Project no. Fp6-018505 Project Acronym fire paradox

4.4.2Fire detection systems

The history of the lookout towers follows the forestation efforts at the communal (“baldios”) areas. The first lookout tower was built between 1928 and 1931 in the forest perimeter of Manteigas (Freitas, 1989). Through out the years many towers were built, however, the major effort was made after 1980, when around 72% of the present lookout towers were implanted (Rego et al, 2004).

The NNLT was officially created by the “Portaria” n.341/90, 7 of May, with the objective to promote a fast detection and localization of the forest fires, as well as to support fire-fighting actions through the communication of the fire evolution to the Prevention and Detection Centres (Galante, 2001).

The lookout towers remain the principal system of organized detection, at the public level, in Portugal. In 2004, according to a study that analysed the coverage of the NNLT, it existed in Portugal 236 lookout towers (Rego et al, 2004), 18 managed by the Natural Conservancy Institute (ICN) , 195 by the General Directorate of forests (DGRF) and 23 by privates or municipalities (ANIF, 2005).

The primary network of lookout towers contains 69 posts and the secondary has 167 posts (Figure 18). The great majority of the lookout towers were built with a metallic structure (60%), 38% are made of stonework and just 5% are made of wood. Most of the lookout towers are equipped with solar panels and batteries (69%), followed by electricity (28%) and just a minority integrate both systems, solar panels with batteries and electricity (3%).

Concerning the height of the platform, the lowest has 0,5 meters and the tallest 31 meters. Bellow 5 meters are 27% of the platforms, higher than 10 meters are only 17% of the platforms and the majority (56%) is between 6 and 9 meters inclusive.

The equipment used by the lookout workers are: binoculars, alidade (table of angles), maps, and radio station connected to the surveillance communication network and/or cellular phones.

The exact number of towers available for each fire season has been changing in the last 3 years. Nevertheless, according with the Operational National Directive 2007, for this summer 234 lookout towers will be available (ANPC, 2007).

Figure 18 - Distribution of Lookout towers in Portugal
(red dots) and the fire detection efficiency %.

The workers of the lookout towers used to have training given by the forest services. However, due to a change of coordination to the GNR in 2006, this institution provides specific training to the observers. The observers are recruited from the retired militaries and from the civil society.

As shown in Figure 18, the lookout towers are spread throughout the country and in the year 2004 a study was made about the efficiency of the National Network of Lookout towers. As a result of that study, the GNR is preparing a new network of automatic fire lookouts, however the specifications of these new towers are not yet available.

b) Mobile Brigades

Mobile brigades that perform surveillance and detection are a complement to the network of lookout towers, since they cover places not visible to the fixed system (shadow areas). In Portugal several institutions participate with teams and vehicles for this work:

This institution is the forest authority in Portugal. Concerning forest fires detection and forest surveillance, the DGRF technically coordinates the teams of Forest Sappers (“Sapadores”).

Each Forest Sappers (“Sapadores”) brigade is composed of five persons working during all year in fire prevention. These duties include, among others, fuel management with prescribed burning or with mechanical practices, maintenance of forestry roads, water points, general public awareness plus “public service”. This last concept is regulated by the DL nº 38/06 of 20 February that states: “each team must be available during 50% of the annual working time to perform functions of wildfire prevention, surveillance, detection, first attack, support to fire-fighting, mop-up and surveillance after the fire.” All these actions will be coordinated by the DGRF working in collaboration with the responsible technician.

Figure 19 – Forest sappers

In the year of 2006, 166 teams of forest “Sapadores” participated in surveillance and detection actions with around 830 elements (CEFF, 2007). These teams can belong to Forest Owners Organizations (75% - 124 teams), to communal (“Baldios”) council organizations (23% - 38 teams) or to municipalities (2% - 3 teams). For the fire season of 2007, 206 teams of Forest Sappers (“Sapadores”) with 1030 elements will be working in mobile brigades. The training of these teams is a responsibility of the Forest Services.

ii) Mobile brigades “AGRIS 3.4”

AGRIS 3.4 is a funding measure from the Agriculture Ministry. The constitution of “AGRIS 3.4” brigades has the objective to “prevent the Portuguese forest from plagues or fire hazard” (Portaria nº 327/2003). These brigades can work for municipalities, forest associations and public institutions, among others. Coordinated by the Municipal Commissions of forest fires in connection with the Forest services, 86 teams with 344 elements have worked on the year 2006 (SNBPC, 2006) and will be working in the present year (ANPC, 2007).

