A revolutionary new disaster prediction system could be integrated as a tool for first responders statewide.

State Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp has championed the technology developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder through a House bill, which passed its first committee hearing in a 10-3 vote on Monday, Feb. 9.

Using advanced computer modeling and data sampling, the fire and flood predictor would give first responders 18 hours' warning of where and when fires and floods are likely to start, what areas they will affect and when it will reach the affected area.

The bill requires an appropriation from the general fund for the implementation of the system at $10 million for the next five years.

“I see this bill as one that has the potential of saving a great deal of general fund dollars,” said Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose. “I think it will certainly be beneficial to the state in the long run.”

If the bill makes it through the House and Senate, the system could go online as soon as the spring of 2016.

“These Colorado-developed technologies provide Colorado with the unique opportunity to take the lead in putting these systems to work across the state to save lives and property,” said William Mahoney, deputy director of the research applications laboratory at NCAR.

The disaster prediction technology will change the way firefighters think on how to fight fires, said Gary Briese, executive director of the nonprofit Colorado State Fire Chiefs group.

He added that the decision process by officers in command centers will be sped up significantly and will provide them with resources never seen before.

“An accurate, predictive weather forecast can mean life or death to citizens and firefighters,” he said. “This is not just about the technology, it's about how we think and how we utilize the technology to make those better command decisions.”

The most expensive wildfire in Colorado history was the June 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs with insured losses totaling $453.7 million, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.

“We do know that Colorado's dense forest, our irregular terrain, our growing wildlife urban interface and our periodic droughts leave our state susceptible to damaging wildfires and floods,” Kraft-Tharp said. “The cost and the risk from flooding and fire will only increase with rising population and development.”