Examining dispatching practices for Interagency Hotshot Crews to reduce seasonal travel distance and manage fatigue
Erin J. Belval A D , David E. Calkin B , Yu Wei A , Crystal S. Stonesifer B , Matthew P. Thompson C and Alex Masarie A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA.
B USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 E Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA.
C USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 240 W Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: erin.belval@colostate.edu
International Journal of Wildland Fire 27(9) 569-580 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF17163
Submitted: 31 October 2017 Accepted: 27 June 2018 Published: 23 July 2018
Journal compilation © IAWF 2018 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHCs) are a crucial firefighting suppression resource in the United States. These crews travel substantial distances each year and work long and arduous assignments that can cause accumulated fatigue. Current dispatching practices for these crews are supposed to send the closest resource while adhering to existing fatigue-management policies. In this research, we designed a simulation process that repeatedly implements an optimisation model to assign crews to suppression requests. This study examines the potential effects of using an optimisation approach to shorten seasonal crew travel distances and mitigate fatigue. We also examine the potential benefits of coordinating crew-dispatch decisions to meet multiple requests. Results indicate there is substantial room for improvement in reducing travel distances while still balancing crew fatigue; coordinating crew dispatching for multiple requests can increase the assignment efficiency, particularly when both fatigue mitigation and travel distances are jointly optimised. This research indicates implementing an optimisation model for dispatching IHCs is promising.
Additional keywords: fire fighters: management, fire management: modelling, fire suppression, safety.
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