Enhancing Haz Mat Response with Esri GIS: Tools, Data, and Applications

Mike Cox, Director of Fire, Rescue, and EMS for Esri and 31-year fire service veteran including 24 years as a Haz Mat Specialist for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management will present how hazardous material (Haz Mat) incidents pose significant threats to life, property, and the environment. Effective response to such incidents requires timely and accurate information, coordination, and communication among various stakeholders. Geographic information systems (GIS) can provide a powerful platform for Haz Mat response, enabling spatial analysis, visualization, and sharing of relevant data and information. This presentation will demonstrate how GIS can support Haz Mat response in various aspects, such as:

Assessing the potential impacts of Haz Mat releases on human health and the environment, using tools such as the EPA Environmental Justice Application, the FEMA RAPT Tool, and the FEMA National Risk Index.
Planning and executing evacuation and shelter-in-place operations, using data such as traffic, road closures, population density, and critical facilities.
Understanding the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the affected communities, using data from the Esri Living Atlas, such as income, education, race, ethnicity, language, and health.
Achieving incident objectives such as life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation, using data such as Haz Mat locations, sources, types, quantities, and properties.
Protecting the environment using data such as land use, land cover, hydrology, ecology, and climate.
Collaborating and communicating with other responders and stakeholders, using applications such as ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Dashboards, ArcGIS StoryMaps, and ArcGIS Survey123.
The presentation will also highlight the benefits and challenges of using Esri GIS for Haz Mat response, as well as the best practices and recommendations for its implementation. The presentation will be useful for Haz Mat responders, managers, planners, analysts, and educators who are interested in leveraging Esri GIS to enhance their capabilities and performance.