Award of CR/2020/12 - Analyses of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Incident Reporting Syst...

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Introduction 1. This specification sets out the terms of reference for the research project Analyses of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Incident Reporting System (IRS) data in relation to wildfire incidents. The project will provide information on the occurrence of wildfires and reason for the ignition (i.e. behavioural, accidental). 2. The data collected by the SFRS is based on the observations and reports given to the first attending officer on the scene. This information is put into the IRS. These reports are to be analysed to see if there are any patterns within seasons, geographical locations and sources of ignition. Satellite imagery from Sentinel 2 is at an accuracy which can be used to look at incidents reported by SFRS and can confirm and provide further information on an incident. It is therefore proposed that this information is also used when filtering the IRS reports to provide additional confidence in the data. Background & Context 3. Wildfires in Scotland cause significant damage to agricultural, forestry, biodiversity, recreational and sporting interests, and can threaten infrastructure, property, and life. They release carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change, and damage the capacity of peatlands to sequester carbon. Smoke from wildfires has been shown to affect human health and result in premature deaths in Western Europe. Wildfires place significant operational burdens on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, both directly in fighting wildfires, and in the requirement to redeploy resources to maintain geographic cover, with significant cost implications. The occurrence and control of wildfires also affect other public services, land managers and the wider community. Under expected climate change scenarios wildfire incidence and severity are predicted to increase.