SAFENET


SAFENET

Wildland Fire Safety & Health Reporting Network

SAFENET Event Information
Create Agency Response

SAFENET ID:
20180418-0001        [Corrective Actions]
Event Start Date:
12/21/2017 1417
Event Stop Date:
 
Incident Name:
San Francisco Base Radio Station
Fire Number:
 
State:
New Mexico
Jurisdiction:
USFS
Local Unit:
Gila National Forest
Incident Type:
Wildland, Prescribed/Fuels Treatment, All Hazard
Incident Activity:
Support, Transport to/from
Stage of Incident:
Initial Attack, Extended Attack, Non-incident
Position Title:
Dispatch Center Manager 
Task:
Field Resource Support 
Management Level:
4
Resources Involved:
Overhead, Crews, Modules, Engines, Admin 
Contributing Factors
Contributing Factors:
Communications, Equipment, Other
Human Factors:
 
Other Factors:
Lack of CIO Radio technician staffing and/or coverage on the Gila NF 
Narrative
Describe in detail what happened including the concern or potential issue, the environment (weather, terrain, fire behavior, etc), and the resulting health issue.
In December of 2017, the Gila NF went through radio equipment upgrade and re configuring of the existing radio network. SF Divide was upgraded in December. Since the upgrade, radio communications has been poor and have continued to remain so especially these last couple of weeks. Dispatch has had to work around the issue as best as possible through the use of other repeaters, but this work around is limited due to locations of resources in the field and radio coverage. The attached video contains a lookout tower trying to relay daily weather observations through SF Divide. SF Divide is utilized daily for general fire weather forest delivery at 10:15. Weather observations are transmitted from lookout towers daily through this site as well.

During the morning hours everyday, call lights are flashing on dispatch consoles with constant static. See attached video.

This issue has been known since December and has yet to be remedied.

This has had an effect on responding resources to wildland fires specifically on SF Divide.

***video did not attached. available upon request
Immediate Action Taken
Reporting Individual : please describe actions you took to correct or mitigate the unsafe/unhealthful event.
Dispatchers are often asking resources in the field to repeat traffic over the radio in an effort to try and understand what is being said.

Other repeaters are used where available due to coverage.

Local office district personnel call on the telephone to relay information not understood on the radio.


Agency Response

20180418-0001-CA001

Return to Top