Planning, plans, forecasts, inventories, and adjustments in organizational design. Tools and activities of the possible future occurrence of ______________ (flood, terrorism, pandemic, wildfire, earthquake, active shooter, etc. - pick one or more). In case something like that ever happens here, the community's public safety forces will be ready. We'll just pull out the plan, turn on the computers, look at the maps, and manage the incident. REALLY?
I have an emergency generator because in 1991 our neighborhood lost power for several hours during a monster storm ("nor'easter" is the popular term). I remember bailing water as my basement sump pump was of no use. The more I bailed, the faster the water seeped in. The week after drying out, I bought the generator. I was so proud of it, I started once a week and went over the starting and use of the generator with my wife, just in case I was not around at the time of need. Everything was clear. She could start it, knew where the electrical connections were to be made, etc. We were prepared.
In 1997, while I was away on business, we lost power again. My wife knew about the generator in the shed. The instructions on starting and using it were clearly marked. When I talked to her from sunny, warm California, she told me what a horrible time she had dragging the generator across the yard through the 8-inches of snow to plug it into the electrical connections. Realizing what information I had forgotten to give her, I carefully asked if she saw the 100-ft. cable that would extend from the shed to the cellar connection. (oops!)
With the exception of that unfortunate incident, we haven't had to use it since. But several times each year, the generator gets started, connections are made to the house, everything is checked, it's re-fueled and readied for nor'easter season.
Periodic use is okay for emergency generators, a relatively simple solution for an infrequent need. Unfortunately, a Geographic Information System (GIS) is nothing like a generator. GIS is an essential component of disaster preparedness and response, but it's also a complex and powerful tool. In order for it to be useful in disaster management, it must be used in day-to-day operations by the people responsible for it use in disasters.
There's no time to train people in using a complex system as the water is pouring in, disease is spreading, buildings are falling. People need to use GIS every day in their normal jobs if they are expected to use it during times of emergency. By the way, I hear this from nearly every discipline at nearly every level of GIS use - police, fire, public health, public works.
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I have an emergency generator because in 1991 our neighborhood lost power for several hours during a monster storm ("nor'easter" is the popular term). I remember bailing water as my basement sump pump was of no use. The more I bailed, the faster the water seeped in. The week after drying out, I bought the generator. I was so proud of it, I started once a week and went over the starting and use of the generator with my wife, just in case I was not around at the time of need. Everything was clear. She could start it, knew where the electrical connections were to be made, etc. We were prepared.
In 1997, while I was away on business, we lost power again. My wife knew about the generator in the shed. The instructions on starting and using it were clearly marked. When I talked to her from sunny, warm California, she told me what a horrible time she had dragging the generator across the yard through the 8-inches of snow to plug it into the electrical connections. Realizing what information I had forgotten to give her, I carefully asked if she saw the 100-ft. cable that would extend from the shed to the cellar connection. (oops!)
With the exception of that unfortunate incident, we haven't had to use it since. But several times each year, the generator gets started, connections are made to the house, everything is checked, it's re-fueled and readied for nor'easter season.
Periodic use is okay for emergency generators, a relatively simple solution for an infrequent need. Unfortunately, a Geographic Information System (GIS) is nothing like a generator. GIS is an essential component of disaster preparedness and response, but it's also a complex and powerful tool. In order for it to be useful in disaster management, it must be used in day-to-day operations by the people responsible for it use in disasters.
There's no time to train people in using a complex system as the water is pouring in, disease is spreading, buildings are falling. People need to use GIS every day in their normal jobs if they are expected to use it during times of emergency. By the way, I hear this from nearly every discipline at nearly every level of GIS use - police, fire, public health, public works.
