A fire and emergency services data centre
The Need
This proposal explores the need for a fire and emergency services data centre that encapsulates the following two elements.Agency Activity Reporting - The NSWFB is the current custodian of the AFAC national database. This database comprises data captured primarily for response to structure fire incidents. There is a growing need to access the aggregated data for industry trend analysis and statistics. The amount of data requests are growing, however many cannot be actioned due to limitations in the available data.
The Australian Incident Reporting System (AIRS) is the basis for data capture. AIRS contains identified ‘core’ elements that allow aggregation to form a national data set.
Since its inception in 1997 the AIRS Standard has not been properly maintained nor its custodianship made clear. This had lead to the following issues:
- Different states use different processes, procedures and software to capture activity data, making aggregation difficult and comparisons in some circumstances almost impossible.
- Its integrity has been compromised by changes that have been made by agencies but not replicated within the agreed national standard.
- AFAC has taken steps to try to recover this situation; however, it is a substantial task with limited resources currently available to complete it.
This work has implications for the future of activity reporting by:
- Agencies and the tools they use
- The AFAC national database
- The AIRS standard
- The custodianship of the national database.
- The Bushfire CRC
- AFAC member agencies
- Australasian Universities
Data and evidence underpin industry positions, policy and practice. It is instrumental to the objective consideration of issues. The most recent test of this has been the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and its recommendations and findings
In 2009 the Bushfire CRC was commissioned by Victorian agencies to undertake a comprehensive program of data capture following the Black Saturday fires. These findings have been used in the analysis of the factors that contributed to loss of life and destruction of property.
Given that the Bushfire CRC is not a permanent entity and the NSWFB may not be in a position to support a significantly expanded national database and service, the need for an industry data centre needs to be investigated.
The two elements of agency activity data and research data sets are intrinsically linked, so it makes sense to consider a consolidated arrangement to manage both.
Identifying an appropriate custodian and ensuring processes are in place to manage the quality, access and use of the data as evidence to support policy and practice change are important strategic considerations.
Benefits and Strategic Alignment
Access to consolidated industry data is a valuable key resource sought by key stakeholders, member agencies, government departments, individuals and other organisations.The provision of quality industry data is seen as crucial to underpin research activities and improved community safety and operational outcomes. There is growing demand across many sectors for access to industry data, to inform and validate professional judgments and decisions.
AFAC is best placed to facilitate an industry data centre for two main reasons.
- AFAC members are responsible for the capture of the data
- AFAC members have a keen interest in using data to support practice change.
Considerable work has been undertaken by the AFAC Rural Land Management Group on landscape fires performance measures. This work is well advanced with some measures to be reported from July 2010. Reporting will be in the form of work around methods until such time as a broad activity capture and reporting tool is available.
Proposal
This project will explore the feasibility of, and options for, the creation and management of a Fire and Emergency Services Data Centre. It will produce a report outlining- What a data centre might be
- A recommended way forward
- Possible custodians of the industry data sets
- An evaluation of the key stakeholders
- Identification of data sets important to the industry
- Where the data currently resides
- The capability and willingness of custodians to share the data.
- What the functions and form of a data centre would be
- Candidates for where the data centre could reside and how it could be managed
- Whether the Bushfire CRC and all AFAC member agencies will agree to submit activity data to a centralised repository for aggregation and use
- Recognition of the need for and willingness to change systems and processes to facilitate a change of practice.
- Evaluate the willingness of agencies to invest in and collaborate on the creation of a new activity collection and reporting software application (to replace FIRS and AIRS)
- Support the development of a revised model for capture, collection and transfer of agency activity data
Consultation
This project will require a major consultation process in the first instance to scope requirements and explore the capability and readiness of member agencies to participate in this project. The consultation will include all member agencies and key stakeholders.Governance
Project Owner: Jill EdwardsProject Manager: TBA
Project Team:
This project would benefit from the establishment of a cross-functional project team incorporating representatives from:
- Operations
- Community Safety
- Chief Information Officers Group
- Data Management Groups
- The Bushfire CRC
- Federal Attorney-Generals Department.
