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HP Forum Archive 13

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Calculators used in firefighting
Message #1 Posted by Renato on 9 Nov 2003, 5:19 p.m.

This ebay auction for a HP-71B includes: 
"US Forest service Notebook Guide for using HP-71B for calculating Fire behavior".
It also includes four modules, two labeled "SINGAPORE FIRE BEHAVIOR", and two labeled "SINGAPORE FIRE DANGER RATING".

This auction for a TI-59 includes a software module labeled "FIRE BEHAVIOR NFDRS".

Both came in a hard case, with matching printers and accessories.

Looks like US National Forest Service used calculators for firefighting, and they contracted custom software development from HP and TI.

Does anyone know anything about it ? It is not quite interesting as the HPs in space, but a very interesting usage of calculators. Must have been replaced by a ruggedized notebook in a hard case - can you imagine a firefighter having to deal with a Windows crash while working at a California forest fire ? Ouch...

      
Try an HP-33S for firefighting.
Message #2 Posted by NH on 10 Nov 2003, 3:23 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Renato

Try an HP-33S for firefighting. It would make a good shovel because if you mount it to the end of a wooden handle, its kind of shaped like one.

      
Re: Calculators used in firefighting
Message #3 Posted by James-n-Tx on 10 Nov 2003, 8:57 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Renato

Check the following site for more information on National Fire Danger Rating System

http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/fire/olm/nfdrs.htm

It is more for pre-planning, establishing when to implement burn bans, increasing staffing level, ect. It takes into account the temperature, humidity, moisture content of the fuel (brush), amount of fuel.

I have never seen one used on the front lines but the only fires I have been involved in are East Texas woods fires. No comparison to the fires in California.

Calculators are also used for hydraulics calculations on pumper operations, friction loss, pressure at the nozzle, ect.

James, Captain, Grapeland VFD

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