By james art Boise residents, especially those on the wildland-urban boundary, live in an ecosystem prone to wildfires. It is critical for these communities to adapt to the growing threat of wildfires by creating a risk mitigation plan. While we can’t eliminate the hazard entirely, studies and real-world experience show that both your home and the surrounding landscape are critical to wildfire survival.
To help our community reduce risks, Boise Fire, Janus Research Group, Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA), Team DSGN and the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation worked together to create an augmented reality app that uses AI, to provide recommendations to help homeowners create bushfire-resilient homes.
“Creating survival space is an essential wildfire mitigation tool that creates a buffer between your property and the vegetation that surrounds it. These mitigation efforts not only help slow the spread of wildfires, but also protect the firefighters protecting your home,” said Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer. “Fire cannot spread without a fuel source. This app aims to help homeowners eliminate these fuel sources around their homes and educate them about proper landscaping and fire-resistant plants and materials.
In the app, homeowners can take photos or videos of their house and property, and it will offer personalized recommendations and best practices to minimize fire risks. It also includes interactive instructions, training videos and web resources to help homeowners identify wildfire hazards and select the most effective mitigation strategies.
The app is currently in its beta phase and is ready to be tested by real users before it is released. Boise Fire invites residents to sign up for the trial phase so that this task force can determine the accuracy and value of the app. For all residents in the Boise Fire response area who participate in the survey, Boise Fire will provide follow-up in-person home assessments to compare the assessments completed in the app to those completed by our Wildfire Captain. This will confirm accuracy before the application is launched.
“We are dedicated to ensuring that the Ada County WUI communities and beyond remain safe places to live,” Niemeyer said. “Our goal is to make this app a valuable resource for residents to help reduce wildfire risks in our community.” To achieve this, we need your help – please sign up and help test the app.”
You can register for the beta phase of the app until November 30, 2024. here: https://bit.ly/arsur.