Abstract: |
The National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), a public research agency founded in 1942 and reporting directly to the State Secretary of Defence, is dedicated to aerospace research and technological development in other industrial areas. INTA carries out a wide range of research and development activities in different aeronautic disciplines, communication and navigation systems, remote sensing, etc. Development in these fields requires sophisticated and technologically advanced facilities. Should a forest fire occur, these installations would be placed at a great risk. The threat of forest fires forms part of Civil Protection planning, and is thus contained in the Basic Civil Protection Regulation, which determines the need to prepare Special Fire Protection Plans in corresponding areas of need. The pertinent regulation for the Community of Madrid is the Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fire Emergencies (INFOMA), which is integrated in the Community of Madrid Civil Protection Plan (PLATERCAM). The Plan lays out the organization of and the procedures for using the resources and services owned by the Autonomous Community of Madrid and any other resources and services that the National Administration or other public or private entities might assign to the Community. The purpose of the plan is to effectively respond to forest fire emergencies within the Madrid boundaries. Accordingly, Appendix 5 establishes the need for Self-Protection Plans for forest fires with measures “involving all the resources (existing human and material resources of a company, isolated centre of population, housing developments, or camp grounds, etc. located in or near a forest area), as well as the regulations for taking action for prevention, initiation of fire suppression, and protection of the population until the time external Action Groups arrive on the scene and intervene”. This framework was used to develop INTA’s Forest Fire Protection Plan, which includes a series of preventative measures to effectively and appropriately respond to the possible event of forest fire. |
