What was the challenge/problem addressed?
Forest fires are beginning to become a problem in countries that have not historically suffered from them and that have not had the opportunity to achieve the knowledge and experience necessary to address these emergency situations.
It is important to try to deal with the problem of forest fires due to the consequences they have in rural areas.
How did you solve the problem?
Within this framework is the origin of the Forest Fire Assessment and Advisory Team (FAST), which emerged within the European Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) but is not limited only to that area.
This is a capacity that is born from the experience and knowledge in forest fire management accumulated in Spain over the years, available to support other countries that face forest fires on a more or less regular basis.
The experts of the FAST team belong to the regional and national administrations of Spain, as well as related organizations, the majority have a training base in forestry engineering and receive training in the UCPM course and exercise programs. Their main functional areas and the experience provided in forest fire emergency management are the following: Planning, operations, logistics and prevention and preparation.
What is innovative in your practical case?
The organization and operation of FAST is included in a factsheet and Standard Operating Procedures – SOP.
The SOPs include the operating procedures of the FAST team in the different phases of the mission, and in particular:
They describe the deployment and management mechanisms of the equipment.
They establish the organization of team members in all phases of the mission.
The number of experts and areas of specialization are decided based on the requirements of the requesting organization, the identified needs and the terms of reference of the mission.
What are the success factors in solving the problem?
Spanish experts who are members of FAST have participated in various international missions coordinated by the European Commission. They have transferred their knowledge to Europe, South America, Australia, etc.
Lessons learned
The FAST team, coordinated by Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and made up of experts from the autonomous communities, SEPRONA and Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, is available to support the country or organization that requests it, in the following situations:
– Specific advice on emergencies due to ongoing forest fires.
– General evaluation and advice on extinction matters, risk knowledge, prevention policies and training or research, among other areas.
The main areas of experience provided by the experts include: planning, operations, logistics, prevention and preparation or information systems in forest fires.
What role does the advisor or advisory service play with the practical case?
Several lines of action contribute to improving the specialization of the FAST team experts:
– UCPM Courses. Included in a training program aimed at civil protection experts from all over Europe. To date, more than 30% of FAST experts have been trained through the program.
– UCPM exercises. Coordinated by the UCPM and developed at the European level to improve cross-border collaboration in the face of possible disasters.
– Expert exchange. The UCPM allows the mobility of experts between states. Annually several FAST experts participate in these exchanges.
Among the objectives of FAST is contact between national experts and the exchange of experiences. To achieve this, as well as to keep the team informed of news and participation in missions, annual meetings are held.
Can your approach be transferred and/or adapted for other innovation challenges and regions?
Yes
Estimated transferability on a scale from 1 to 5
(where 1 is easy and 5 very difficult)
5
For sharing the experience on the good practice, please contact
Juan Pedro Romero Trueba
jpromero@mapa.es
Link to external information
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/temas/incendios-forestales/coordinacion-institucional/internacional-incendios-forestales.html