Published on GEOG 588: Planning GIS for Emergency Management D7 Upgrade (https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog588)

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Lesson 1: Introducing GIS in Emergency Management

Lesson 1 Overview

Course Overview 

In my opinion, there is an interesting paradox with GIS and crisis management - we continually develop new and improved methods for handling disaster situations, but our increasingly complicated societies, economies, and infrastructures increase the challenges associated with disasters. People and their environments are more interconnected than ever, and GIS is in many cases the most appropriate mechanism for analyzing and rectifying emergency situations.

Lidar image of new jersey shore prior to Hurricane Sandy

Lidar image of new jersey shore following Hurricane Sandy

These USGS LIDAR [1] images show changes to the coastal zone in New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy in October, 2012. New geospatial technologies like LIDAR make it possible to more deeply understand and plan for the impacts of major disasters.

There are four key phases of emergency management: vulnerability assessment, preparedness, response, and recovery. In subsequent lessons, we will explore each of those topics in detail. Later, we will work together to research methods for designing GIS systems for emergency management contexts, and we will explore how GIS has been used in a variety of ways in recent disasters.

Each week, you will learn about an emerging technology trend and how it relates to GIS and crisis management. One of my goals is to make sure you learn about and consider new trends and themes in technology and imagine how those advances can and will impact GIS for Emergency Management in the future. The GIS planning activities you participate in now should take into account new types of technologies that will be commonplace in the next 5-10 years.

Map showing volunteered geographic information to highlight damaged areas after the 2015 Nepal Earthquake

Crowdsourcing approaches for damage assessment are becoming more popular than ever, with platforms like Tomnod [2] used to leverage digital volunteers, as shown here [3] for the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

Objectives

At the successful completion of Lesson 1, students should be able to:

  • develop a basic understanding of the role of GIS in Emergency Management;
  • review a recent technology trend and discuss how it relates to GIS and Emergency Management;
  • become familiar with the final project assignment for this class;
  • read about GIS in Emergency Management and discuss what you learn with your classmates.

Questions?

If you have questions now or at any point during this week, please feel free to post them in the Lesson 1 Questions and Comments Discussion in Canvas. 

Checklist

Lesson 1 is one week in length. Please refer to the Calendar in Canvas for specific time frames and due dates. To finish this lesson, you must complete the activities listed below. You may find it useful to print this page out first so that you can follow along with the directions.

Steps for Completing Lesson 1

Step Activity Access/Directions
1 Work through Lesson 1. You are in the Lesson 1 online content now. The Overview page is previous to this page, and you are on the Checklist page right now.
2 Complete the Lesson 1 Reading Assignment. Page 5 has this week's reading assignment instructions. Make sure you post at least one comment in Canvas that responds to the prompt given for the second reading.
3 Read and respond to the Lesson 1 Emerging Theme. Pages 6-7 describe the Emerging Technology Theme assignment for this week. The graded portion of this assignment is to participate in the Canvas discussion.
4 Read the Term Project Description. Page 8 outlines the requirements for the GEOG 588 Term Project. Read this material, and be prepared for the deliverables it outlines for future lessons.
5 Finish the Lesson 1 Writing Assignment. Page 9 describes this lesson's writing assignment. You will need to write a 200-300 word response to this week's readings and upload it to the Lesson 1 dropbox I've created in Canvas.

 

Introduction to GIS in Emergency Management

The Four Stages of Emergency Management

The 4 stages of Emergency Management
The four stages of emergency management.

It is generally agreed upon that there are four key stages to emergency management problems.

  • Planning & Mitigation
  • Preparedness
  • Response
  • Recovery 

You can probably imagine a wide array of possible GIS applications that would make sense for each of these stages of emergency management. Lesson 2 in this class will talk about hazards more generally, and then, in Lessons 3-6, we'll walk you through how GIS can be used in these four stages. In Lessons 7-9, we'll explore scenarios and cover a few case studies to see how GIS has been used in real-world emergency situations.

Here are brief definitions for each stage of emergency management:

Planning & Mitigation: Evaluating the potential types of disasters and developing plans for reducing their probability or their impact on life & resources.

Preparedness: Actions undertaken when mitigation efforts have not prevented or are unable to prevent a disaster from taking place.

Response: Activities that occur in the wake of a disaster that are intended to identify and assist victims and stabilize the overall disaster situation.

Recovery: Actions following a disaster that aim to restore human and environmental systems back to normal.

