Patent attributes
The invention comprises an integrated and distributed wildfire fighting system used in gathering information related to firefighting resources, developing a strategic plan, and/or communicating directions to and/or between resources. Communicators linked to positions of natural resources, personnel, and/or equipment are used to communicate identification, position, capability, and/or status of individual resources to a main controller via satellite and/or aircraft. The communicators additionally facilitate communication between personnel, teams of personnel, levels in a firefighting hierarchy, and/or with automated equipment. Further, drop ball communicators are used to transmit localized information, such as weather, a fire-retardant drop request, and/or a call for emergency aid to nearby resources, an aircraft, and/or to a main controller.