Software developers at Lockheed Martin Corporation have delivered a new web-based application to the National Wildfire Coordination Group that will help federal, state and local firefighter organizations locate and call up people, equipment and materials needed to combat major wildfires in the United States.

Lockheed Martin's Information Support Services business unit was awarded a GSA task order in September 1999 from the U.S. Forest Service to tackle the problem of integrating data from the member organizations of the National Wildfire Coordination Group and allow these organizations to quickly react to fires such as those that affected the western U.S. last summer. The 2000 forest fire season involved thousands of workers from states across the nation. To find and mobilize the right people took agencies days of effort.

The new application is called "ROSS" for Resource Ordering and Status System. Using Java, Lockheed Martin's development team in Denver created a web application that will enable managers to find out the current status of firefighting resources within the member organizations and quickly place orders for those resources.

Linda Gooden, president of Information Support Services, credited Lockheed Martin's experience in complex development projects as key to program success. "We are excited about achieving this milestone for a program that one day will have a positive effect on saving the lives, homes and businesses of millions of Americans in potential wildfire areas," she said.

Lockheed Martin delivered the ROSS application to the National Wildfire Coordination Group in early February. Field testing will begin in March, and modules of the system will be incrementally rolled out over the next year.

The National Wildfire Coordination Group was established to coordinate programs of the participating wildfire management agencies so as to avoid wasteful duplication and to provide a means of constructively working together. Members include representatives of: U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Indian Affairs; Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife; National Park Service; National Association of State Foresters; Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U. S. Fire Administration.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics, and technology services. Information Support Services is a business unit of Lockheed Martin providing information technology business systems, managed services and infrastructure solutions to major government agencies.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Information Support Services