FEMA Realizes Technology Can Aid Disaster Response and Recovery

Technology is playing a increasingly important role in emergency management. Technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS) allows emergency management professionals to quickly see the extent of the damages, maps of the affected area, and analyze data. The Federal emergency management agency FEMA is increasing its use of technology.

Hurricane Katrina highlighted the importance of being able to track people. Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross had issues tracking where displaced persons were transported to. This made it very difficult for family members to reunite with other family members.

In response, the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA developed the National Shelter System. Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator David Paulsen gave a speech describing the national shelter system. David Paulsen described the Federal emergency management agency's FEMA work to track displaced persons as:

"FEMA continues to work with federal, state, and voluntary partners to build a robust system for evacuation, sheltering and housing, including our collaboration with the American Red Cross to implement the National Shelter System. We've established a National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System and a National Emergency Child Locator Center to help those displaced find their loved ones. We have a new policy to help those with pets. And we are focused on streamlining and improving the housing and individual assistance programs."

The national shelter system is just one step Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is taking to further utilize technology to streamline disaster response and recovery operations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA is working to update and further utilize aerial images during disaster response and recovery operations. Hasson reported, "The Department of Homeland Security is working on ways for emergency officials to quickly receive aerial images of disaster areas in a format easily integrated into geographic information systems (GIS)."

A key part of this statement is, "in a format easily integrated into geographic information systems." In the past, developing a geographic information systems GIS strategy required expensive equipment. Open source geographic information systems GIS programs are making it considerably more cost-effective for city, county, and state governments to utilize geographic information systems GIS data.

To work effectively, geographic information systems GIS needs raw data. Even the best geographic information systems GIS software can not work without base maps, images, and other data. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's FEMA decision to release the information and are readily acceptable geographic information systems GIS format helps to ensure city, county, and state governments have the raw data necessary.

I spent the last seven years working in the emergency response and management fields. As one coworker once said, "I hope everybody realizes technology will not save the world." It is true that technology will not pull somebody from a burning building, pull somebody off of the roof surrounded by water, or protect somebody from a tornado. However, technology can provide systems that give emergency management and response professionals the information they needed faster.

References
Paulsen, David. National Hurricane Conference. April 2008. Federal emergency management agency. Retrieved November 18, 2009 from http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/speeches/natl_hurricane_conf_remarks_0401.pdf
Hasson, Judi. Aerial images of disaster sites crucial for DHS, FEMA. November 2009. Fierce government IT. Retrieved November 18, 2009 from http://www.fiercegovernmentit.com/story/dhs-takes-air/2009-11-17