Cradle Coast NRM to launch fire fuel hazard app FuelGauge
Cradle Coast NRM to launch fire fuel hazard app FuelGauge
25 July 2016
published by http://www.theadvocate.com.au
Australia A revolutionary new app designed to gather fuel hazard data has been developed by Cradle Coast NRM.
The FuelGauge app is the first of its kind in the country and aims to equip the community with the means of reporting fire fuel hazards in their communities.
It will assist the community in collecting fuel hazard data that will in turn assist fuel reduction management programs.
Cradle Coast NRM strategy and implementation manager Ernst Kemmerer said it was important communities collected the data well before bushfire season.
Reporting fire fuel hazards well before the fire season is the best window of opportunity for community involvement and can influence where annual fire fuel reduction plans are conducted, Dr Kemmerer said.
The formula for determining fire fuel hazard was developed by Dr Kemmerer and the app was designed by Burnie IT company 41st Degree Software in conjunction with the state governments LISTmap services.
The app is designed to be used with a specific measuring frisbee that is thrown over fuel hazard areas. The height and distance of the thrown frisbee is entered into the app to be collected and stored in one place.
App users travel to the area they want to measure and throw the frisbee 10 times around the area to gather distance and height.
The idea is to try and influence where burns may take place, to empower communities to report areas that have high fuel levels, Dr Kemmerer said.
We cant control much about the weather but we can control the fuel levels.
The app was trialled with Penguin High School students who said the app was user-friendly and easy to use.
FuelGauge is only available on Android smartphones but if consumer demand is there, Dr Kemmerer said they would look to expand to iPhones. It also must be used with a particular type of frisbee.
The FuelGauge app will be officially launched at a community workshop on Sunday (July 31) at Seabreeze Killynaught, Boat Harbour, from 3pm. RSVPs are essential. For more information or to RSVP contact Lauren Clarke on 6433 8400.
