The Process Chain Of The Integrated Rural Fire Management System

The process chain of the Integrated Rural Fire Management System includes the action pillars of rural fire management and the protection of people and property.

The six stages of the system are:

Planning

• Strategic guidelines and integrated planning National guiding principles that are transposed into regional and local instruments
• Operational guidelines Implementation of the national strategy adapted to the different levels;
• Budget and funding Annual budget for the system with the allocation of funds to each entity and activity from different funding sources

Prevention

• Rural land management Initiatives that prepare the territory for fires, such as fuel management, protection systems, new landscapes and development practices;
• Preparing buildings Create and maintain good practices for protecting buildings and population clusters
• Checking safety conditions Confirm the state of repair and operation of protection and suppression structures and facilities

Preparation

• Education and integrated communication Education for knowledge expansion. Raising awareness to change behaviours and encourage the adoption of self-protection measures
• Inspection Inspection to confirm compliance with prevention measures and to flag nonconformities

Pre-suppression

• Risk assessment, warnings and alerts Analyse the parameters that determine an increase in response capacity and information to the population, and to inform operational decisions
• Surveillance Dispatch surveillance resources and deterrent security forces to critical areas
• Pre-positioning Preventively position suppression and relief crews in critical areas

Suppression and Relief

• Initial attack Dispatch rapid response teams for fire suppression and relief
• Extended attack Provide reinforcements for suppression and relief operations when fires extend beyond initial attack capacity
• Mop-up and extinguishment Eliminate hot spots to prevent reignition and rekindles. Declare a fire extinguished when the likelihood of rekindle is low
• Re-establish safety Assess safety conditions for the return of displaced populations, reopening roads and re-establishing services
• Social and environmental emergency response Provide assistance to affected populations and operational personnel, and emergency environmental intervention

Post-fire

• Investigate the causes Determine the cause of the fire
• Restoration Damage assessment and initiatives to recover and rehabilitate land. Re-establish networks and services
• Continuous improvement Identify weaknesses and introduce corrective measures in the system

The three enablers are:

• Governance
• Qualification
• Information and communication systems