WAC.3® Cockpit and Additional Modules
The integration of all technolgies, systems and information in one single platform.
user-friendly
Avalanche protection, mapping, camera monitoring, current weather data, internal communication and much more are combined on one platform. The tedious search for the relevant data is over.
fully integrated
In addition to the operation of the avalanche towers, the web-based software WAC.3® enables, among other things, keeping inventory of explosives, process-controlled risk analysis, modeling of the snow cover or the location of helicopter blasting.
independent of location
All these options can be conveniently monitored and taken care of from your mobile phone, PC or tablet – regardless of location.
The big plus of the new cockpit platform is how easy it is to use. I don’t want to have to spend hours looking for important data on different program levels. This applies to the weather and status check I perform I every morning; I can prioritize the relevant sources and logs as well as any applications that I might only access every couple of weeks. Even with staff changing frequently or being new on the job, they can very quickly find their way; this is really very important for providing current information and for internal communication via WAC.3®.
Cockpit
The cockpit is a data collection platform for data assessment, operation and documentation. It offers an individual overview of relevant data such as weather stations, weather forecasts, avalanche bulletins, detection systems, observations and much more.
In the 2023/24 winter season, 73 operational cockpits were in use worldwide. A total of 32,841 notes were recorded.
The WAC.3® has proved to be the right software for mapping and documenting the professional activities and assessments of the ski patrol and rescue service. The Cockpit gives every authorized person live data from ongoing situation assessments and precision avalanche protection (GPS data) as well as the activities and events in day-to-day operations. This makes the snow operation and the briefings/debriefings extremely professional. The WAC.3® is also our log of any event tracking our activities at all times and allowing us to demonstrate that nothing was neglected, providing a backup to the information provided by shift supervisors and company management. After a season of intensive work with the WAC.3®, we can hardly imagine a professional rescue service without it.
Assessment
The Assessment module is used for risk analysis and action planning. It is a process-driven tool for assessing the avalanche situation. A “showcase example” of this is the project in Goms.
A total of 4977 Risk Evaluations were closed during the whole winter season 2023/24.
Project in Goms
Region: Municipality of Goms in Valais (Switzerland)
Safety Concept: Company Geoformer igp AG
Since winter 18/19, an avalanche safety concept has been operational in the Goms region. The concept was developed by the engineering office geoformer igp AG in Brig with the Regional Safety Service (RSD) Goms and Raphael Imsand. The concept takes into account all avalanche protection measures that are numerous in Goms with the aim of reducing closure times, but more recently also to be able to close and open individual sections within Goms independently of each other. Since the winter of 19/20, this concept has been successfully implemented on the WAC.3® platform. The WAC.3® platform enables RSD Goms to display all relevant information such as snow and weather data, weather forecasts, webcams or even SLF products at a glance. In addition, the avalanche detection systems in Goms are integrated in a clearly arranged format. In the Assessment module, the complex workflow from snowpack assessment to situation evaluation to a decision on measures is mapped in a much leaner and more user-friendly way. Thanks to automatic documentation of the decisions, their justification and the underlying data, the compliance with the duty of care, which is central for the work of an avalanche warning service, is guaranteed. The WAC.3® platform could thus simplify the work of RSD-Goms and contribute to avalanche safety in the region.
More information about the project in Goms (VS) can be read here:
Impressions from Andermatt
Helicopter control
The Helicopter control module documents avalanche blasts from the helicopter. The location, time and results of blasting operations in helicopters can be easily recorded on the move.
Explosives
The Explosives module is used for accurate explosives inventory and record keeping.
This module makes the booking of explosive magazine entries and exits in an easy and intuitive way. Storage and product information is saved and all activity is logged and documented.
Piste inspection
Piste inspection reduces the administrative effort for slope checks and slope conditions to a few swipes on a smart phone. Irregularities can be documented with a photo and text for each slope. The information is displayed centrally in the cockpit journal and the documented for simple traceability.
Accidents
he Accidents Module is used to record location and patient information at accident events. The information is recorded in two steps: at the scene of the accident, GPS location is automatically recorded. Photos and patient information is recorded with the cell phone to maximize the time for patient care. Later in the office, the accident form can be completed and reports generated for accident data or invoicing, etc. The accident entry form can be customized for a variety of operations. Accident data is viewed on the overview map in the Piste Inspection module or as a list in the accident form. Accident evaluations can be easily carried out via an overview map or CSV export. The protection of sensitive patient data is guaranteed.
Communication
The Communication module enables communication with the public during avalanche control measures. Spoken messages are automatically broadcast by a variety of channels like text messages, emails and telephone calls; read receipts are received and displayed for each channel. Any message templates and recipient lists are stored via an intuitive database.
It’s always astonishing how much time our customers spend every day collecting data and documenting. The aim of the cockpit is to reduce these important tasks to just a few clicks. This should give our customers more time for their actual work: making careful decisions and implementing what they decide.
Practitioners must collect and assess a large amount of information in a very short time. The integration of the relevant information on a single platform is therefore the logical next step and it is precisely this interface that represents the great added value of the WAC3® cockpits.