Radio Communications in Wildland Fire Operations
Every firefighter deployed to a wildland fire learns the critical importance of Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones, or LCES, as firefighters call it. LCES are the four pillars of safe wildland fire operations. Effective radio communications is not just a tool—it is the glue that integrates these four pillars, and the foundational lifeline that separates successful containment from tragedy. Unlike structural firefighting, wildland operations often occur in remote, rugged terrain where cell service is non-existent, and crews are spread across miles of demanding landscape.
The challenging aspects of this environment—intense smoke, roaring fires, extreme heat, and severe topographical interference—place unique demands on communication technology. Firefighters require robust radio systems, interoperable with multiple agencies, and increasingly augmented by mobile mapping apps.
This presentation will explore the radio systems used to support firefighters and the LCES process in wildland firefighting,
Co-sponsored by: IEEE-USA MOVE Program
Speaker(s): Walt Burns
Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/556478