How does MyRFS assist in operational periods? MyRFS has several tools that are particularly useful in preparation for and during operational periods. We caught up with two NSW RFS members to find out how they use MyRFS during major incidents.
Common Operating Picture One of the most popular features of MyRFS is the Common Operating Picture (COP) which allows members to see a range of mapping information for any part of NSW. Deputy Captains Zac Taylor from Luke Munmorah and Justin Savidge from Raglan use the COP regularly. “Having access to the COP is really useful and it is quite easy to use,” said Deputy Captain Taylor, “Being able to see current incidents, including ICON data, provides my brigade with the ability to obtain situational awareness before a deployment.” MyRFS users are able to access the COP from the home page of MyRFS by clicking on the ‘Map’ link on the right hand side of the page under “Current Incidents”. Members are able to move around the map and zoom in or out to pinpoint a specific area either by using their mouse
or the navigation controls in the top left corner of the map. There is also a mini map displayed in the top left corner of the COP which shows where you are looking at on the main map in relation to the rest of the State. Users are able to switch between a number of map views to suit their needs including vector based, topographical and visual imagery. To further help pinpoint the location of specific features there is a set of spatial coordinates displayed at the bottom of the screen which shows both the grid reference and latitude/longitude for the location of the user’s mouse. Deputy Captain Savidge finds this feature particularly useful. “Being able to put my mouse over a dam or a lightning strike and quickly get its exact grid reference helps us with our pre-incident planning, and is a great training tool that can be used as an interactive ‘tabletop’ mapping exercise,” he said.
A whole new level of detail The COP allows users to view a range of highly customisable data for a specific area. By default incident information is displayed, as well as aircraft movements and, where available, linescans. Users are able to further customise the information which is displayed in the COP by selecting the ‘Additional Data’ tab at the top of the COP to turn on or off extra layers. The following layers are currently available: Lightning: Displays lightning strikes across NSW over the past 48 hours Wildfire History: Provides information previous fires in the area including dates and the extent of the burnt area. Weather (Rain Radar): Shows the current rain radar information provided by the Bureau of Meteorology.
What is MyRFS? MyRFS is a website built especially for volunteers, providing access to Service information and news, brigade management tools and incident information. MyRFS was originally launched on 1 July 2005, in 2012 it had a major upgrade, providing access to more tools and information. A further upgrade occurred in late 2013.
Need help logging in? There is no need to register every NSW RFS member has a login. Members can obtain their login details from their District Office, or if they have their Firezone or volunteer number, reset their password on the site. For more information or to register, visit www.myrfs.nsw.gov.au.
Linescan: Displays the latest linescan maps taken of incidents across NSW Icon Fire Features: Displays
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