How Information Source and User Attributes Affect Use of Fire Management Information

This study examines how information source and fire manager attributes affect the use of 33 different information sources used for fire management. The approach is like that of recreation demand models that predict an individual’s travel to recreation sites based on individual and site characteristics. Here, we predict “visits” to websites rather than campsites. The study develops and estimates a random utility model, using survey data from a representative sample of US Southwest fire managers. Results were consistent with predictions of economic value of information models. Significant predictors included the agency that a manager worked for, a manager‘s self-reported role within the agency, the interagency dispatch centers where they worked, the total number of fire management decisions, and the geographic and administrative scope of the dispatch center management area. Manager personal attributes (education, age, experience) only minutely improved model fit. Information use varied significantly by type of information source. The probability of use was greater for general weather or climate websites/portals than for specialized sources (such as drought, ENSO, or fire decision support tools (DSTs)). Fire management-specific sources (excluding fire DSTs) had a greater probability of use than general sources. Manager reliance on different sources of information shifted when moving from before to during the fire season. Future research could explore the internal dynamics of agencies and dispatch centers affecting information use, why fire managers do not use decision support systems more to support decisions, and the role of different types (and not just years) of experience.