**Unit 3H, Tools, Activity 1**

Answer hardware/network resources questions

Fire managers are typically asking more of their respective Information
Technology support staff than many agency personnel. Many factors
contribute to this situation. Many fire management positions are
inter-agency in nature or scope. There is often a need for access to
multiple networks (external and internal), sources of agency data,
sharing of files ranging from simple text to extensive databases or
spatial data of large size and near real-time electronic connectivity.
In addition fire specific applications are developed by academia and/or
agency researchers and distributed through various sources other than
network administrators. Typically application support is either lacking
or provided off-site through development staff.\
\
Fire managers are left to navigate the morass of file management,
application installation and support, and external connection
functionality outside the realm of network administration provided at
their local unit. Successful managers will quickly need to adapt to this
condition and develop at least rudimentary skills in managing their
information technology resources. In many cases interagency peers and
fire specific support staff at the regional or national level can
provide needed support.\
\
Familiarity with your typical hardware configuration can assist in
meeting these challenges. Many managers have found it easier to work
solely off one workstation that provides for networking at home and the
same configuration on the road. Laptop computers can typically provide
the same needed specifications for data processing, memory capacity,
data sharing, and connectivity. For those users that prefer the
ergonomic advantages of a desktop workstation, laptop configuration can
easily accommodate external pointing devices, keyboards, and full-size
monitors. Guidelines for hardware purchasing are usually managed through
consolidated contract purchases and overseen by local IT staff.
Available models and configurations are routinely updated to try and
keep pace with industry advances. Most fire management users will find
that high-end models described on government contracts are necessary to
meet user demands. (See HO-1 describing suggested computer specification
for attendance at higher level fire curriculum classes.).\
\
In addition to the hardware you will utilize, it is equally important to
have the ability to manage the files, data and applications available to
meet the demands of your position. Modern operating systems have
responded to current threats and security concerns by building
administrative controls over networked resources. These controls will
typically limit the ability of the generic user to manage their IT
resources in the realm of system set-up options and software
installation. While there are significant benefits to this in the
protection of government networks from corruption and invasion of
privacy, it also introduces hurdles to the accomplishment of many
duties. Unfortunately this is often not fully understood or discovered
until fire personnel are working in time critical situations on
emergency incidents or away from their duty station in meetings,
workshops, or training sessions.

**When you have completed Lesson 3H, the review will ask the following
questions:**\
\
Is your workstation a desktop or laptop computer? If desktop, do you
have a laptop computer available to you for assignment?\
\
On your primary workstation: What operating system is installed? What is
your hard drive capacity and how much space is free? (Open My Computer
and select properties of your local drive (C: typically); Do you have
the ability to install software without assistance from IT?; What data
sharing options are available to you?\
\
While away from work what are your options to connect to e-mail servers,
Internet pages, Intranet connections, and your local network resources?
Do you have an agency hosted dialer (toll-free, local, etc.)? Do you
have access to a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection?\
\
What security features are installed and enabled on your portable
workstation?\
\
Will the virus protection software run while you are not connected to
your home network?\
\
Are e-mail attachments screened for viruses?