A Quick-Reference Guide: Cross-Walking Emergency Management Capabilities to ArcGIS Solutions and Products
Carrie Speranza, CEM
Disaster Diplomat | Board Director and Advisor | Speaker | Author | Emergency Management Executive
If you’ve ever asked yourself: “What #EmergencyManagement problem can I solve with my ArcGIS license?”, this blog post is for you.
In a time of growing uncertainty, emergency management programs continue to do what they do best: execute their mission while doing more with less. Programs must also remain flexible and nimble to expand their capabilities at a moment’s notice when disaster strikes.
Looking at the proposed 2025 budget for the federal government, the Department of Homeland Security’s preparedness grants will likely be funded at a level similar to FY2023. Most emergency management agencies in the public sector at the state, local, Tribal, and territorial levels are funded by these federal grants, either in part or in full, and the funds are often used for staff salaries, equipment, training, service contracts, and technology. As the need for support from emergency management organizations increases, despite a budget that is flatlined, agency leaders are left to decide which capability or program area to fund and which to cut. When making these decisions, it’s important that leaders have a comprehensive understanding of what their current technology suite can do for their organization—otherwise, they may find themselves paying for multiple technology solutions with duplicative features.
Today’s disaster management landscape requires a different approach when conducting a cost-benefit analysis to determine which budget item to cut. For example, while technology and equipment maintenance investments have historically been the first line item cut in favor of funding staff time and benefits, society is almost entirely dependent on advanced technology to maintain its current lifestyle. And it’s doubly dependent on technology post-disaster.
Examples of our dependency on tech include cellular phones and the 5G network; social media for crowdsourcing and information sharing; online shopping and food delivery, and even electric vehicles. These are now considered standard components of our daily lives, as individuals and communities rely on technology for nearly every transaction.
The speed with which people expect a government to respond, recover, and provide solutions in the face of a catastrophe is magnified by this dependency. If information and services are unavailable when they are needed, society views these air gaps as failures of government to keep up with modern times. Even without budgetary increases, meeting society’s expectations of swift emergency response is simply unachievable without using technology.
The Good News
Technology advancements allow emergency managers to make expedited, data-driven decisions. They offer capabilities that allow us to quickly collect, analyze, organize, share, and act on information to meet society’s expectations for providing critical services before, during, and after a disaster. In today’s political and economic environment, tech-savvy emergency managers need to tap into their existing technology systems rather than purchase new ones.
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ArcGIS is a foundational enterprise technology used by both business and government organizations. As a geographic information system (GIS), it provides location intelligence, contributes to the digital transformation of an organization, integrates with the Internet of Things (IoT), helps create digital twins, and enables teams and organizations to collaborate, make decisions, and act. For emergency management organizations with access to ArcGIS, the good news is they already have access to a suite of apps, maps, and tools that can help accomplish their growing mission.
The table below aligns some of the most common emergency management capabilities with applicable ArcGIS solutions and products that are already available and ready to deploy for ArcGIS users. Many of these capabilities can be facilitated by solutions and products available through an ArcGIS Online or Enterprise license, and even if an ArcGIS Solution or Product name isn’t listed, these capabilities can be built and managed through a series of configurations – or tailoring – with base maps and tools found in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Pro.
The table includes:
To learn more about Esri’s Emergency Management Solutions and available resources, check out this website.
Click here to access the table and embedded links above.
Enterprise Data Management Expert | Data Governance | Metadata Management | Consultant | Doctoral Faculty Mentor | Curriculum Development | Ph.D.
1moRemember to devote some time to an evaluation of the #data collection and #datamanagement aspects of any solution (currently used or planned). Many systems make it difficult for data to be organized, managed, and used by the subject matter experts, and thwart the goals of informed leaders and staff - and the public (when appropriate). #datagovernance #metadatamanagement #dataquality
Public Safety and Transportation Technologist
1moA capability I don't see noted is the ability to pull in real time camera feeds....As an ESRI partner, Skyline Technology Solutions provides that ability! You can pull in traffic cameras/security cameras to improve your real time situational awareness/common operating picture for detection/response/recovery operations..... 👏 👍
Transportation Security & Intelligence Expert | Aviation Operations Management Leader | Emergency & Crisis Management | Public Policy Trusted Advisor & Expert (Ph.D.) | Risk Management | Training & Development
1moThanks for sharing, Carrie
Emergency Management Consultant
1moGreat summary document. Esri is at the forefront of incorporating many solutions in many fields and this is a fantastic reference for Emergency Management. Prior to becoming much more involved with Esri products and other imagery and geospatial tools, about 5 years ago, I didn't even know what questions to ask about what the various available technologies were. Esri and ArcGIS are at the top for such functional tools of our trade.
Owner Communications-Applied Technology (C-AT), Business Investor, Nurse Practitioner
1moSolid guide. In disaster response, the first 24–72 hours determine who makes it out alive. During the 2023 Maui wildfires, power and communications failures delayed search and rescue – many survivors were found in the first 48 hours, despite the limited coordination. ArcGIS provides the strategic view. ICRI delivers instant voice communication using the radios teams already have in the field. It’s a practical, budget-responsible way to enhance interoperability - without replacing equipment or waiting on procurement cycles. Hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and earthquakes continue to test the limits of our emergency response systems, demanding faster coordination, resilient infrastructure, and interoperable communication tools.