ISoftware Tools
Scion have released software containing tools to calculate fire behaviour of NZ fuels. These are available for free-of-charge download at www.scionresearch.com/fire. For those that prefer to use lookup tables, there is a manual for predicting fire behaviour at a cost of $45 plus postage. Order from publications@scion research.com. One complimentary copy will be provided to each RFA.

Firefighting chemicals 
RFA's are required to have Safety Data Sheets on hand at each depot. NZ suppliers have yet to provide these. The above provides a link to US SDS's that will do in the interim.

Mark III Wajax Evaluation
The Robin EC17DFF motor that has powered the (Mark V) Wajax pump for many years is being phased out. One of the possible replacements is to revert back to the Mark III motor that was rejected by NZ authorities back in the 70's. The Mark III motor has continued to be used in Canada and the US, and has not marked time in that period. You can download a modern evaluation undertaken by Lindsay Golding of DOC.

Software Tools
While participating in a RIMT exercise, I became aware that those responsible for planning lacked satisfactory resources to make their predictions quickly and accurately. NIMT's aren't any better equipped. I therefore applied to the NZFS Research Fund to get a grant to develop digital fire mapping, based on a model I'd published some years before. I needed the funding to hire a GIS digital terrain specialist. Unfortunately, funding was declined. Bugger.

There were a couple of useful tools on the way to the fire mapping, and I've completed these. FRFANZ Members are welcome to download and use them. They run under MS Windows.

The first is WF_Behaviour (427 kB). In summary, it replaces the fire behaviour tables that reside in the green Rural Fire Management handbook (I hate looking up tables!). Make sure you select and click the vegetation and fuel types, then enter values into the white boxes before clicking on the calculate FB button. The values in yellow boxes are calculated according to those entered parameters. Unlike the green handbook, crown fires (where appropriate - mature pine) are taken into consideration, and that can disturb complacency. Amazing what a 10 degree slope change can achieve! The Time-vs-Distance panel is an accumulator you can use to determine the head fire spread over uneven topography: just enter map distances, and the time taken to reach these will be calculated from the ROS. Not as good as digital mapping, but.... No other instructions, but as the mouse pointer moves over boxes, helpful hints will appear.

The second tool is FWI_Predict (424 kB), and can be used in conjunction with a weather forecast to predict what FWI will become based on the last measured values. It can be used in two modes. With the 24H box checked, and the month selected (select and click - goes dark blue), you can enter the previous FFMC ->FWI etc. along with the forecast temp->R24, and click forecast to get predicted FFMC->FWI. Click Shift up to advance another day. This program was designed to be used with the fire behaviour program, and allow planners to gauge what will happen as the weather changes during a day - the midday temperature, and relative humidy, will hardly be relevant at 6 pm. Ensuring that the 24H box is unchecked, and the forecast RH% is empty, you can insert new temp and Wsp predictions, and click forecast to get predicted FFMC->FWI. The prime change occurs in FFMC and ISI, which feeds through into the other parameters. Again, you can Shift up, but make sure that the forecast RH% gets cleared. Helpful hints are also given.

Gavin Wallace 

Warning - Controlled Goosenecks
Ian Millman writes that NRFA have received another report of a heli-bucket goose neck c/w plastic  control valve failing under pressure. This resulted in an injury to the  user and placed the ground crew and helicopter at risk. It is recommended that all plastic control valves, as used on the  heli-bucket filling goose neck, that do not comply with the 1050 kpa  working pressure and the 2100 kpa pressure test are removed from service.

Please refer to an earlier NRFA circular 2000/19 for information on manufacturer, working and pressure test requirements for all waterway equipment.

Palmerston North CC Appliance
This is based on a Mitsubishi Canter, and was built by SPEL in Trentham. It features a low profile 1100 litre tank that ensures a low centre of gravity.

TUMONZ Mapping Software, version 3
Vision Software in Rotorua released this version just before Christmas 2006. It is a significant enhancement over v2, providing all NZMS 260 series raster scanned maps with the LINZ 1:50,000 topographic vector database for the whole of the country on one DVD. Low resolution aerial photographs are also provided, and high resolution photos in one of many modules for extra cost. You can also drag in and display GoogleEarth. Zooming and panning is very quick.

TUMONZ also has a clever 3D viewing routine that reconstructs a 3D image of the countryside. This saves you trying to imagine the countryside from the contours of the map. You can view from any of the map corners and midpoints, and fly the area. Features that you might add to the map also appear in the 3D image, such as tracks or firelines. In addition, the aerial photos can be viewed in 3D. However, unlike v2, this is now a standalone module that appears to have been decoupled from the map being displayed by Tumonz, and it is annoying to have to relocate yourself. 

TUMONZ accepts NMEA data from a GPS unit via a serial port, and the moving map display can show your current position on the displayed map. It relocates the map if you are in danger of leaving the displayed area. You can also download and upload GPS data. However, like the 3D display, the GPS Manager is a separate module, and the handling of GPS data is clumsy and not intuitive compared with Oziexplorer. It is also difficult to access and edit user supplied information.