• All Forest Divisions of RDLP in  Zielona Góra are classified to I (highest) category of  forest fire  risk (serious risk).
• Zielona Góra County Forests  belong to the most combustible in the whole Poland.
• It results from dominant  existence of  natural boracic habitat (56 %) and  pine trees as  (almost    90 %) and superiority of forest stands  of younger  age class (average age of forest stand is 52 years old).

OCHRONA PRZECIWPOŻAROWA – RDLP Zielona Góra

1. Observation system

The net of observation posts  constitutes noticeably classical observation towers occupied by

observers.

Within the area of RDLP, there are  65 items altogether, including:

• distinguishably metal – 61 items
• visibly made of bricks/concrete – 3 items
• camera mast of closed-circuit TV – 1 item

(plus 3 items of TVs working at certain moments in Ranger's Alert and Disposition Post (Polish abbreviation PAD) of  Forest Divisions)

Brick Fire Observation and  Lookout Tower

• fire protection and  education of nature and forest
• it is located within  Promotional Forest Complex (Polish abbreviation LKP) of  Lubusz Forest (Polish name  Bory Lubuskie) – built and financed under the Phare programme,  National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (Polish abbreviation NFOŚiGW)  and  State Forests

2. Monitoring & detection

METEOROLOGICAL FORECASTING AND WARNING (METEOROLOGICAL MEASURING STATIONS)

8  automatic weather stations, including:

• 2 weather forecast stations
• 6 supporting  measuring stations

The scale of the fire hazard (Polish abbreviationSZPL)

Defining the scale of forest fire hazard in prognostic zones:

• measurement of plant litter humidity (Fresh Forest – Polish abbreviation Bśw) and relative humidity of air at a height of 0,5 meters over the sea level at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m.
• establishing  scale of the fire hazardin the morning and afternoon hours of certain day
• announcing  scale of the fire hazard for Forest Divisions and  State Fire Service

The risk of  fire

Forecasting the fire hazard  for local needs (for Forest Divisions)

Concerning the computer program (The Risk of Fire), measurement of  meteo factors at 8.00 a.m. and  forecasting meteorological conditions (weather forecast) there are statedthe following:

• forecast of the fire hazard for the further part of the day
• forecast for the morning of the next day
• recommended actions for Forest Divisions and  State Fire Service
• forecast of possibility of forest fire  development (simulation) after 15, 30 oraz 45 minutes of free spread of fire

Communication System of  Ranger's Alert and Disposition Post

Communication of  Ranger's Alert and Disposition Post of Forest Divisions

• radio communications with neighbouring Forest Divisions and Regional PAD on the basis of two-way radios with stationery base, car and portable radiotelephones working at frequency channel dedicated for State Forests
• network of mobile phones and  stationary Local Forest Service
• radio and phone communication with Directing Positions of District (+ Internet)

Communication System of Regional Ranger's Alert and Disposition Post RDLP in Zielona Góra includes:

• radio, phone and web communication with subordinated Forest Divisions and neighbouring RPAD
• communication with Directing Position of Voivodeship  (Polish abbreviation WSK) and Directing Position of District (Polish abbreviation PSK)
• communication with Forest Air Base – disposal of chartered airplanes (airplanes patrolling and extinguishing fire of forests )
• radio communication with  Department of Lubusz Province Governor's Office

3.   Informtion & map projection  

Information data set about the area for fire protection purposes

• basic range of  Electronic Maps (Polish abbreviation LMN) resources
• expanded range  in connection with additional information  concerning important elements of fire protection (address and operating data necessary  to conduct firefighting and Occupational Safety and Health (Polish abbreviation BHP)  activities)
• a map – an access card towards the fire of forest
• a map concerning current situation for  firefighting action and fighting section purposes

The internet  map server of eLAS – fire alarm module

• application available in all PADs of Forest Divisions and in RDLP
• fire protection map called Localize Fire – setting the place of the fire
• automatic generation of access maps to the fire place  (disposable and operational) on the basis of:

