FRIDA – Novelty of the Solution

The novelty of the FRIDA solution can be articulated by comparing it to existing community wildfire awareness, empowerment, and prevention solutions:

Current State of the Art in Community Wildfire Solutions:

  • In US West Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network offers tools for self-assessment and information exchange to live safely with wildfire, emphasizing resilience and proactive measures​.
  • In California Smokey Bear focuses on prevention education, providing guidelines for safe campfire practices and equipment maintenance to prevent wildfires​.
  • Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) aims to reduce wildfire risk through land use planning, offering no-cost services like planning recommendations and training​.
  • Firewise USA educates on adapting to wildfire, promoting community actions, and homeowner participation in preparing against wildfire threats​.
  • AIM program increases local capacity for wildfire risk reduction activities in high-risk communities with technical and financial support​.
  • In Europe, mainstream Media provide information on weather and extreme temperatures.
  • Annual conferences seminars, and webinars are organized involving various stakeholders to analyze previous fires and future fire risks.
  • Copernicus Fire Risk Index websites provide a global perspective on areas at risk of fire.
  • PDF brochures are published and made available through the websites of the European Forest Institute.
  • Warning signs and flags are put at key entry points to forests and picnic areas are closed down by forest managers.

 

Key Differentiators of FRIDA:

  • Integration of Advanced Technology: Unlike many existing solutions that focus on education and community planning, FRIDA integrates EO satellite data, AI, and machine learning to provide real-time insights and predictive analytics.
  • Comprehensive Risk Index: FRIDA’s granularity in risk assessment, with a focus on biodiversity and ecosystem health, offers a more detailed understanding of fire risks than general advisories.
  • Hyper-local Customization: The ability of FRIDA to tailor its app to specific communities with local data and analytics sets it apart from more generic, broad-stroke solutions.
  • Social Media Integration: By functioning as a social media platform, FRIDA facilitates the widespread dissemination of information, which is a unique approach to community engagement in wildfire prevention.
  • Multilingual Storytelling Online: The use of GPT and large language models for storytelling in native languages enhances the accessibility and educational impact of the app
  • Decision Support for Forest Managers: The premium version of FRIDA acts as a decision support system, offering AI-powered guidance for forest and fire managers, a feature not commonly found in other tools.
  • Participatory Approach: FRIDA’s emphasis on continuous participatory, collective action goes beyond individual education, and one-off events and involves all stakeholders in risk mitigation throughout the year.
  • Visualizations and Mapping: The app’s sophisticated visualizations of fire-prone regions, hotspots, and critical resources aid in both awareness and operational planning.
  • Proactive and Preventive Focus: While many solutions are reactive or educational, FRIDA’s focus on proactive and preventive measures offers a forward-thinking approach to wildfire management.
  • Transparency and Democratization: FRIDA is the first-of-its-kind tool that democratizes Forest information and satellite Earth Observation data creating across-the-board transparency from grassroots to policymakers thus removing any silos. This creates accountability for citizens and community leaders alike.