Thanks to Geographical Information Systems, the BVFD is just a couple months away from using computers linked to satellites to quickly find the address of a burning house and the nearest fire hydrant within seconds.

Fire Chief Dale Tedder is excited about the opportunity to use the technology, all funded through a complicated system of federal grants. Volunteers and Boy Scout groups have done much of the initial legwork, Tedder said, going out and locating many of the fire hydrants.

"What it does is it gets us the information we need," Tedder said.

The information Tedder is talking about is a hydrant map supplied by the Metropolitan Utilities District. The new technology allows almost immediate feedback on where a hydrant and house are, even in new developments, said former chief Steve Betts, who helps with communications for the city of Bellevue.

"It takes an incredible amount of time," Betts said. "Once it's working it will be great."

Betts said a fire truck would have a mobile data computer. The computer would refresh every 30 seconds to show the location of a fire, the location of the truck and all possible hydrants in the vicinity. He likened it to an overhead projector that is much more technologically advanced.

Written by Jason Buzzell

Courtesy of Bellevue Leader - Read Full Story