Using GIS in Emergency Management Operations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of a geographic information system (GIS) in emergency management efforts for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response, and summarize an ongoing effort to build a GIS-based decision support system for the Douglas County Emergency Management Agency in the state of Kansas. Emergency management historically has focused on the immediate and urgent aspects of a disaster, response, and post-disaster recovery. However, there is a growing awareness that emergency management is much more complex and comprehensive than traditionally perceived. The primary function of government is to protect life and property. This involves not just crisis-reactive responses to emergencies, but also finding ways to avoid problems in the first place and preparing for those that undoubtedly will occur. The aim of this project is to build a database in a GIS frame that helps emergency management officers in decision making, focusing on Douglas County's preparedness, mitigation, and response efforts for its most common disaster, flooding. The system will lead to better flood management by automating the task of determining the probable flood-affected areas and integrating the results with other spatially distributed information. This will enable county emergency management officers to make more informed decisions before, during, and after a flood situation.