WFDSS Help | Assess Situation

Assessing the Situation

The WFDSS Situation map allows users to assess the situation to determine if a decision needs to be published. It can be accessed by clicking the Situation tab or the small map icon located on the right side of the screen in the Incident perspective. Selecting the Situation tab opens the map embedded in the display of the main application. Opening it from the map icon opens the Situation map in its own window. Using the map icon allows the greatest flexibility as you can develop decision inputs and view the Situation map simultaneously.

The mapping tools located above the map help you to manage map scale, draw shapes and view feature information. Above the mapping tools is a Bookmark button that allows Dispatchers, Authors, and Editors to save their current map settings on the Situation map so they will be available the next time they login to WFDSS. There is also the option to share any bookmark as a link with other users whose privileges allow them to view the map context.

By adding the spatial layer Active Planning Area in the System Preferences tab, you can display nearby active planning areas on the Situation map.

Dispatchers, Authors, and Editors need at a least this information to assess the situation:

Latitude/longitude of the incident (Info tab)
Current size of the incident (click dropdown arrow besides current perimeter in the LayerSwitcher to view shape information)
Jurisdictions involved in the incident (boundaries layers)

There are a variety of map layers that can inform your situation assessment. To ensure you are viewing all applicable map layers for an incident, change your system preferences as needed to add/remove map layers from your map displays. When a decision for an incident is being reviewed you will not be able to create planning areas, fire perimeters, MAPs, or incident obj. shapes on a situation assessment map.

When an incident is declared out, you can only create perimeters, points of interest, and analyses on a situation assessment map.

The two tabs on the left of the Situation map contain information relevant to the situation:

Map tab--Depending on your user role you can:

View information for a variety of map layer types.

Info tab--Depending on your user role you can:

Modify incident latitude, longitude, and radius (if needed).
Select layer/feature information to query for a variety of layer types.
Review data related to the situation such as the Smoke Dispersion Forecast Guidance, Strategic Objectives, Fire Weather Forecast, or Hourly Weather Forecasts.
Use the "i" tool in the toolbar above the map display to query the data source, elevation, aspect, slope, fuel model, canopy cover, canopy bulk density, stand height, and canopy base height.
Use the Map Capture feature to capture an image that can be used in a Decision or for a Report, or both.

CAUTION: Do not embed external links into the decision or report. They will be stripped from the content when the information is copied into a rich text editor field.

To assess the situation:

From the Incident list, select the incident you want to assess.
Click Assess Situation. The Situation page appears embedded in the main application's window. An alternative method to opening the Situation map is to click the map icon located on the right side of the screen from any of the other tabs (Information, Objectives, Course of Action, Cost, Decisions, Periodic Assessment, or Reports); this option opens the Situation map in its own window and allows the greatest editing flexibility as you can develop decision inputs and view the map simultaneously. (It might take a few seconds for the map to load, depending on your Internet connection.)
From the Map tab, select the data layers you want to display on the map.
Note: If a + sign appears to the left of a data layer, you need to click the plus sign and select the sub-layers listed. The green + button at the right of a data layer indicates that you can create that layer (e.g., planning areas, fire perimeters, etc.)

Content for this page is dynamic. Every time you expand layer information, WFDSS displays the most recently updated information for that layer. If a + sign appears to the left of a data layer, you need to click the plus sign and select the sub-layers listed. The green + button at the right of a data layer indicates that you can create that layer (e.g., planning areas, fire perimeters,etc.)
Check the map resolution, and use the Slider to adjust as needed.
Click the Rectangle icon to draw a planning area. (You must designate a planning area before you can document a decision.)
Click the Landscape Extent icon to draw a landscape extent. (You must draw a landscape extent before you can run a fire behavior analysis.)
Select the Info Tab, then click one of the following links to view that information:
To save a map image for the decision and/or report, do the following:
1. Select the Info Tab and scroll down to Map Image.
2. Enter an Image Name.
3. Enter a Description. This description appears with the image in the decision and/or report, so make sure that you are being clear and using complete sentences.
4. Enter a Report Name if choosing to generate a landscape oriented report containing the captured image.
5. Click Capture Image. The image is saved to a folder with your last name in the Images folder in the Incident Content tree and available for inclusion in a Decision is desired. If you selected to create an optional report, view the report from the Reports tab in the Decision Reports section.
If you would like to upload shapes or images, run a Stratified Cost Index, or Fire Behavior Request for a BFB, STFB, NTFB, FSPro with VAR analysis, return to the Content window.
After assessing the situation return to the Content window and move through the remaining tabs, return to the Situation map as needed.