Applications for GIS in Emergency Management

For a little context, here's what the Federal Emergency Management Agency considers its mission with respect to GIS and Emergency Management.

This excerpt is from several years ago, and is no longer maintained by FEMA. FEMA's most recent web updates on GIS usage can be found here [4]. Take a look at both artifacts and reflect on what you see that may have changed in recent years. You may also be interested to see the data feeds [5] that FEMA's Enterprise GIS provides to the public.

How FEMA Uses GIS In Disaster Response

Our primary mission remains the dissemination of geographic information to the EST/ESF#5 (Information and Planning), and the rest of the Agency during disaster operations, and the enhancement of information services. Our current concept of operations is expanding to include providing a full range of GIS services to all FEMA program offices. In addition, the MAC has become the cornerstone for developing and implementing an integrated, state-of-the-art enterprise GIS (E-GIS) for the Agency.

The MAC maintains an extensive array of data sets to ensure our ability to provide our customers with the information they need (see Index of Available Data). The MAC can also produce maps from important model output, damage assessment data, as well as, maps and/or tables from FEMA Human Services, National Emergency Training Center (NETC), National Processing Service Center (NPSC), and Disaster Finance Center (DFC) statistics in federally-declared counties.

In addition to providing GIS maps, tables and analyses during disasters and emergencies, the E-GIS Team supports planning exercises, the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, the Office of National Preparedness, the Office of Homeland Security, the Administration and Resource Planning Directorate, as well as, the Agency’s ad-hoc GIS requirements.

For emergency managers, a GIS can facilitate critical decision-making before a disaster impacts an area. In the early, crucial stages of a disaster or emergency and throughout the disaster process, managers use GIS products because they provide important information, such as described above, quickly and in easy-to-understand formats.

The specific products the MAC typically generates in a disaster or an emergency varies with the nature and scope of the situation and the needs of our customers.

Some of our most frequently requested maps include: storm track and damage prediction maps, remote sensing maps, maps of federally-declared counties in an affected state, basic census demographics about an affected area by county and census block, street locations, and summaries of teleregistered and service center applicants, housing inspection numbers, Helpline calls, disaster unemployment claims, Small Business Administration (SBA) applicants, etc.

Prior to making landfall, MAC staff can generate maps that depict the track of a hurricane or tropical storm. The E-GIS Team uses a hurricane wind model to develop estimates for projected damages in affected states or areas. The staff then maps these results. Typical model output maps include estimated wind damage to mobile homes, single family homes, and multi-family homes in affected areas along the track of the storm.

If the intensity of the storm is severe, MAC staff will produce wind damage estimates for other structures and infrastructure, such as: sewage treatment plants, nursing homes, schools, hospitals, etc.

In addition to mapping wind damage estimates to different structure types, MAC staff can perform various demographic analyses that estimate the population and housing units in affected counties or blockgroups. The E-GIS Team generates maps of median housing values, median income and persons on public assistance by county and/or blockgroup. MAC GIS analysts can produce maps and tables with demographic data provided by the U.S. Census.

Similarly, the E-GIS Team can run an earthquake model to estimate damages in an affected area. In addition, Team staff are continually working with FIMA to upgrade and expand FEMA’s use of models in disasters.

Soon after the disaster event, FEMA managers and staff use GIS to visualize actual damages by analyzing collected aerial reconnaissance and ground truth data. Using GIS, MAC customers (i.e., Disaster Field Office (DFO), Emergency Support Team (EST) personnel, etc.) can see the spatial extent of damage, learn who was affected by the disaster and which resources were affected. Management and staff can then use this data to distribute resources and coordinate with other federal and state agencies and organizations. Staff from the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) and other offices often use GIS produced EPA Super Fund Site and Repetitive Loss Claim Maps for information and planning purposes.

The E-GIS Team often receives requests for maps of congressional districts for federally designated counties in an area. Other common requests of GIS products include: maps of repetitive damages, river gauge data, or locations of Federal Disaster Recovery Centers. In addition, the MAC can map a wide range of facilities such as schools, hospitals, power plants, etc., in an affected area. MAC staff can also produce maps of toxic release inventory sites, bridges, dams, and other public safety locations.

Emergency managers and staff also use GIS maps and tables to perform or initiate a variety of other analyses, both general and specific, and for displays. In addition, FEMA staff uses GIS maps in training and exercise programs.

Excerpted from http://www.gismaps.fema.gov/gis04.shtm [6] on August 28, 2008.

