be extremely expensive. However, with all new technology, the cost will come down and then more departments will be able to afford it.