The specific training for these brigades is not centralized in one entity. Employers must give specific training to their teams.

iii) Nature Conservancy Institute (ICN)

The Nature Conservancy Institute has the responsibility to manage the Portuguese Network of Protected Areas. Their fire prevention device includes not only the lookout towers mentioned above, but also surveillance teams, surveillance and first attack teams and Forest Sappers (“Sapadores”), with the same training has the ones above, however under the ICN coordination.

The Operational National Directive 2007 (ANPC, 2007) indicates that for this summer there will be available:

• 
  27 teams of surveillance (53 elements);
  
• 
  42 teams of surveillance and first attack (153 elements);
  
• 
  23 Forest “Sapadores” teams (115 elements).
  
• 
  The training for the different teams is given by ICN.
  

Besides the responsibility of coordinating, the SEPNA teams also perform fire detection and surveillance. The Decree-Law nº 22/2006 transfers from the DGRF to SEPNA the Forest Guards Corps, which also had the responsibility to participate on fire detection and surveillance. The training is provided by their institution. 177 teams with 827 elements will work in the forest.

The Environmental Protection Brigades of PSP have as their main duties to supervise environmental problems such as pollution or forest fires, especially near urban areas. According to the Operational Directive, 16 teams with 180 elements will participate in fire detection and surveillance.

The Portuguese Army participates in actions of patrolling and surveillance. They can patrol by foot, horse or in motorized vehicles. For the year 2007, 20 teams will participate on these actions with 240 elements. These teams had specific training with the company AFOCELCA.

In 2002, the associated companies of the Pulp and Paper Association (CELPA) have created a company (AFOCELCA) with the objective of managing fire prevention and forest fire fighting of their 200.000 hectares of land. This company has mobile brigades of Forest Sappers (“Sapadores”) that, among other duties, work on fire detection and surveillance. For the year 2007, there will be 56 teams with 234 elements. AFOCELCA has its own training program.

The program Youth Volunteer for Forests, responsibility of the Portuguese Youth Institute (IPJ) has the objective of protecting and preserving forest resources and natural ecosystems, through actions of public awareness, surveillance and cleaning leisure areas, especially at the forest urban interface.

The program occurred from 1 of July until 30 September, with 10.560 participants that received training from the forest services and from IPJ.

c) Aerial Detection

In the year of 2006, a protocol was celebrated by the Forest Services and the Portuguese Aeronautic Federation (FPA). Ten aero-clubs with 15 planes flew through 8 different routes predefined by both institutions during 266 hours divided in 177 missions. None of the pilots had specific training for their duties concerning fire detection (FPA, 2006). For the year of 2007, one more aero club joined the aerial detection and one more route was predefined for a total of 9 different routes as it is shown in Figure 20.

To improve the data provided by these aerial means, each airplane has a ULRA (unit of location and immediate reporting), a GPS, a portable VHF radio and a checklist with all the contacts of the coordination centres. The ULRA equipment (Figure 21) allows the pilot to give an immediate alarm to the coordination centre, with an accurate spot localization (GPS), to take a picture of the site and to get the precise localization of the fire perimeter and the burned area perimeter. All this data is transferred to a software that can be accessed by internet.

Figure 20 – Aerial routes in 2007

Figure 21 - ULRA device placed on the aerial means for fire detection

In the year of 2008, the aerial detection was discontinued and these aerial means now work together with the Civil Protection and the Fire Suppression Tactic Teams (GAUF) monitoring the fires and giving several kinds of information’s for the use of tactical fire of suppression.

d) New technologies for fire detection

The use of new technologies for fire detection is not very common in Portugal, although there are some pilot areas. Two Protected Areas from ICN use these technologies. “Parque Natural Arrábida” has a video system with 10 cameras and the “PN Serra da Estrela” has one infrared camera.

The COTEC initiative has also implanted three different systems of electronic surveillance (Vigília, Ciclope and Observa), in the region of Tamega, Pinhal Interior Norte and Ribatejo.

As mentioned in previous point a) a new network of lookouts is being prepared and it will use new technologies, however, at this moment there is no further information to insert in this deliverable.

Even though the use of new technologies is not very common, several Universities are researching this area.

4.4.3Operational Guidelines

• 
  ALFA – period 1^st January to 14^th of May;
  
• 
  BRAVO – period 15^th of May to 30^th June;
  
• 
  CHARLIE – 1^st July to 30^th September;
  
• 
  DELTA – 1^st October 31^st December.
  

Table 8 - Distribution of the terrestrial means for surveillance and first attack during each period

Figure 22 - Detection and Surveillance Communication System