A Decision Framework for Evaluating the Rocky Mountain Area Wildfire Dispatching System in Colorado.

This article focuses on the multiyear effort by the Rocky Mountain Coordinating Group (RMCG) and the Rocky Mountain Area Fire Executive Council (RMA-FEC) to reorganize Colorado’s wildfire dispatching system in response to increasing wildfire activity and associated challenges. Using a structured decision-making framework called PrOACT (Problem, Objectives, Alternatives, Consequences, Trade-offs), the project engaged multiple agencies and stakeholders to redefine the problem beyond recruitment and retention issues, develop clear objectives, generate and evaluate alternatives for dispatch zone boundaries and center locations, and apply an integer programming model to identify efficient solutions. The decision-makers ultimately selected a three-zone dispatch system with centers in Grand Junction, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs, balancing employee well-being, operational efficiency, and cost considerations. The study highlights the value of structured decision analysis, stakeholder involvement, and visualization tools in addressing complex, multiagency wildfire management challenges and suggests the approach may be applicable to similar efforts elsewhere in the United States.