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  •   over 15 years ago

Encourage community mapping

Whether it's community members participating in mapping parties led by organizations like OpenStreetMap or high schools including local geography and GIS training in their curriculum, a network of folks that have a well rounded understanding of the local geography and infrastructure is invaluable in a crisis situation.
Local knowledge by cyclists, armchair community planners, birders, runners, rock hunters, community activists, geo-cachers, commuters, boy and girl scouts, and others becomes valuable when brought together. Bind together these local "experts" with a little education provide by couple of map geeks, and a hyper-local, very rich online map of a community can develop, one that compliments those created by the professionals at FEMA and other federal and local agencies. We've seen the value of community created maps like OpenStreetMap demonstrated when rendering aid in the direct aftermath and recovery of international crises like Haiti.
So get folks outside to discover and map their neighborhood. There are two end results: a diverse and distributed network of people with a strong understanding of the local terrain and infrastructure, plus an open and freely available map created by the real experts -- the folks that actually live in the community.

  • 10 comments

  •   •   over 15 years ago

    How would this work as a emergency or disaster preparedness tool?   I think I have an idea on how it could but I am interested in your use idea.  Thank you for your insight. 

  •   •   over 15 years ago

    An excellent and inexpensive tool is Depiction mapping, simulation and collaboratoin software (www.depiction.com). It uses OpenStreetMap, shapefiles, ortho imagery and more, and retails at $199 with no annual maintenance. Substantial discounts are offered to volunteer organizations.
     
    Ric Skinner, GISP
    ric.skinner "at" gmail "dot" com

  •   •   over 15 years ago

    I will pick one up, thanks.  We are planning a training and exercise conference in Houston April 11-14 with many community groups.  Will keep you posted maybe you  can help us. 
     
    Thanks

  •   •   over 15 years ago

    I would be happy to help if I can. I am an independent GIS/Emergency Preparedness consultant and also a Depiction Preferred Consultant. Contact me directly at ric.skinner "at" gmail "dot" com.

  •   •   over 15 years ago

    Wow, RicSkinner, anything else you can sell us?  Are you an affiliate anywhere else?

  •   •   over 15 years ago

    @Dogweather this is an exchange of ideas.  Community mapping is a great toll for disaster managers.  The more you know about a community the better you can target the response.  Mapping gets the community talking about what is going on.  Opening a dialog helps to create a common understanding.  Once needs are known resources can be identified and then local communities can be better prepared to survive any disaster better.  These resources are not expensive.  Sometimes if a neighbor know both parents work and the kids are at home (even the best behaved and responsible kids) knowing they can check in with a neighbor helps every one.

  •   •   about 15 years ago

    http://www.emd.wa.gov/myn/index.shtml
    Scroll down to find links from above website.
    “Map Your Neighborhood” (MYN) is a FREE program designed to help neighborhoods prepare for disasters and is offered through many Emergency Management Offices.
     
    MYN will help you to:

    Learn the “9 Steps to Take Immediately Following a Disaster” to secure your home and to protect your neighborhood. It is hard to think clearly following disaster and these steps will help you to quickly and safely take actions that can minimize damage and protect lives.

    Identify the Skills and Equipment each neighbor has that would be useful in an effective disaster response. Knowing which neighbors have supplies and skills helps your disaster response be timely, and allows everyone to contribute to the response in a meaningful way.

    Create a Neighborhood Map identifying the locations of natural gas and propane tanks for quick response if needed.

    Create a Contact List that helps identify those with specific needs such as elderly, disabled, or children who may be home alone during certain hours of the day.

    Work together as a team to evaluate your neighborhood during the first hour following a disaster and take the necessary actions.

    http://www.emd.wa.gov/myn/index.shtml
     

  •   •   about 15 years ago

    This is great for a responder but we want to make families and communities aware and more educated prior to the disaster. How is mapping going to prepare them for a tornado or a flood. They know where they live and 911 GPS can locate them. Planning is a different concept to making an individual understand they need to depend on themselves for a disaster not others to be more resilent following the disaster.

  •   •   about 15 years ago

    92% of the world has no safety plan at home, 97% doesn't know what to do after a disaster.
    What is Emergency Preparedness? Understanding the potential threats and hazards to you and your family and making plans in advance in how you will deal with them 
    A family emergency plan answers questions. It engages the families in a simple and easy to understand way,making a family activity fun
    YES THAT SIMPLE
    What is so hard about that ?
     

  •   •   about 15 years ago

    The ugliest thing I witnessed after hurricane Katrina was how the impacted people reacted. 600,000 personal cars, suv's, and trucks left the area without giving a ride to a single person stranded or carless, trapped by a lack of transportation to evacuate with. Everyone with and without personal transportation were in the exact same emergency, but only those with their own cars got out safely. What was insulting to me was the fact that those with personal cars blamed things like school buses, etc; were not used to transport the evacuees they turned down, and that their personal computers, tv's, clothing, etc; loaded in their passenger seats were more important than their neighbors in the same emergency situation. I think this is another call for improving the community buildings and structures in preparation for huricanes and all natural disasters.

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