Government Technology

High-Definition Cameras Help California Fire Lookouts


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March 16, 2010 By

As a first responder, Bob Patton appreciates the value of having as much information as possible before responding to an emergency. And as the El Dorado National Forest fire chief, Patton sees how communication holes can lead to safety hazards and added expenses.

In hopes of keeping those hazards and expenses down -- especially during California's ongoing budget crisis -- the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) have recently teamed up to keep a closer eye on one of the state's most precious natural resources: its forests.

In the largest project of its kind in the United States, the fire management agencies are testing a program to spot and assess fires using high-definition cameras mounted atop communications towers that are sometimes unstaffed. The goal? "To size up a fire and be more effective in dispatching," Patton said.

About two years ago, when state budget cuts started resulting in unstaffed fire lookout towers, Cal Fire applied for a grant and "solicited competitive bids for a system that uses tower-mounted, high-def video cameras and microwave wireless links to monitor wildland fire activity," according to an Exalt Communications press release.

Using the El Dorado National Forest as its pilot location, the three cameras allow Cal Fire dispatchers in the Camino Interagency Command Center (ECC) to view forest land, better aiding dispatch communications with firefighters.


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