R.I. emergency responders train with GIS

More than 70 of Rhode Island’s emergency response leaders and professionals met last week at the University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute to learn how to use geographic information systems to combat future natural disasters in the state.
A GIS is a computer-based system designed to capture, store, analyze and visualize geographical data that can be used to inform decisions in emergency scenarios for planning evacuation routes, identifying flooded areas, and visualizing infrastructure and natural geographic features.
In addition, GIS improves coordination among federal, state and local government agencies, ensuring that all emergency responders are seeing the same picture of an area affected by a natural disaster.
“Our emergency responders have faced all sorts of catastrophic challenges in recent years, from the Great Floods of 2010 to Superstorm Sandy,” said Judith Swift, director of the URI Coastal Institute. “While the people who have the responsibility of immediately responding did a fantastic job in dealing with these disasters, they will be able to take even better and more informed actions in years to come by using GIS information.”
Speakers at the conference – which was sponsored by the URI Coastal Institute, the URI Environmental Data Center, the R.I. Emergency Management Agency, the R.I. Division of Planning and R.I. Geographic Information System – included Jamia McDonald, executive director of RIEMA; Captain Steven Pollackov, GIS commanding officer of the New York City Fire Department; GIS experts from the U.S. National Park Service and the state of Maine; and Rhode Island emergency response specialists.
In addition, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed was honored for his introduction of a Federal Emergency Management Agency flood-mapping reform bill, which included provisions such as acquiring accurate and up-to-date elevation data using LIDAR mapping technologies, mapping according to watershed instead of political boundary, and re-establishing the Technical Mapping Advisory Council.
“We brought together Rhode Island agencies and organizations to highlight how the integration of geographic information systems can support emergency managers and first responders in response and recovery operations, planning initiatives and mitigation projects,” said McDonald. “The use of this technology in emergency management will improve the safety and resiliency of Rhode Islanders and URI’s leadership on this issue is an incredible asset for Rhode Island.”

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