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The Right Information at the Right Time: a Web Services Approach to Supporting the Emergency Manager
, 
Paul Harris & Adam Hender
NGIS Australia
47 Burswood Road, Burswood, WA, Australia, 6100
Email: paul.harris@ngis.com.au, adam.hender@ngis.com.au
1. Introduction
With one of the highest risk periods for natural disasters pending for many Australians, this year there will be something very different about the way critical information relating to safety and emergency response standards will be developed and communicated.
Emergency services, utilities operators, government agencies and individual property owners across Australia will have access to a data management system being developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRCSI) to provide 'real time' information for communities under frequent threat from emergencies such as bushfires.
Based on spatial information - satellite imagery and mapping, global positioning systems and other data such as meteorological information - the new system emerging from the CRCSI's Emergency Management Demonstration Program offers 'interoperability process driven technology' to help agencies and even individuals to respond more effectively to natural and man-made disasters.
This paper describes this project.
2. Description
Australia's population, concentrated within small coastal fringe areas of a large resource rich continent, has created unique challenges for emergency agencies. Remote regions host many critical industries and transportation corridors. Thus providing emergency service coverage over such very large regions stretches the capabilities of the limited resources. Adding pressure to improve the efficient use of these resources is an increasing public awareness and concern over health, safety and environmental issues.
People expect that emergency management organisations will be prepared and have the tools available to deal with emergencies. While several emergency organisations already use spatial information, it is widely recognised that a more cooperative system that addresses compatibility across services and agencies is essential in the future.
Recent lessons overseas, notably September 11, have shown flexible access to accurate spatial information as critical to effective strategic assessment, tactical planning and resource deployment for emergency incidents. It was found that commonly the only factor connecting key elements of information was the physical spatial location of those elements.
This project demonstrates the practical on-line application of Spatial Information technology for regional Emergency Management in both government and private organisations. The project identified critical requirements for collaboration with end-user organizations. The project provided end-users with direct access to a range of local, state and federal data sets, via Web Services. End users of the system have the ability to combine near real-time information with other relevant local, state and federal data sets in a user-friendly and accessible interface. Innovative features of the system includes vehicle tracking, condition monitoring, proximity monitoring, online collaboration, live integration of multiple data sets from various sources and fax/SMS/email notification.
3. Scenarios
While many of the components developed and demonstrated through the project are applicable to a wide range of scenarios, the completed initial phase of the project focused on two specific scenarios:
1. On and Off-shore Incident Management System
Ensuring the safety of customers, staff and assets in Australia's remote regions is of critical importance to public and private organisations. The rapid assessment and response to emergency incidents relating to search & rescue, contaminant spill and industrial accidents in these areas has traditionally proved extremely difficult. In offshore environments the management of infrastructure and individuals is even more challenging. The dynamic and often volatile nature of marine conditions intensifies the need for a very rapid emergency incident assessment and response capability to the near real-time.
This project directly integrates government map information sources with live corporate map information sources. Users can access on-line focused emergency management tools redefined as process models. As well as being able to easily customize these processes to meet their individual needs, inter-organisation collaboration tools are available through the system facilitating a secure means of rapid communication during an incident.
Figure 1 - Offshore Vessel Alert Interface
Near real-time fire hotspot information has been used to automatically assess threats to critical infrastructure in remote areas. Imminent threat notification messages are automatically sent to specific infrastructure stakeholders. Each incident situation is directly and securely accessible through an online map application via the message.
One example is the monitoring the threat to high voltage transmission line assets from bushfires hazards identified through satellites. The system identifies assets threatened by nearby bushfire hazards and sends an appropriate warning message to rostered power utility staff. Note that in this example only one stakeholder organization needs to be warned.
Such processes involve the integration of email, SMS, stakeholder address databases and live spatial data feeds.
With this system, companies or emergency agencies conducting searches or planning resource deployment to incident areas are provided with immediate access to accurate consistent maps on a national basis. These maps, along with web-based tools, are designed to support critical decision processes.