Reading Assignment

How Reading Assignments Work

For each lesson, I will ask you to read parts of your textbooks, online materials I select, or articles I've found. As you can see below, I'll try to make it as clear as possible what you're expected to do by always identifying specific reading assignments in a separate orange box.

Part of your class participation grade will be making responses on our discussion board to questions I pose about the readings. Whenever you see a Respond prompt, you need to respond to that question as directed. Occasionally, I'll mark items Think about when I simply want to direct your thoughts as you read. You can trust me to control your brain. I'm an expert.

Lesson 1 Reading Assignment

For our first set of readings, we will focus on setting the stage for the rest of the lessons this term. First, I'd like you to read two different white papers developed by folks at Esri. These provide a simple overview of the common terms and topics associated with GIS for Emergency Management, and they show you how the GIS goliath perceives the role of geospatial tools and methods in the context of Emergency Management. You just read a bit about how FEMA sees the state of affairs, and I think you'll notice some key similarities (and differences) in how the world is viewed from those two perspectives.

Second, I've selected a chapter from a National Academies of Science report written in 2007 that sets a research agenda for GIS in Emergency Management. The chapter I've picked for this week focuses on how GIS was or could have been used in a few different disaster scenarios.

Finally, I'd like you to start reading Style for Students to begin thinking critically about your writing habits. You'll be doing a fair bit of writing in this class and if you're a bit rusty on those skills, this resource is a great one to review.

  1. Read: ESRI White Paper on GIS for Emergency Management [7] which outlines how Esri sees a role for ArcGIS in Emergency Management (in 2012), and a much older (2000) white paper on key terms and definitions relevant to GIS and Emergency Management [8].

    THINK ABOUT

    These white papers present definitions and roles for GIS in the context of Emergency Management. They also reflect the view from a major software vendor into this field. As you peruse these documents, think about which aspects seem software-specific vs. those that appear to be more general to all geospatial applications in emergency management. How would you define roles differently, or broaden some of their definitions?
  2. Read:"Chapter 2: Thinking About Worst Cases" from Successful Response Starts With a Map: Improving Geospatial Support for Disaster Management. [9] (It's easy to register and download this as a PDF too, if you so desire).

    RESPOND

    As you read the three different worst case scenarios, it should be apparent that a key challenge is simply developing a rapid picture of the spatial extent of a disaster. If you assume that a given disaster will disable local EOCs and their accompanying geospatial tools and data, describe at least two ways that emergency managers brought in from afield could quickly assemble data that describes the extent of the disaster. Post your ideas. Then respond to a different post with constructive comments or criticism.

    NOTE: Respond to this assignment in the Lesson 1 Reading Discussion Forum in Canvas [10].

  3. This class is writing intensive. I'll be editing and commenting on your written work throughout the term. Penn State's Style for Students guide can be a huge help if it's been a while since you've written for a course like this.

    Read: "Chapter 1: Improving Your Style" [11]

Emerging Theme: Introduction

Emerging Technology & GIS

OK, you might think, "Well - isn't GIS already something most people consider high tech?" The answer to that question is a little complicated. In comparison to where we were about 20 years ago, yes, current GIS systems are pretty high tech. In comparison to recent advances in software, interfaces, and the ways in which regular people can participate in the development of data and tools - no, off-the-shelf desktop GIS software isn't so radical anymore.

What I hope to do in this course is to bring in new trends and themes in technology and imagine how those advances can and will impact GIS in the future, with particular emphasis on how those technologies fit or could be adapted to support GIS for Emergency Management.

Emerging Themes

Each lesson features an Emerging Theme page that presents a technology and encourages you to envision its potential impact on GIS systems for Emergency Management. I draw upon video lectures, links to live demonstrations, and other multidmedia as much as possible to make these modules as engaging as possible.

The themes we will cover this term are:

  • New Methods Of Geospatial Interaction
  • UAVs and DIY Drones
  • Map Mashups and Responsive Design
  • Volunteered Geographic Information
  • Gamification
  • Non-Expert Systems
  • Social Media and Crisis Management
  • Emergency Management GIS in the Cloud
  • Analyzing Locations in Text

On the next page, you'll find your first Emerging Theme assignment. In this assignment, we will examine new types of mobile interfaces and discuss how they should be integrated into future GIS systems for emergency management.

