In its simplest application, it's a convenience.
Global positioning systems or GPS technology can tell you where you are, direct you to where you're going and track the movement of anyone or anything that has a GPS receiver. It's available on most smart phones or through a dedicated GPS navigation device.
But in the hands of the region's emergency response agencies and geographic information system (GIS) data providers, it can be a lifesaver.
Location plus data
Every hospital, government office, licensed care facility, food distribution site and emergency supply source comes with pre-identified geographic coordinates – a location. And every neighborhood, downtown, main street, city and county in the region can be found on a map.
Together, the location data displayed on a map create a common operating picture that emergency response coordinators at the city, county, state or regional level can use to support a rapid, coordinated and informed response.
The base map of the region is provided by Metro's Regional Land Information System – the GIS data collected from partners at city and county jurisdictions and fused together by Metro's Data Resource Center.
Called BRIDGE, the GIS platform provides a web-based real-time view of available resources and incident information that helps keep emergency response teams and decision-makers informed. The data-driven platform means the map can be quickly updated for greater situational awareness and coordination of effort.
"This technology could not happen without the data provided by our regional partners," says Paul Couey, Data Resource Center manager. "Data sharing across jurisdictional boundaries has enormous advantages for the efficient management of the region's resources on a daily basis. But in the case of a local or national emergency, it provides the actionable information that can protect essential operations and save lives."
Coordinated response for everyday issues, large-scale emergencies
BRIDGE was developed with federal funding by Multnomah County's Office of Emergency Management and its partners including the Oregon departments of Administrative Services, Transportation, Environmental Quality and Emergency Management, plus FEMA and other regional agencies.
While currently being used by Multnomah County for analysis of everyday incidents requiring a response – busted water mains, hazardous material incidents, stalled cars on the interstate – it's primed with data for use by trained emergency management teams for a coordinated regional response to a natural disaster or other large-scale emergency.
Regional solution attracts federal notice
The power of the combination of GIS data and GPS technology is its simplicity and universality.
"The geographic aspect of GIS enables our regional partners to share and view each others’ data," says Dave Houghton, director of emergency management, Multnomah County. "GIS simplifies the process of using and sharing information from a variety of resources that we would normally not be able to see."
Built from the ground up for coordinated operation at the regional level, BRIDGE can easily be expanded with additional data from the State of Oregon to support a statewide response or – potentially – a national one.
But it will require more than just sharing data.
"Coordination across jurisdictions is not a simple process," says Cy Smith, statewide geographic information officer, Oregon Department of Administrative Services. "It often requires formal agreements between every agency involved. Those agreements define a governance structure that identifies roles and responsibilities for security, standards and decision-making. The product is a sustainable information infrastructure that makes government and its partners more efficient and effective."
Multnomah County Office of Emergency Management and its partner agencies from the state and Portland metropolitan area, secured federal grant funding to expand BRIDGE capabilities beyond Multnomah County.
"This is a development we're excited about," says Mike Hoglund, director of Metro's Research Center. "RLIS data was originally conceived to help create models for growth management and land use planning that created scenarios of what could be. Twenty years later, it's being used to display real-time scenarios of what is. In both cases, it helps people make decisions that impact the quality of life in the region."
The Data Resource Center supports the region's six desired outcomes by providing RLIS data to inform the decision-making that leads to vibrant communities, economic prosperity, safe and reliable transportation systems, and leadership on climate change.