Figure 2 - EMDP notification example
2. Bushfire Management System
Bushfires pose a serious threat to a majority of the Australian landscape, and are particularly threatening in rural areas where critical infrastructure is frequently under threat. Rapid access to current information as bushfires advance is critical to saving property and lives. The spatial information layers identified that support this process include:
Fire hotspots Satellite imagery Transport network
Aerial photography Meteorology Vegetation
Utility assets Satellite imagery Fire history
Land ownership Topography
The secure interface offers tools allowing stakeholder representatives to view common live maps from a number of sources via Web Services and collaborate across various organisations or geographic regions. Stakeholder organizations are given control over their own assets but can make it available to other stakeholders. For example, the Fire & Emergency Services agency can share its information with the Police department and visa versa.
Figure 3 - Cross agency collaboration interface
4. Technical Architectures
On and Off-Shore Incident Management System
A secure application has been created that directly integrates government map information sources with live corporate map information sources through incident management processes delivered on-line. As well as being able to easily customise these processes to meet their individual needs, inter-organisation collaboration tools are available through the system facilitating a secure means of rapid communication during an incident.
The Emergency Notification System monitors spatial information from multiple sources and perform spatial analysis on the information at a predefined interval. If specific criteria are met, the system will send notification messages to specific infrastructure stakeholders via email or SMS. Each threat situation will be directly and securely accessible through an online map application via the message.
As the system is built in a generic and configurable way, it is capable of handling a wide range of different notification scenarios where the only relationship between two information sources is spatial.
Figure 5 - Notification High Level Architecture
Bushfire Management System
The information required for bushfire management comes from a wide array of different sources. While some of this information is quite static (eg topographic mapping), many data sources change rapidly. Currently, it is difficult and time consuming for emergency management personnel to collate all the information they require. Different organizations involved in a given incident often hold different information, leading to miscommunication.
The online system offers two components: one is a secure environment for operational personnel involved in the management of incidents. The other is a freely accessible interface with which a pre-defined subset of information can be "published" to the general public.
The secure interface offers tools allowing users to view common live maps and collaborate across various organisations or geographic regions. Information custodians can determine which users are provided with access to their information.
Figure 6 - Bushfire Management Diagram
5. Summary
The Emergency Management Demonstrator Project represents a significant move forward for spatial information use in Australia. The project has demonstrating the practical real-world value of on-line spatial systems for regional emergency management.
Innovation is a pervasive characteristic of the EMDP. This is demonstrated through:
The Project has addressed regional emergency management from a business needs perspective. This has resulted in rapidly deployable, highly flexible and rigorous emergency management application which harnesses spatial information and operators to deliver enhanced capabilities. This approach of working in close partnership with the Emergency Management community has clearly differentiated the project from other solutions which have addressed business issues through generic internet mapping functionality and with less focus on understanding how spatial technology best integrates into the Emergency Management processes.
The project, recently extended to demonstrate additional scenarios, has been recognized for its innovative features, quality and flexibility. This is demonstrated by the Pilot adoption of the system by the Emergency Information Coordination Unit (NSW) and the significant funding contributed to extend the project by the Western Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet and Microsoft Australia.
In addition to multiple scheduled on-line trials that are currently underway several participating emergency organisations have initiated internal implementations of the system.
EMDP has conclusively demonstrated that on-line spatial systems provide an effective framework for emergency management applications. In addition the EMDP has demonstrated through the Notification and the Bushfire scenarios that an on-line spatial solution offers significant enhanced capabilities not available through equivalent nonspatial solutions.
Providing the right information, on time, to the emergency manager, with the tools to support his operations and decision making processes, will save lives.
, Paul Harris & Adam Hender
NGIS Australia
47 Burswood Road, Burswood, WA, Australia, 6100
Email: paul.harris@ngis.com.au, adam.hender@ngis.com.au
1. Introduction
With one of the highest risk periods for natural disasters pending for many Australians, this year there will be something very different about the way critical information relating to safety and emergency response standards will be developed and communicated.
