(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Organization" means an organization that is organized as a not-for-profit entity orhas obtained tax-exempt status under section 501 of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, and is a Colorado-based research organization focused on research, education, and advanced technology development for atmospheric and related earth sciences. The organization must have the ability to provide environmental predictions and conduct a wide range of hydrologic and weather science. The organization must also have strong environmental modeling and related applied research functionality, including robust ties to the state and national university and science community so as to obtain additional expertise and partnering as needed.
"System" means the Colorado wildland fire prediction and decision support system.
"Users" means all government entities.
(a) Beginning with the 2015-16 state fiscal year, the division, through its center of excellence for advanced technology aerial firefighting created in section 24-33.5-1228 (2.5), shall establish and support a Colorado wildland fire prediction and decision support system.
(b) The system must be science based and able to:
Improve the ability of the division to predict wildland fire behavior by taking advantage of technologies emerging from an organization;
Improve the safety and efficiency of the division's operations;
Improve flight operations of the Colorado firefighting air corps created in section24-33.5-1228 by providing aviation weather hazard information such as updrafts, downdrafts, rotors, and wind shear;
Enhance mechanisms for communicating wildland fire hazard information to users;and
Integrate wildland fire behavior information with prediction technologies into information infrastructures that serve users.
The division shall assist in the coordination of users across the state to further refinethe system.
Notwithstanding the requirements of articles 101 to 112 of this title, no later thanDecember 1, 2015, the director of the division shall enter into a contract to partner with an organization for the establishment and support of the system. The division may not be required to perform work or provide assistance that is outside of the division's scope of responsibilities as established in the contract.
After the contract is entered into, the division and the organization shall further develop the system by including detailed user requirements and user-centric verification metrics and methods and shall build a Colorado-specific framework that includes:
Data ingestion of real-time weather, up-to-date fuel information, and fire detectiondata;
The capability to easily configure a fire's location, domain size, grid resolution, andfire ignition time; and
Data interfaces and display applications that allow users to view the output on avariety of platforms, including mobile devices and existing applications and systems.
The division may solicit and accept monetary and in-kind gifts, grants, and donationsfrom private or public sources for the purposes of this section. All private and public moneys received by the division through gifts, grants, or donations must be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the Colorado firefighting air corps fund created in section 24-33.5-1228. The gifts, grants, or donations credited to the fund for the purposes of this section are continuously appropriated to the division for the direct and indirect costs associated with the implementation of this section.
Source: L. 2015: Entire section added, (HB 15-1129), ch. 206, p. 743, § 2, effective May 20.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 15-1129, see section 1 of chapter 206, Session Laws of Colorado 2015.