Make your Data Accessiblle

Picture this: A wildfire breaks out in northern Pennsylvania. Local firefighters are ready to act. They pull out their maps to pinpoint exactly where the fire is occurring. Next, it’s time to make a plan of action. How will we attack this? How will we fight it? How will we ensure the least possible damage?

First, determine the route to take- what are the local roads towards this forest and what’s going to be the fastest way to get there? The team cross references their road map with their forest map and settles on a good route to take. Next, assess if there are any priorities nearby to protect. Break out the database of land/home properties, break out the database of local schools and businesses, and break out the database of wildlife refuge centers. Cross reference all three with each other, and also compare them to the forest map and location of the fire at this exact moment in time. Lastly- assess the major threats, risks, and benefits for the team. Pull out another database and find out the nearest trash collection facility, pull out another database and figure out the nearest hazardous waste facility, and pull out one more database to locate the nearest gasoline station. Now that two maps and six databases have all been cross-referenced, it’s time to fight the fire. Just hope nothing’s changed since the last time those maps were printed.

We’re not sure about you- but that plan is just not good enough for us. What if all of this information was in one single spot? Imagine if it was in one spot that firefighters in 10 different trucks could all access at the same time while enroute to the forest fire? What if the team could actively interact with the map, seeing exactly what they’re looking for- exactly when they need it- and with exactly perfect accuracy?

With GIS technology, they can.

Take it one step further: GIS doesn’t just save us in the event of emergencies. Let’s take the wildfire one step further. What if the team reviewed the fire even after it was over? They tracked where it started, where it spread to, what the weather was, when the date was, what time it was, what propelled the fire and how long it lasted. (All in that one special GIS spot, of course). Let’s say the team did this with every single forest fire that occurs.

By inputting all of this data into an interactive and visual map- it’s no longer a generic record of natural disasters and their dates and details. Instead, it’s an opportunity to identify patterns, locate risks, and even distinguish connections to what happened and why- opening the door for effective prevention and preparation in the future.