The project ALPF FIRS aims to improve forest fire prevention in the Alpine Space with the creation of a shared warning system based on weather condition affecting fire potential. The main goal is the development of a decision support tool for actors involved in forest fire prevention and suppression, consisting in a daily fire danger level assessment and forecast to identify critical periods in advance of their potential occurrence. Major target is the univocal European Forest Fire Danger Scale definition and common danger level interpretation with resulting preparedness plans and operational procedures. Mutual aid in vigilance and extinction procedures will be defined. An Alpine network on forest fire impact mitigation will be assembled reflecting common political strategy in prevention management, also in relation to climate change affecting fire potential. The project allows modulation and coordination of alerting process and means dislocation in different countries as well as mutual aid protocol adoption.

The preparation phase of the project has been devoted to the project proposal development as well as the partnership consolidation and strengthening. After the project approval in June 2009, the main activities were designed to get a rapid project implementation that would both fulfil the partner’s administrative tasks internally and externally, and setting up the framework for the technical as well as the publicity activities. The respective work package responsibles prepared the implementation plans with specific subtasks, a detailed timetable and the responsibility attribution. This activity has been carried out in a collaborative way with all the partners involved. A press campaign has been launched to inform the public on the project approval at local level for most of the countries represented in the project. Moreover the laying out of the project’s professional logo, its visual identity and the project website have been carried out. Furthermore the partners worked actively on preliminary actions for the organisation of the kick-off meeting.

The main activities implemented during the preparation phase have been:
Ø partnership strengthening (a new observer acquisition -Meteofrance-, and the relationship with the EU Joint Research Centre)
Ø definition of the technical requirements of the project web site (computer infrastructure and functionalities) and related tenders launch
Ø press campaign regarding the project approval (press releases and partner web site announcements)
Ø definition of the specific requirements for the project visual identity (logo, layout for web site, presentations, brochures, poster, newsletter)
Ø detailed work packages activities planning
Ø kickoff meeting organisation

The next steps foresee some publicity activities such as the project’s visual identity, the styleguide, a project brochure and poster, the project web site implementation. Furthermore there are project management activities such as the preparation of a project handbook to make partners familiar with the project management and duties and the project calendar planned and technical activities will start as well.