(Source: FEMA)
Having received recent inquiries, the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reexamined the applicability of geographic information system (GIS) technology for the Emergency Services Sector (ESS). According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), GIS is a database system with software that can analyze and display data using digitized maps and tables for planning and decision making. It can assemble, store, manipulate, and display geographically referenced data, tying this data to points, lines, and areas on a map and table.
FEMA maintains that GIS is a useful tool for ESS departments and agencies because the technology supports emergency response, planning, exercises, mitigation, homeland security, and national preparedness. “In addition to its ability to manage and display data, GIS has robust modeling capabilities, allowing its users to adjust data and scenarios for prediction, planning, and estimation.”
For operational purposes, GIS facilitates work with tactical, location-based information such as floor plans, utility control points, response plans, hazardous material contents and locations, surrounding exposures, aerial imagery, and hydrant locations. Access to this information while en route to or on scene allows responders to deploy more quickly, effectively, and safely.
The Environmental Systems Research Institute (PDF, 2 Mb) listed the following ways by which GIS helps ESS organizations:
- Prevent emergencies from occurring or reducing their consequences.
- Provide the best information to make optimized safety decisions under stressful conditions.
- Recover from emergencies quickly and providing operational continuity.
The FEMA GIS Tutorial, U.S. Geological Survey, Geospatial Information and Technology, and National Alliance for Public Safety GIS have additional information on this subject.
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