Title
Using GIS for Emergency planning

Author Information
Joshua Minucci
American River College, Geography 26: Data Acquisition in GIS; Spring 2002


Abstract
This paper examines the procedures needed to properly deal with emergency situations, by explaining the steps and procedures used by disaster relief agencies as well as the government.

Introduction
Emergencies happen every day. Many are caused by storms or auto accidents and can be planned for, if not predicted. Emergencies resulting from natural hazards often affect a large number of people, and planning for them can be difficult, since knowledge of the needs of the people involved is generally unavailable. Emergencies resulting from accidents at industrial and military facilities can also be large scale in nature if people must be evacuated or sheltered in place. Federal planning for large scale emergencies is the responsibility of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provides assistance to various emergency management agencies at the national, state and local level.

Background
In order to understand how GIS can aid in an emergency situation we must first fully understand and group emergency situations into categories. FEMA and ESRI have designated five different types of emergencies. The first is Human-Caused these are events that result from human activity or human developments, and may include urban fires, utility failures, chemical spills, and epidemics. The second group is Natural Disasters these are unplanned events that are the results of Mother Nature such as tornadoes, blizzards, freezes, drought, and earthquakes. Third is Internal Disturbances these are disturbances that are planned by groups or individuals and cause disruptions this could include violent strikes, riots, and violent demonstrations. The forth category is the Shortage of Energy or Materials this would be any emergency that would cause a shortage such as strikes, price wars, and lack of resources. Finally, Attack would be the final category this includes terrorism or war by any means. All of these situations need to be managed properly in order to assure the least amount of consequences on life, property and the environment. (www.ESRI.com, 2001)

Methods
There are five steps to properly manage an emergency situation, the first is to locate and identify potential threats. An example of this could be the San Andreas Fault, in the bay area or terrorist groups in the Middle East. Once this data has been put into a GIS and viewed in a computerized map form it can be layered over regional maps in order to view the possible consequences to any of the emergency situations named above. This will allow officials to plan for any emergency situation. This leads us to the second Step mitigation, once an emergency has been identified it need to be prioritized. An example of this may be limiting building in a flood zone, or introducing new and stricter building codes in earthquake zones. GIS can identify flood zones or soil under buildings in an earthquake zone I order to see the potential damage these disasters could cause. Third is preparedness this is how we react to potential threats such as placements of police or fire stations. Using GIS we can accurately plan for emergency evacuation of an area or where emergency teams are to be located in an area for the fastest response time. The most important aspect of any emergency situation is response time the faster help can get there the better chance of life and property will be saved. Using GIS the first response units could be sent via the internet detailed information on the emergency such as fire hydrant locations, floor plans, or any other information that could be helpful to the team. The final step is recovery this is any activity to return systems to normal or better. There are two steps to recovery the first is short term this would be restoring water and power, cleanup and temporary housing. The second is long term recovery; this would be the process of rebuilding the area to its original or better condition.
Conclusion
Disaster management programs are developed and implemented through analysis of data that is received. This information more times than not is spatial, thus making GIS a great tool for managing emergency situations. When data on any emergency is gained planners can use the necessary data formulate preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery systems as they are needed.

References
www.esri.com, www.fema.com