An Analysis of the Emergency Fire Response to the Colorado 2012 Waldo Canyon and 2013 Black Forest Fires

Marzolf Gregory S. () and Sega Ronald M.
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Sega Ronald M.: Colorado State University College of Engineering, Systems Engineering, Fort Collins, CO, USA

Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 11

Abstract: This research hypothesizes that changes in command and control along with increased levels of trust and training led to a stronger response in Colorado’s 2013 Black Forest fire than that of the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire. Because the fires were categorized as the worst in the region’s history, and because they occurred in very close succession, in roughly the same area, involving many of the same responders, the fires provide valuable insights into how the response system adapted, or failed to adapt, to overcome key events under both scenarios. The study found that the ability to tailor command and control and supporting response structures to a particular event instead of using traditional rigid frameworks were instrumental to a more effective response. The study goes on to suggest that even though the Black Forest fire was met with an improved response, a systems approach is needed to better accommodate increasingly complex future events.

Keywords: wildland; urban; fire; emergency; response; Colorado; systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1515/jhsem-2017-0056

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