    - coordinates from Fire Towers

    - current geographic coordinates

    -indicated address of forest fire

• pointing the direction of fire development on the map on the basis of  current  direction and strength of the wind
• information about fires, which occurred in given period of time – certain years (reports)

4. Modeling & simulation

• warning and analysis of current  weather conditions
• fire weather– air temperature > 24^oC, air relative humidity < 40%, humidity of forest litter <12%, lack of precipitation, no cloudiness or partial cloudiness
• simulation of  fire development after its appearance on the basis of factual conditions for Forest Divisions Needs and for  Country Fire and Rescue System
• computer program called Fire Forest Model

5.   Management of  fire action  
The attorney of superintendent of forests– basic duties:

• organising and carrying out rescue and fire action until the arrival of the Firefighters
• cooperation with Rescue Disaster Coordinator (Polish abbreviation KDR) responsible for the whole action
• coordination and disposition of people and means of The State Forests  National Forest Holding  (Polish abbreviation PGL LP)

6. Registering & processing
There are registered all events – fires and  interventions for the following purposes:

• prevention
• cost analysis
• evaluation of system organisation and functioning
• data base in order to create reports

7. Air patrolling and extinguishing a forest fire

Charter Airplanes – Flying Club of Lubusz Land in Przylep:

Fire airplanes AN-2R:

• range: 1390 km
• capacity of main fuel tank: 1700 litres
• + 60 litres for foam extinguishing agents
• optimal speed at the air drop : 160 km/h
• air cruising speed : 180 – 200 km/h
• plane crew – 2 people (pilot + mechanic)

Patrol Plane Zlin-142:

• air cruising speed: 180 – 200 km/h
• optimal speed over the fire circle: 140 – 160 km/h
• plane crew: min. 1 person
• optimal time of patrolling: up to 4,5 h

State of starting capability  for fire aircrafts according to Operating Instructions  of  forest fire protection [among others].
Time from taking the airplane into disposition to the plane take-off according to  the Degree of Forest Fire Danger (Polish abbreviation SZPL):

• 1 SZPL – 15 minutes
• 2 SZPL – 10 minutes
• 3 SZPL – 5 minutes

Fire access roads (in km) for RLDP Zielona Góra:

• out of the management board of LP – 2 050,35
• in the management board of LP – 2 864,28
• total : 4 914,63

Water supply stations (items) for RDLP Zielona Góra:

• natural – 360
• man-made – 310
• fire-hydrants – 132
• total: 802

Fire breaks (km) for RLDP Zielona Góra:

• A – 1 259,42
• B – 70,89
• BK – 384,57
• C – 42,61
• D – 332,61
• total: 2 090,10

Chosen project concerning fire protection performed in the RDLP area in Zielona Góra in 2013.

• Pilot implementation within good practice and cooperation (program European Forest Fires Monitoring Using Information System (EFFMIS) with participation of  The Forest Research Institute) of chosen Spanish solutions concerning  fire protection  (EMERCARTO and NOMO projects).
• Pilot implementation of application edited by The Forest Research Institute at the request of the General Directorate of  State Forests „Fire Forest Model" (simulation of forest fire development).
• Project continuation of forest and public Road cross-linking within the whole RDLP in Zielona Góra (navigation in case of  forest fire).
• Cross-border cooperation with Faculties of Forestry of Eastern Saxony in Germany concerning fire prevention and fight against fires of forests.

Proposal of cooperation with  Germans (Eastern Saxony) in the area of fire protection of forest for  year 2013

• Exchange of information – defining ways of passing  current information on the existence of fires  in cross-border zone and  range of necessary data related to forest fire protection (including maps of fire protection).
• Analysis of framework for performance of joint venture in  tactical and operational exercises with participation of Forest  Fire Protection Services and The Fire Fighters from the both countries. The whole undertaking is to be realised in year 2014 in the cross-border forest complex.
• Joint educational informational projects referring to prevention of fires  (including  bilingual informational and promotional materials).

Paweł Wcisło