Columbia Weather Systems

One final quote as we wrap up this series on 5 Reasons Why Incident Command Needs a Weather Station: "As fire service leaders, it is essential that we assure our personnel have the right information , and that it goes to all the right people at exactly the right time  so everyone is empowered to make the right decisions ,"  says Todd LeDuc in a recent Fire Engineering article. Extreme weather, hazmat, wildland, whatever the situation, weather stations can provide meteorological information on-scene and up-to-the-minute to help you make the right decisions.

“The risk involved in fire suppression can be reduced if firefighters and fire managers pay attention and understand weather conditions that impact fire behavior,” states the Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, a training manual developed in conjunction with the National Interagency Fire Center. This principle applies to hazmat as well as urban and wildland-urban interface fire response. Weather monitoring is a cornerstone for predicting fire behavior. Government agencies partner with the National Weather Service to provide forecasts with local offices including Fire Analysts and Meteorologists. Additionally, on-site monitoring provides the edge in real-time decision-making. For example, a Fire Behavior Outlook* [i] concludes: “Be alert to the potential influence of thunderstorms on your fire – outflow winds, even miles from a storm, can dramatically increase fire behavior very quickly.” Here are a few examples of how weather parameters affect fire behavior: [ii] ...