51 Payne’s long-term goal is to share direct access to the Situational Awareness Experience with Scott County’s first responders. If firefighters are on their way to a commercial fire, for example, they would know what’s inside and—if it’s a chemical—how it’s stored and whom to contact, as well as be able to make rough evacuation zone estimates. Having that knowledge at hand within a moment’s notice when emergency strikes is why the GIS team is among the very first to join the EOC staff alongside the county’s public information officers. “[The GIS team and the public information officers] are the two things we call in simultaneously every single time. Period. No questions asked, because everything is about, ‘What have I got? Where is it going, and what am I going to need?’” Payne said. “And everything is about public communication and then communication to the first responders. It’s imperative to be successful in any response, no matter what it is.” Because of Scott County’s proximity to a nuclear power plant, it must prepare for the possibility of a radiological event, shown here demonstrating the possible plume of radiation relative to the locations of vital locations including shelters, so emergency responders can better react and coordinate evacuations. In August 2020, a derecho tormented Scott County with wind and thunderstorms, leading to power outages that lasted for several days during sweltering heat. Payne and the GIS team worked on gathering information from federal sources to learn about vulnerable residents. Eventually, Payne and the team surveyed residents themselves to find out who might use items, such as a wheelchair or an oxygen tank, that are among 68 categories of health-care needs. The next time that type of event happened, the team wanted to be able to more quickly identify places, such as assistedliving communities, where the county’s most vulnerable populations live. At the time, the team didn’t have a good way to capture that data, store it, and leverage it. Now, the information is kept on a secure server at the county, ready to be accessed in the team’s Situational Awareness Experience app. When needed, the data can be pushed to first responders, sending them to specific addresses. Responders can be more prepared knowing how many people in an evacuation zone might need medical assistance and where they are. Keeping Communities Safe
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