Emerging Theme: New Methods for Interaction with Location

This week, I’d like you to take a look at a couple of very exciting technology demonstrations that I think are relevant to GIS in Emergency Management. Both of these demonstrations show the cutting edge of what is possible with computers, and I think it’s quite reasonable to expect that in the next 5 years or so these things will become quite common in consumer and professional systems.

The first video I’d like you to check out is about ambient location and geofencing. Geofencing is a method by which you can trigger interactions to occur based on your physical location. The examples here are not around emergency management topics, but I'm thinking you'll have some interesting ideas that come to mind when you see how this works. This talk is from the O'Reilly Where 2012 [12] conference.

The second tech demo I want you to check out is by Sergey Brin from Google. I hesitated in showing you this example, because it's really just an extended advertisement, done in a sort-of breathlessly optimistic fashion for Google Glass. But, I do think it's worth checking out - the examples are really mundane, but we should try to envision how this kind of technology will aid (or not aid!) emergency management personnel by making geospatial information accessible in the field.

Finally, now that you've seen the setup from the perspective of Google, take a look at a recent pilot project to use Glass in an emergency response situation. It's a bit campy and promotional, but you'll see how maps play a role in a few different spots. Bonus points if you can correctly identify in which country this is taking place. :)

Deliverables for this week's emerging theme:

  1. Post a comment on the Canvas discussion page that describes how you envision one or more of these technologies integrating into a GIS system for Emergency Management. Or, perhaps you don't think we should consider them for emergency situations. That could be a valid position to take as well.
  2. Then, I'd like you to offer additional insight, critique, a counter-example, or something else constructive in response to one of your colleagues' posts.
  3. Brownie points for linking to other technology demos, pictures, blog posts, etc., that you've found to enrich your posts so that we may all benefit.

NOTE: Respond to this assignment in the Lesson 1 Emerging Theme Discussion Forum in Canvas [10].

 

Term Project Description

Term Project Overview

This course is built around a term project that each of you will complete to integrate your understanding of GIS system design with what you learn about how GIS can be applied to Emergency Management scenarios. You will select ONE project option from the list below and complete a design or funding proposal related to GIS in Emergency Management. To a large degree, you will have the freedom to shape the specifics of your term project around GIS systems and/or Emergency Management contexts as you desire. I hope that this allows you to either focus on a topic related to your day-to-day work, or choose an area that sparks your curiosity.

Each week, you will notice at least one page of the Lesson dedicated to a goal or assignment associated with your term project. In about half of those Lessons, you will have one graded deliverable related to your final project. I've developed a project schedule that is designed to make sure you make steady progress on the term project and that also ensures that we have one full round of draft editing to refine your work. I don't like classes that end with submitting a final project with no chance to do any revisions. That seems silly to me.

Term Project Options

Here are four options you have for your term project. You can choose one of these options. If you'd like to riff on one of these and take it in a different direction, by all means, do so! These are really just suggestions - I want you to be innovative and surprise me with your good ideas for projects. I also know that many of you just want to know what would be a good example project focus, which is why I've listed these options here.

  • OPTION 1: Propose a new GIS system that uses geospatially-capable mobile devices for early responders in crisis situations. Assume that the early responders in question have very little time to train with these devices before having to use them in an emergency situation. Identify the key tasks that the devices must support, and consider that emergency responders must focus most of their attention on addressing the emergency – not on working with a mobile device. Present your work in the form of a system design proposal that outlines the goals of the system and describes how it would be designed and implemented in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
  • OPTION 2: Audit the GIS system you use for emergency management in your workplace. Assume you have access to funding to make significant changes to this system. Identify key leverage points for making changes to the system that will maximize the impact that the new system will have on handling emergency management problems. Present your work in the form of a strategic plan that begins with a description of the existing system. The plan should then cover the goals of the improved system and present a set of possible changes to the system that have been prioritized so that decision makers could make decisions about funding allocations accordingly.
  • OPTION 3: Research a recent disaster and describe how different types of GIS systems were used to respond to the situation and mitigate its impact. Then propose a general design for a new GIS system based on what was learned from the disaster (assume you will receive substantial, but not unlimited funding). Consider recent technological and social trends in GIS and emergency management that you could leverage with the new system (e.g., mobile devices, non-expert systems, map mashups, etc…) and incorporate those trends into a system design proposal that includes a section up front describing the lessons learned from the disaster you researched.
  • OPTION 4: Ultimately, there are lots of people involved in the success of a GIS system. There are technical experts who may be in charge of database development, cartographers in charge of developing visuals for situational awareness, decision makers who have to weigh all of the information and act expediently, and members of the media & public who consume and disseminate information. Propose a design study for a specific emergency management context (forest fires, hurricanes, etc…) that focuses on identifying the GIS-related needs of these different types of people. Consider the range of possible system design strategies when creating your proposal.

