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Forest Security and Fire Risk Management

Land, Forestry and Forestry-product related Investment requires attention to Security and Fire Risk Management. Although very uncommon to have major security breaches and Fires in Southern Uganda, its essential for potential Investors to understand how to manage these risks.

 Strategies to decrease the risk of major fire incidents in commercial agro-forestry

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                                                                                                                10-minute Read

The risk of fire in commercial agroforestry even if it's rare, is quite significant. It could be a major setback for potentially large investments. Even though this risk could be estimated to occur once every 10 years and is relatively rare, every effort should be devoted to preventing it. This risk should not be feared but rather should be understood.

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Understanding this risk decreases panicking and rash decision making and potentially overcompensating.

This risk can be understood and can be managed appropriately by carefully selected strategies.

 

Overall, the risk of major fire outbreak could be estimated at about one in 10 years. Most Commercial Projects are ready for harvest in about 10-15 years. This means that one should be prepared to manage this very rare risk in a lifetime of a project. It is important to realize that this risk is higher at specific times over a year. In winter climates it's very unexpected to have major fire outbreak in the middle of winter or spring. It follows that the most high-risk season is the dry season. That means that they are about 2.5 months every after a rainy season that this risk would be potentially elevated. That is equivalent to about 5 months every year. It would be recommended that more serious measures are implemented during this time more than any other time of the year.

 

An Effective preventive strategy should be initiated right from that time of decision to prepare a new area for commercial agroforestry. An ideal prevention strategy should function like the nervous system.

 

There should be sensors just like sensory nerves that it detect changes in the environment and transmit that data. Examples of a sensor could be fire sensors, cameras, incursion sensors, movement sensors,temperature sensors

 

A central processing station should be in place to receive that data and make decisions just select the brain so that's CNS . Example Control station Connected to smartphones ,internet.

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Effectors can be built to receive information from the CNS to initiate a series of actions and implement the most effective strategy to prevent or manage any outbreaks. Examples include alarm systems, cyrene, security team.

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Author: Andrew N. MD, Executive Founder, Green Industries Management Systems LLC

Features of Technological devices that can function like a Nervous System for Commercial Agro-forestry monitoring

 

Characteristics of ideal sensory systems

  1. Rainproof

  2. Windproof

  3. dustproof, lightening proof,

  4. in built redundancy 100% reliability

  5. coverage large area

  6. not too expensive

  7. long service length

  8. intruder proof

  9. moisture proof

  10. hacker proof

  11. child proof

  12. idea the bulletproof

  13. mostly wireless if possible

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Characteristics of an ideal central processing station

  1. should be able to receive information from your sensors

  2. should ideally be wireless

  3. ability to connect to the cloud

  4. ability to analyze motion, intrusions, infrared, and provide early warning system

  5. to give you information alerts on phones including images to phones short clips videos

  6. ideally have ability to connect to social media eg WhatsApp.

  7. can be programmed to work with effectors IE electromechanical devices on the ground.

  8. Ability to connect to phones and other mechanical devices to provide early warning system

 

Characteristics of an ideal effective system

 

  1. in addition to sharing the same characteristics as sensors they need to be electromechanical devices

  2. loud sound slash siren

  3. speech instructions

  4. Phone alerts slash notification

  5. radio to security personnel on the ground to investigate

Ideally if a system like that is set up we should be able to watch over and only alert personnel when necessary.

 

If this This IDEAL SYSTEM could be set up,it would allow the team to focus on other everyday tasks while maintain excellent TOTAL situational awareness.

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Author: Andrew N.MD,Executive Founder, Green Industries Management Systems LLC

More Security and Fire preventive Strategies

 

  1. No pyrotechnics, cars, motor vehicles are allowed beyond certain points

  2. Absolute no smoking policy

  3. Zero tolerance to camping near commercial agro-projects

  4. Create and maintain a defensible space

  5. Landscaping- create a 10 meter perimeter around the projects, explorer fire resistant plants, aloe vera, cactus

  6. Community engagement, public awareness

  7. Utilization of information from installed sensors including temperature , wind speed , wind direction

  8. Total surveillance

  9. Grazing to decrease biomass

  10. Maintenance of a nearby water source

  11. Watchtower at least 12 meters high

  12. Sign posting different sectors of the project for easy identification and rapid response. 

  13. Sanitation: removal of dead and desiccated trees

  14. Thinning: removal of less well-developed withering trees

  15. Removal of cuttings and tree Waste

  16. Pruning: remove all of branches  

 

Author: Andrew N. MD,Executive Founder, Green Industries Management Systems

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