National Infrared Operations (NIROPS) Program Overview Tom Mellin National Infrared Program Manager
Topics NIROPS organization Phoenix imaging system Aircraft Data delivery to infrared interpreters IRIN functions Product delivery to incident Image examples Future developments
National Infrared Operations (NIROPS) Headquartered at National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and consists of Phoenix Imaging Systems & IR techs (FS) Planes & Pilots (FS) Infrared Interpreters (Interagency)
Geographic Area Coordination Centers and GACC IR Liaisons Northern R: Lee Werth Rocky Mtn: Melinda McGann Bob Malcolm Southwest: Tom Mellin Great Basin: Hope Spriggs CA N/S: Kyle Felker Northwest: Jim Grace Southern: Scott Wilkinson Eastern: Liz McNichols Alaska: TBD
PHOENIX System Installation Phoenix is a digital image processing system coupled with a dual channel line scanner
WHY IR LINE SCANNERS? Cover extremely large areas in a very short period of time Line scanners are extremely accurate (depending on processing system) Can detect very small fires (While simultaneously) Mapping very large areas Timely delivery
PHOENIX System Specifications Two channel thermal IR line scanner 3-5 μm band for intense heat 8-12 μm band for background terrain 1.25 milliradian IFOV 3.8 meter pixel at NADIR, 10,000 feet AGL 120 0 FOV 6 mile swath at 10,000 feet AGL 1680 pixels per scan line 200 scan lines per second Digital image processing system 256 gray scale (256 th pixel is colored red)
Aircraft: Dedicated to IR use from April-November 144Z Cessna Citation Bravo 149Z Beechcraft 200 Super King Air National resource, can cover multiple incidents in multiple states
IR Data delivered from plane raw tiff Orthocorrected tiff w/ fire detects Orthocorrected color tiff Waldo Canyon Fire June 25, 2012, 2253 hrs
IR Data delivered from plane (cont.) dumb reduced resolution jpeg mosaic of all runs Waldo Canyon Fire June 25, 2012, 2253 hrs Heat detect point shapefile
Mid IR LWIR KA-B MODVOL KA-B Detection Concept A = Mid IR (3-5 µm) B = LWIR (8-12 µm) 12.5 ft Pixel 0 Deg. C Terrain 10 Inch Square 600 Deg. C Fire 100 Deg. C Asphalt Courtesy John Green, Argon ST
AIRCELL System Imagery delivered to NIFC ftp site via AIRCELL system Aircell is the company that provides in-flight Internet for commercial airlines ( GoGo ). N149Z and N144Z have the business aviation systems; a Wi-Fi hotspot in the sky Either as WinZip archive or FreeArc compressed archive (.exe) Corded SIP Handset (for maintenance ONLY) Wired Ethernet (optional) 9 WiFi Antennas AACU GPS/PCS Antenna ACPU CWAP ABS Antennas NIFC ftp site
AIRCELL System Advantages Fewer takeoffs and landings resulting in less spent fuel per mission and less maintenance. Safer flights due to fewer landings late at night into uncontrolled dark airports. Late night drives to pick up data by Interpreters eliminated. Less time wasted doing ftp uploads since data transfer is almost in real time from aircraft. Data arriving at NIROPS web site earlier in the mission allowing faster product delivery to incident. Less expensive than satellite based systems.
2011 NIROPS coverage N144Z 306 requests filled in 2011 (2010 142 filled, 2007 633 filled) N149Z 346 requests filled in 2011 (2010 197 filled, 2007 849 filled)
2012 NIROPS coverage (as of Aug 7) N149Z - 230 requests filled N144Z - 257 requests filled
Phoenix data in WinZip archive Aircell Remote IRIN Support: One IRIN, Multiple Fires Interpreter(s) located at duty station NIFC ftp site Incident NIFC ftp site
IRIN Pods Multiple IRINs at a single location central to multiple incidents If working in a pod A lead IRIN is assigned Each interpreter usually responsible for multiple fires, depending on size and complexity Improved coordination and flexibility Good example Redding pod from 2008
Roles and Responsibilities of the Infrared Interpreter Primary Objectives: Quality Control of thermal imagery Determine heat perimeter Identify areas of heat and isolated heat sources Calculate acreage of the perimeter Produce shapefiles, summary map(s) and log
IR Team Coordination IC NICC COD Fixed Wing Aircraft Desk GACC Fixed Wing Aircraft Desk Local/Expanded Dispatch Planning Section Chief Regional IR Coord. Situation Unit Ldr. National IR Coord. IR Interpreter IR Aircraft & Crew
Products Delivered to Incident daily Shapefiles, map, kmz, log
Aircraft vs. IRINs NIROPS aircraft are a national resource that can support multiple fires in multiple GACCs NOT assigned to the fire Fires receive the service IRINs are a single resource (overhead) that can support one or more fires Can be assigned to a Fire OR can be assigned to a GACC or Area Command to support multiple fires (usually as a member of a pod )
Wallow Fire Growth, 5/30 6/8, 2011
Wallow Fire Growth, 5/30 6/8, 2011
Wallow Fire Growth, 5/30 6/8, 2011
Wallow Fire Growth, 5/30 6/8, 2011
Wallow Fire Growth, 5/30 6/8, 2011
Wallow Fire Growth, 5/30 6/8, 2011
Wallow Fire Growth, 5/30 6/8, 2011
Wallow Fire Growth, 5/30 6/8, 2011
Whitewater and Baldy Fires become Whitewater-Baldy Fire, 5/22-23, 2012
Whitewater and Baldy Fires become Whitewater-Baldy Fire, 5/22-23, 2012
Wolf Den Fire 7/5/12
Wolf Den Fire 7/5/12
Wolf Den Fire 7/5/12
Future developments Integration of AMS on FS plane Autonomous Modular Sensor transferred to FS by NASA AMS Wildfire Sensor Band Wavelength m 1 0.42-0.45 2 0.45-0.52 (TM1) 3 0.52-0.60 (TM2) 4 0.60-0.62 5 0.63-0.69 (TM3) 6 0.69-0.75 7 0.76-0.90 (TM4) 8 0.91-1.05 9 1.55-1.75 (TM5) 10 2.08-2.35 (TM7) 11 3.60-3.79 (VIIRS M12) 12 10.26-11.26 (VIIRS M15)
Future developments (cont.) Wide Area Imager (WAI) Development funded by NASA SBIR project Operational Airborne prototype delivered by John Green (Xiomas) Testing over fires this summer Different concept/same result as Phoenix Cover 16 mile swath with same resolution as Phoenix system using step stare mirror with high resolution frame grabbing cameras Dual band MWIR and LWIR camera and color infrared camera Near real-time image classification and orthorectification
MWIR Mosaic and some zooms
Future developments (cont.) 3 rd existing FS aircraft for sensor deployment Testing and operational platform for various sensors including Phoenix system, AMS, WAI, etc. Would help maintain NIROPS coverage if one plane was down for extended time or Provide improved coverage during times of high fire activity and/or geographically separated fires
Questions? Tom Mellin National IR Program Manager (505) 842-3845 tmellin@fs.fed.us