Deliverables (for Future Lessons)

The term project includes the following deliverables that will be assigned to you in future lessons:

  • 1 paragraph project abstract indicating which project option you chose and describing in general terms what you will cover (5 points, 5% of your grade) - assigned in Lesson 2
  • Project Abstract and Structural Outline (headings and several bullets under each heading for the main topics you'll cover) (10 points, 5% of your grade) - assigned in Lesson 4
  • Full Draft of Term Project, no longer than 2500 words (20 points, 10% of your grade) - assigned in Lesson 6
  • Revised Final Term Project, no longer than 2500 words (30 points, 15% of your grade) - assigned in Lesson 10
  • 5 Minute Video Presentation of Term Project (10 points, 5% of your grade) - assigned in Lesson 10

Look for details on each deliverable (including specific due dates) in future lessons.

Grading

Term projects will be graded using this rubric [13]. (PDF, 200k)

Writing Assignment

Lesson 1 Writing Assignment Description

This week, I'd like you to write responses to the two items below:

Based on this week's readings, what do you consider to be the one or two key challenges facing the application of GIS to Emergency Management in (a) temporally short, geographically local events versus (b) temporally extended, geographically regional events?

Make clear how your response relates to the readings.

This response should be between 200 - 300 words in length. It is worth 15 points toward the writing assignment portion of the course grade.

Lesson 1 Writing Assignment Submission Instructions

Save your files in the following format:

L1_assign1_firstinitialLastName.doc

For example, my file would be named "L1_assign1_arobinson.doc" - This naming convention is important, as it will help me make sure I match each submission up with the right student.

Submit your assignment to the Lesson 1 Writing Assignment dropbox in Canvas. See our Canvas Course Calendar for specific due dates.

Lesson 1 Writing Assignment Grading Criteria

For this assignment, I will assign grades with the following rubric. For each of the three main criteria, I will assign points on a scale from 1-5, with 5 being excellent and 1 being very poor. I define "Impact" as the strength and logic of the arguments and analytical insights you provide with your writing. I define "Content" as the level of understanding and knowledge of relevant topics you demonstrate with your writing. I define "Clarity" as the readability and organization of your writing (including formatting and appropriate graphic design where applicable).

Impact, Content, Clarity: 5 = Excellent, 4 = Very Good, 3 = Satisfactory, 2 = Poor, 1 = Very Poor

Summary

In this lesson, you have received an introduction to the major concepts associated with GIS systems for emergency management. You reviewed the four basic stages of emergency management and read some background material that defines common terms to GIS and emergency management.

Disasters and emergencies provide a wide range of opportunities for GIS systems to play an important role, and in future lessons we will delve into these possibilities in detail.

This week, we covered our first emerging technology theme. I've created a page for every lesson that focuses on a different technology theme that I think is relevant in some way to future GIS systems for emergency management. When we are concerned about planning future GIS systems, it is essential to become aware of new technology trends that could significantly impact how systems work in the not-too-distant future.

In the next lesson, we will review the range of hazards and emergencies that may require the use of GIS systems to aid mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery efforts.

Tell me about it!

If there is anything in the lesson materials that you would like to comment on or add to, feel free to post your thoughts in the Lesson 1 Questions and Comments Discussion in Canvas. For example, what did you have the most trouble with in this lesson?  Was there anything useful here that you'd like to try in your own work?

 


Source URL: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog588/l1.html

Links
[1] http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/sandy/lidar/newjersey.php
[2] http://www.tomnod.com/
[3] https://geosprocket.cartodb.com/viz/bb5ed630-ee1e-11e4-8dca-0e018d66dc29/embed_map
[4] https://gis.fema.gov/index.html
[5] https://gis.fema.gov/DataFeeds.html
[6] http://www.gismaps.fema.gov/gis04.shtm
[7] http://www.esri.com/library/whitepapers/pdfs/arcgis-for-emergency-management.pdf
[8] http://www.esri.com/library/whitepapers/pdfs/disastermgmt.pdf
[9] http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11793
[10] http://psu.instructure.com
[11] http://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/node/1787
[12] http://whereconf.com/where2012
[13] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog588/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.geog588/files/file/Term%20Project%20Rubric.pdf