Phase 3 is currently focusing on 3 areas and business needs for incident automation:
- Development of incident management enterprise business and data models, and a system gap analysis which will assist management with determining the need for new systems, improvements to existing systems, or replacement systems which support all aspects of incident operations.
This contract was awarded to IBM and work has been on going since December 2006. Over 25 Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) have been interviewed as to the business processes they perform on an incident. For example, the SMEs are asked to describe their duties once mobilized, during steady state, at demobilization, and at closeout. They are also asked as to the data, either manual or automated that is collected. The use of ROSS at the incident has been mentioned many times in the interviews and business processes as potential cost and time savers. IBM is using the Websphere Modeler tool to capture the business processes and Rational Data Architect (RDA) for data collection.
These ‘As Is’ and ‘To Be’ models, data collection, and the gap analysis will help support any further development work and to support on going efforts for the development of a National Wildland Fire Enterprise Architecture.
- Reengineering or enhancement of the current I-Suite to address the results of the findings in the gap analysis. This action item includes performing development lifecycles tasks (Business Requirements Analysis, Design Construct, Test, User Training, and Deploy) which will result in a replacement system(s) addressing the current and future needs of the incident management and support community
SabiOso, current I-Suite Contractor, was awarded the contract. Work has just begun and projected completion date is sometime in 2009. The name for this new project is ‘eI-Suite’ (e for Enterpise). eI-Suite will use the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) so that incident information and data can be shared among multiple applications (such as ROSS and ICBS). Not much is known at this time as to how the new application will look and feel, so stay tuned for more information.
- Development and award in early 2008 of national level performance based contracts which will deliver computer infrastructure, support, and connectivity to wildland fires, incidents and other activities throughout the contiguous United States and Alaska. Contractor support to incident bases will be required during the first operational period (defined as within the first 8-12 hours of the IMT’s arrival) and for each operational period thereafter that an incident is in place.
The intent for this contract is to work along the same lines as the National Caterer contracts in that vendors will be geographically located so that the equipment can be quickly mobilized to incidents. Implementation of a national contract for infrastructure and connectivity will provide the same level of consistency and standards to all Incidents. In addition, this contract will be available for Expanded Dispatch, Buying Teams, Training, and/or any type of activity that has a need for equipment and connectivity.
For more information on these projects or Incident Based Automation, contact Gina Bald, IBA Deputy Project Manager (gbald@fs.fed.us) or Mary Ann Szymoniak, IBA Business Lead (mszymoniak@fs.fed.us).
