Opportunity Assessment Working Group

Charter: Opportunity Assessment Working Group for the Wildfire Science & Technology Commons

Background:
The Wildfire Science & Technology Commons (WSTC) believes that avoiding devastating wildfires requires urgent, innovative, and collaborative solutions. The Wildfire Science & Technology Commons is a bold new initiative designed to accelerate technological innovations for wildfire management and mitigation. We are building a community platform around open data, cutting-edge science, AI, and shared knowledge.

Our mission is to bring people together to break down the barriers that currently exist between wildfire-related data, models, and tools. Today these resources are siloed, which slows down innovation. We have the opportunity to create a seamless, smart platform to enable solutions that revolutionize how we understand, respond to, and prevent wildfires.

Purpose:
The Opportunity Assessment Working Group will:

1. Organize priority areas where open science and technology can contribute to wildfire management solutions.

2. Identify data, science, and innovation gaps in these priority areas.

3. Evaluate the current state of the possible through science and technology advancements in the Wildfire Science & Technology Commons

4. Create actionable blueprints for future innovations that can be adopted by the broader fire science, management, and technology communities that can be exploratorily integrated into the Wildfire Commons as pathfinder projects 

Scope:
The Working Group will:

1. Assess FireTech Priorities: Collaboratively organize and assess areas within FireTech that are most likely to benefit from open science and technology interventions.

2. Identify Gaps: Focus on identifying critical gaps in data availability, scientific knowledge, and technological capabilities within the selected priority areas.

3. Evaluate State of the Possible: Evaluate emerging technologies and innovations, particularly in open data, AI, machine learning, cloud computing, and sensor networks, that could be leveraged for future advancements.

4. Develop Innovation Blueprints: Create strategic blueprints that outline future innovation paths and recommendations for addressing gaps in fire science and FireTech.

Process:

1. Committee Formation: A Badge Working Group will be formed upon review of nominations, with the goal of 10-15 group members.

2. Coordination: The group will have a Chairperson responsible for setting the agenda and coordinating the monthly meetings. Additional subcommittees may be formed as needed to dive deeper into specific priority areas.

3. Meetings: The group will meet for one hour per month to review progress, discuss emerging issues, and plan next steps. Meetings will be held via teleconference to accommodate diverse geographic locations of members.

4. Data Collection: The Working Group will collect and analyze information from various sources, including research publications, industry reports, government data, and case studies from fire management practices.

5. Blueprint Development: Annually, the Working Group will compile its findings into a detailed blueprint report, identifying actionable opportunities for innovation in FireTech, which will be shared with relevant stakeholders.

Outcomes:
The Opportunity Assessment Working Group will provide:

• Strategic Guidance: On key areas where FireTech can benefit from open science and technology.

• Innovative Blueprints: Detailing future innovation paths and providing clear recommendations for fire science and technology advancements.

• Actionable Insights: Into how data, science, and technology can be mobilized to address wildfire challenges.

Working Group Nominations accepted at: https://forms.gle/89XhjEKwzrSye8SG9
Submit your nominations by December 13, 2024