The FireReady app has a "Share Photo" function that allows users to share time-stamped photos of incidents that include location details if the device has its GPS switched on.
The app then generates a publicly available geocoded feed that can be used to place the photos on a map in almost realtime.
CFA Digital Media Manager Martin Anderson said the "Share Photo" function was developed in response to the growth of user-submitted photos in the media.
"The ability of the community to share photos of emergency incidents as they happen has the potential to be a useful community information source," he said.
"The problem with the majority of user-submitted photos in the media is that it's hard to tell when or where they were taken.
"That greatly reduces their value as an emergency information source.
"By uploading photos via the FireReady app the time and location details can be included and that provides much more useful information."
The feed is currently being used by an emergency intelligence gathering company called Ripe Intel to display the photos on its emergency map of Australia.
Their emergency information site ripeintel.info is provided free-of-charge to the community.
You can view some of the photos uploaded via the app here.
Anyone else interested in making use the geocoded photo feed under a Creative Commons license can contact Martin Anderson at m.anderson@cfa.vic.gov.au
The FireReady app was developed by the Department of Justice in conjunction with CFA and DSE. It is available for iPhone/iPad, and certain Android / Blackberry devices.
By January 15 this year the app had been downloaded by more than 50,000 people.
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