User Roles

Roles in WFDSS NextGen differ from those Classic WFDSS. NextGen users hold one user role and since user roles have hierarchical permissions every role builds upon the previous role. Permissions will be flattened in a way that some users will see an increase in system privileges putting a larger onus on users to respect and abide by regional and local protocols, and their neighbors’ protocols. Users have the maximum ability to manage incidents without multiple roles and complicated interactions. To change your role, contact the appropriate Geographic Area Editor (GAE).

 

The Viewer Role is assigned by default to users who apply for system access. Geographic Area Editors can grant users further role access. - Users can find their GAE by using GAE Staff Report. This role is analogous to the Anonymous role in WFDSS Classic and can:

  • Edit the user's own profile.

  • View the GAE Staff report for the purposes of contacting the correct GAE for support in requesting elevated roles.

This will be the most common role in WFDSS NextGen. It will combine Classic WFDSS roles of Viewer and Author. Editors can:

  • Browse for Incidents

  • Initiate a decision on any incident anywhere in the nation

  • Watch any incident without being a collaborator (no editing capabilities)

  • Add collaborators to an incident for which they are a collaborator, including Approvers

  • Change themselves or any other collaborator to the POC (Point of Contact)

  • As the POC, send a decision for approval

  • Edit decision content, including language and shapes to an incident for which they are a collaborator

  • View draft decision content to an incident for which they are a collaborator

  • Request fire behavior analyses on an incident for which they are a collaborator

  • View any published decisions and analyses that are statused as: Retain for reference, Calibration, Complete for Operational Use , or Complete for Strategic Use

  • View other WFDSS user profile information

  • Search WFDSS users by role, GA or agency

The Fire Behavior Analyst role in WFDSS NextGen is intended for those who need to be able to run fire behavior analysis (FlamMap, MTT, FARSITE, and FSPro) for decision support. In addition to the Incident Editor privileges, Fire Behavior Analysts are able to:

  • Collaborate on any incident without being added (implicit collaborator)

  • Assist in managing the Collaborator list for any incident

  • Run analystassisted fire behavior analysis on any incident

  • Status the results of their own fire behavior analysis

  • Delete their own analyses that are not statused as complete

  • View all fire behavior analyses in WFDSS

  • Copy and run fire behavior analysis on all incidents in WFDSS

  • Terminate runs

     

The Geographic Area Editor (GAE) role in WFDSS NextGen builds on the Fire Behavior Analyst role includes some expanded privileges to support users. The privileges associated with this role are primarily to facilitate the responsibilities the GAEs fulfill. It is important to note that system access and roles will no longer be managed within WFDSS NextGen since it will be integrating FAMAuth for authentication and role control respectively.Account access and roles will all be controlled from within the FAMAuth Admin user interface. This role has privileges in 2 systems, FAMAuth Admin and WFDSS NextGen. The privileges for the GAE role are listed below with the application where those privileges are implemented:

  • Manage user acccess and role requests - FAMAuth Admin

  • Assign and modify user roles (Editor and Fire Behavior Analyst) - /FAMAuth Admin

  • Self-assign up to 20 Agency/Area pairs in their own GAE profile, which populates the GAE Staff Report - WFDSS

     

The Support role in WFDSS NextGen will be the most privileged role in WFDSS NextGen as well as in FAMAuth Admin as it builds on the Geographic Area Editor Role. The new technologies and revised system architecture of WFDSS NextGen will mean users with the Support role in NextGen will require much fewer abilities and tools at their disposal in NextGen than the Administrators and Support roles in WFDSS Classic did and that the Administrator role can be deprecated. WFDSS NextGen will use FAMAuth Admin for user support related to roles and authentication as a backup to the GAEs who will be the primary managers of user in their Geographic Area as they are now. The privileges for the support role are listed below with the application where those privileges are implemented:

  • Modify other user's WFDSS profile information - WFDSS NextGen

  • Can create incidents in the Production (PROD) environment - WFDSS NextGen

  • Search for incidents using IRWIN ID - WFDSS NextGen

  • Mimic user roles - WFDSS NextGen

  • Can view service transactions - WFDSS NextGen (future enhancement)

  • Can view message queues - WFDSS NextGen (future enhancement)

  • Manually update the NPL and the GAPL - WFDSS NextGen (future enhancement)

  • Can send broadcast messages - WFDSS NextGen (future enhancement)

  • Can send system emails - WFDSS NextGen (future enhancement)

  • Can view user activity reports & logs - WFDSS NextGen (future enhancement)

  • Assign and modify user roles equal to or less privileged than the WFDSS NextGen GAE role - FAMAuth Admin

  • Can re-enable or disable FAMAuth User accounts - FAMAuth Admin

WFDSS Classic Roles Not Available in WFDSS NextGen

WFDSS NextGen displays incident data from IRWIN only. Users no longer create incidents manually. In the event of an IRWIN outage, users with the Support role will be able to create incidents and will coordinate with incident personnel and the appropriate dispatch center to ensure the proper data is associated.

This role is analogous to the Incident Editor role.

This role is no longer needed in WFDSS NextGen as spatial fire planning functionality is now managed from outside the WFDSS application by the Spatial Fire Planning Service (SFPS).

This role is no longer needed as the geographic constraints have been removed - the Fire Behavior Analyst Role can interact with any incident in the system.

Account management and application access will be controlled through FAMAuth Admin - Help Desk personnel will not require a specialized role in WFDSS NextGen.

This role is no longer needed as the geographic constraints associated with the Geographic Area Editor role have been removed - GAEs are equivalent to National Editors.

The functionality associated with the Administrator role has been combined with the Support Role.