Emergency services, utilities operators, government agencies and individual property owners across Australia will have access to a data management system being developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRCSI) to provide 'real time' information for communities under frequent threat from emergencies such as bushfires.
Based on spatial information - satellite imagery and mapping, global positioning systems and other data such as meteorological information - the new system emerging from the CRCSI's Emergency Management Demonstration Program offers 'interoperability process driven technology' to help agencies and even individuals to respond more effectively to natural and man-made disasters.
This paper describes this project.
2. Description
Australia's population, concentrated within small coastal fringe areas of a large resource rich continent, has created unique challenges for emergency agencies. Remote regions host many critical industries and transportation corridors. Thus providing emergency service coverage over such very large regions stretches the capabilities of the limited resources. Adding pressure to improve the efficient use of these resources is an increasing public awareness and concern over health, safety and environmental issues.
People expect that emergency management organisations will be prepared and have the tools available to deal with emergencies. While several emergency organisations already use spatial information, it is widely recognised that a more cooperative system that addresses compatibility across services and agencies is essential in the future.
Recent lessons overseas, notably September 11, have shown flexible access to accurate spatial information as critical to effective strategic assessment, tactical planning and resource deployment for emergency incidents. It was found that commonly the only factor connecting key elements of information was the physical spatial location of those elements.
This project demonstrates the practical on-line application of Spatial Information technology for regional Emergency Management in both government and private organisations. The project identified critical requirements for collaboration with end-user organizations. The project provided end-users with direct access to a range of local, state and federal data sets, via Web Services. End users of the system have the ability to combine near real-time information with other relevant local, state and federal data sets in a user-friendly and accessible interface. Innovative features of the system includes vehicle tracking, condition monitoring, proximity monitoring, online collaboration, live integration of multiple data sets from various sources and fax/SMS/email notification.
3. Scenarios
While many of the components developed and demonstrated through the project are applicable to a wide range of scenarios, the completed initial phase of the project focused on two specific scenarios:
1. On and Off-shore Incident Management System
Ensuring the safety of customers, staff and assets in Australia's remote regions is of critical importance to public and private organisations. The rapid assessment and response to emergency incidents relating to search & rescue, contaminant spill and industrial accidents in these areas has traditionally proved extremely difficult. In offshore environments the management of infrastructure and individuals is even more challenging. The dynamic and often volatile nature of marine conditions intensifies the need for a very rapid emergency incident assessment and response capability to the near real-time.
This project directly integrates government map information sources with live corporate map information sources. Users can access on-line focused emergency management tools redefined as process models. As well as being able to easily customize these processes to meet their individual needs, inter-organisation collaboration tools are available through the system facilitating a secure means of rapid communication during an incident.
Figure 1 - Offshore Vessel Alert Interface
Near real-time fire hotspot information has been used to automatically assess threats to critical infrastructure in remote areas. Imminent threat notification messages are automatically sent to specific infrastructure stakeholders. Each incident situation is directly and securely accessible through an online map application via the message.
One example is the monitoring the threat to high voltage transmission line assets from bushfires hazards identified through satellites. The system identifies assets threatened by nearby bushfire hazards and sends an appropriate warning message to rostered power utility staff. Note that in this example only one stakeholder organization needs to be warned.
Such processes involve the integration of email, SMS, stakeholder address databases and live spatial data feeds.
With this system, companies or emergency agencies conducting searches or planning resource deployment to incident areas are provided with immediate access to accurate consistent maps on a national basis. These maps, along with web-based tools, are designed to support critical decision processes.
