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As wildfires in California this week consumed more than 1800 homes and ravaged southern sections of the state, Los Angeles and Ventura counties needed more aerial support in the form of National Guard C130 air tankers to help firefighters on the ground.

So officials in those two counties turned to an Internet-based system, dubbed RIMS (Response Information Management System), for help. RIMS helps the state coordinate and manage its response to disasters and other emergencies.

How it Works

To get the equipment, the counties used an online form that is part of RIMS to detail specific information. Among the items: the nature of the threat (such as potential loss of homes and property); the area needing the C130s; when the equipment is needed; where it should be delivered; how long it will be used (if available); and even a contact name.

By filling out the form and sending it up the chain of command, local officials can cut the time needed to get equipment to the scene--a crucial part of being able to successfully beat back the flames. The system is also designed to help state and local officials keep track of what equipment has gone where, a critical element in coordinating the massive response needed to fight the wildfires.

The homegrown system was first developed by the state's Office of Emergency Services (OES) in 1995, and it was updated to a Web-based system in 1999.

James Watkins, chief information officer of the OES, says the procedures for using the system follow a particular chain of command. He says cities and towns must log onto the system via an ID and password to submit their reports and are allowed to make requests only to county officials. As part of the system, counties are called operational areas.

Each operational area then tracks its resources using RIMS and sends out the necessary manpower and/or equipment. If the operational area can't help, it passes the request along to one of the state's three regional offices, which in turn either provides the resources or sends the request off to the OES, at the state level.

Faster Response

Because the C130 air tankers needed by Los Angeles and Ventura counties belonged to the National Guard, the OES in Sacramento had to approve the request before the aircraft could be sent out.

"In the RIMS system, when we forward a request to the National Guard, we have adjusted the system so that it automatically populates the National Guard forms that they use and when they are meeting the request, and they send the information back to us," Watkins says. "[RIMS] automatically extracts the information out of their standard forms and puts it back into ours."

By midweek, the C130s were delivered to the counties. And they arrived with all the necessary support equipment and personnel--and even their food. In most cases, the crews bring their suitcases if they know they're going to stay awhile, according to an OES spokesperson.