Case Studies

Solution CEMA selected Esri Canada's EM-COP solution to develop a Geo- spatial Emergency Management (GEM) system. EM-COP provides a geographic platform to integrate map datasets, dynamic data feeds and GIS analytic tools which are then accessed through a Web-based viewer. Using ArcGIS for Server, the GEM System consumes dynamic data from The City's 911 and 311 systems, live weather and traffic feeds and static data including infrastructure, subdivision and utility networks. It also consumes information from sources such as Canada's national Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System, facilitating the exchange of alert information during large-scale emergencies. Operational incident data is time-stamped and stored on the server, allowing emergency managers to virtually play back an emergency event. Through custom coding, private scenarios or "sandboxes" are created for each user type. This keeps data secure by allowing departments and agencies such as traffic, fire and police to access only those datasets that are relevant to their work. Data layers are locked down at the server level and accessed by users with specific user IDs. The GEM system can be leveraged to run many types of queries and analyze information related to an emergency. For example, through- out the 2013 flood, information related to evacuation polygons, flood plains, affected demographics and the location of critical infrastruc- ture was queried and analyzed using the GEM system, which helped CEMA manage emergency response efforts. Benefits Leveraging the GEM system has considerably increased efficiency by allowing support analysts to focus their efforts on data analysis, rather than producing maps. Stakeholders can readily access real-time data from dispatch calls and other sources so that responding agencies consistently have situational awareness. Tactical operational centres are effectively connected, enabling police, fire and EMS agencies to work from the same operational picture. Emergency personnel are now empowered to access the actionable intelligence they need without submitting a request, expediting their ability to understand and manage an emergency event. For example, a user can apply the community boundary data layer to instantly see how a power outage has affected citizens, infrastructure and traffic and then take immediate action without costly time delays. Emergency person- nel can conduct complete analyses of emergencies and supporting workflows including identifying threat areas, creating buffers around emergency zones, finding the closest facility, routing traffic and plan- ning for different scenarios. During the 2013 flood, access to data in the GEM system, such as the location of road closures, power outages, site command posts and evacuee reception centres, helped to coordinate the flood crisis response. Intelligence derived from social media sites including videos, photos and comments gathered through YouTube, Flickr and Twitter provide further insights. Also, information collected by the GEM system during emergency events can be used for post-event analyses. For example, after the 2013 flood, peak-flood orthophotography was analyzed to determine the extent of overland flooding, while 311 data helped determine the extent of underground flooding. Calgary's Emergency Management Agency protects growing population through a Common Operating Picture (COP) | Esri Canada 2 Using the GEM System, emergency management agencies can access real-time data including 911 and 311 calls. Intelligence derived from social media sites provides further insights during emergency situations. "Not only does our GEM system provide ready access to real- time actionable intelligence, but it also provides the security required to protect data confidentiality. This allows us to seamlessly collaborate with partnering organizations while always ensuring the protection of sensitive information." Jason Cameron Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA)

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