Figure 2 - EMDP notification example
2. Bushfire Management System
Bushfires pose a serious threat to a majority of the Australian landscape, and are particularly threatening in rural areas where critical infrastructure is frequently under threat. Rapid access to current information as bushfires advance is critical to saving property and lives. The spatial information layers identified that support this process include:
Fire hotspots Satellite imagery Transport network
Aerial photography Meteorology Vegetation
Utility assets Satellite imagery Fire history
Land ownership Topography
The secure interface offers tools allowing stakeholder representatives to view common live maps from a number of sources via Web Services and collaborate across various organisations or geographic regions. Stakeholder organizations are given control over their own assets but can make it available to other stakeholders. For example, the Fire & Emergency Services agency can share its information with the Police department and visa versa.
Figure 3 - Cross agency collaboration interface
4. Technical Architectures
On and Off-Shore Incident Management System
A secure application has been created that directly integrates government map information sources with live corporate map information sources through incident management processes delivered on-line. As well as being able to easily customise these processes to meet their individual needs, inter-organisation collaboration tools are available through the system facilitating a secure means of rapid communication during an incident.
The Emergency Notification System monitors spatial information from multiple sources and perform spatial analysis on the information at a predefined interval. If specific criteria are met, the system will send notification messages to specific infrastructure stakeholders via email or SMS. Each threat situation will be directly and securely accessible through an online map application via the message.
As the system is built in a generic and configurable way, it is capable of handling a wide range of different notification scenarios where the only relationship between two information sources is spatial.
Figure 5 - Notification High Level Architecture
Bushfire Management System
The information required for bushfire management comes from a wide array of different sources. While some of this information is quite static (eg topographic mapping), many data sources change rapidly. Currently, it is difficult and time consuming for emergency management personnel to collate all the information they require. Different organizations involved in a given incident often hold different information, leading to miscommunication.
The online system offers two components: one is a secure environment for operational personnel involved in the management of incidents. The other is a freely accessible interface with which a pre-defined subset of information can be "published" to the general public.
The secure interface offers tools allowing users to view common live maps and collaborate across various organisations or geographic regions. Information custodians can determine which users are provided with access to their information.
Figure 6 - Bushfire Management Diagram
5. Summary
The Emergency Management Demonstrator Project represents a significant move forward for spatial information use in Australia. The project has demonstrating the practical real-world value of on-line spatial systems for regional emergency management.
Innovation is a pervasive characteristic of the EMDP. This is demonstrated through:
- An interoperable approach to information integration, that acknowledges the unique information provision requirements of the Emergency Management community,
- The adoption of open web service application standards,
- The involvement of multiple Emergency Management agencies across Australia in the development of cooperative, inter-organisational, event-driven business process models,
- The development of a broad data custodian collaboration environment, actively promoted and fostered by all stakeholders engaged in the project, and
- The effective use and management of an agile project implementation methodology to ensure integration of off-the-shelf software products into an effective real world demonstration of Spatial Information Management Systems.
The Project has addressed regional emergency management from a business needs perspective. This has resulted in rapidly deployable, highly flexible and rigorous emergency management application which harnesses spatial information and operators to deliver enhanced capabilities. This approach of working in close partnership with the Emergency Management community has clearly differentiated the project from other solutions which have addressed business issues through generic internet mapping functionality and with less focus on understanding how spatial technology best integrates into the Emergency Management processes.
The project, recently extended to demonstrate additional scenarios, has been recognized for its innovative features, quality and flexibility. This is demonstrated by the Pilot adoption of the system by the Emergency Information Coordination Unit (NSW) and the significant funding contributed to extend the project by the Western Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet and Microsoft Australia.
In addition to multiple scheduled on-line trials that are currently underway several participating emergency organisations have initiated internal implementations of the system.
EMDP has conclusively demonstrated that on-line spatial systems provide an effective framework for emergency management applications. In addition the EMDP has demonstrated through the Notification and the Bushfire scenarios that an on-line spatial solution offers significant enhanced capabilities not available through equivalent nonspatial solutions.
Providing the right information, on time, to the emergency manager, with the tools to support his operations and decision making processes, will save lives.