GPS for Fire Management & ICS is a 16-hour course for fire and incident management staff providing advanced training in the use of GPS equipment for navigation and data collection. Course participants use GPS receivers to navigate, collect data that can be communicated in written or verbal formats, and download data to create files for use in a geographic information system (GIS) program, to meet the needs of GIS specialists, fire managers, or incident command staff. The use of GPS is one of the most efficient methods for documenting information regarding the location of facilities, conditions, and environments affected by Wildfire, Floods, Earthquakes, and other incidents.

Materials for the course are posted below as individual downloadable files. Right click on the link and "Save Target As..."

For more information on the classroom version of this course, contact Don Washco, Fire Training Coordinator, BLM National Training Center: don_washco@blm.gov

• Course Agenda (2011Agenda2-dayFINAL20110120.pdf)
• Instructor Contacts (2011_Instructors.pdf)

Class Presentations & Exercises:

Introduction to GPS - An overview of the Global Positioning System, differential correction, coordinate systems/projections, and datum.

• Introduction to GPS (2011Introduction_GPS.pptx)

Course Book & Exercises - Prepare receiver for navigation and for field data collection.  Learn to navigate. Learn proper field collection methods, and post-processing data for use in a GIS.

• GPS for Fire Management & ICS Book
  (2011GPSforFMICSfinalBook.pdf)

Coordinate Conversion - Learn how to convert coordinates between the 3 Lat/Long formats � by hand!

• Coordinate Conversion (2011LatLongCoordinateConversion.pptx)

Data Management - Guidelines for managing data with an intuitive naming convention and directory structure and how to tie in with the GIS Standard Operating Procedures on Incidents guidelines.

• Data Management
  (2011DataManagement.pptx)

References / Job Aids:

• Metadata Form (2011_GPS_Meta_Form.doc)
• Mission Checklist (Mission_Checklist.pdf)
• Garmin GPSMap60CSx Pocket Card (GPS_Pocket_Guide_GarminMap60CS_GTAG.pptx)
• Garmin GPSMap76CSx Pocket Card (GPS_Pocket_Guide_GarminMap76CS_GTAG.pptx)
• DNRGarmin Workflow Document (DNRGarminQuickFlow.pdf)
• Directory Structure & Naming Convention (ExampleGPSDirectoryStructure.pdf)

Software:

• ArcGIS 9.x AlaskaPak (AlaskaPak_ArcGIS9.2-9.3.zip)
• DNRGarmin 5.4.1 (DNRGarmin_5.4.1.zip)

NEW!  Click this link to access the on-line training video, Using Garmin GPS Receivers.  This training resource was created by the course coordinator and two of the course instructors.  The video has two menus: one is an informational presentation on GPS and the other is a receiver demonstration of set up and use.

Click here to download the 2009, 3-day course materials for the Garmin GPSMAP76S receiver.