Fire Response Accessibility Index

The Fire Response Accessibility Index (FRAI) is a relative measure of how long it would take initial attack resources to drive from their resource location to each cell. The Fire Response Accessibility Index is calculated based on the distance from resource locations. The speed traveled on roads was estimated based on the class of road. Travel off of roads was assumed to be at 5 mph. Water was coded as “NO DATA,” meaning that travel across water could not be done unless there was a road crossing. A cost distance analysis was run allowing Arc/Info to assign an approximate time to reach each cell.

The Fire Response Accessibility Index allows users to identify areas of low accessibility from their resources. Coupled with the Levels of Concern data, this information will highlight areas where accessibility is low and the level of concern is high, providing valuable information for those concerned with the impacts of wildland fire. An example FRAI map for Flagler County in Florida is shown in the figure on the right.