Leveraging GIS Data in Public Safety

In a world driven by data and technology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have emerged as powerful tools with applications spanning various sectors. From urban planning to environmental management, GIS data has proven its worth in enabling better decision-making and enhancing efficiency.  

One crucial area where GIS data is playing a transformative role is public safety. By leveraging the power of location-based information, public safety agencies can create safer communities and respond effectively to a wide range of incidents and emergencies.  

This article discusses the significance of GIS data in the realm of public safety and explores how it is shaping emergency response, the benefits and challenges of GIS, as well as CentralSquare’s solution to enhanced mapping and GIS data management. 

Understanding GIS Data  

Understanding the role of GIS in public safety involves recognizing how your agency can leverage the data to enhance various aspects of public safety and emergency response. GIS technology integrates geographic data, spatial analysis and visualization tools to provide a comprehensive understanding of location-based information. 

When applied to public safety, GIS enables organizations to make informed decisions, improve response times and enhance overall community well-being. GIS data consists of three main components: 

1. Spatial Data – This component represents the physical aspects of a location, including maps, boundaries, and landmarks. For public safety, spatial data can include the precise locations of emergency incidents, crime incidents, fire hydrants, police stations, hospitals and more. 

1. Attribute Data – Attribute data includes non-spatial information linked to specific locations. In public safety, this could involve demographic data, crime statistics, types of hazards, population density and other relevant information that provides context to spatial data. 

1. Temporal Data – Temporal data involves the time aspect of information, enabling organizations to track changes over time. In public safety, temporal data might include incident timestamps, historical crime patterns and real-time tracking of emergencies. 

Enhancing Emergency Response Efforts 

 When it comes to responding to emergency situations, time is of the essence. From the moment someone calls 911, to coordinating dispatch and responders arriving at the scene, no second or resource can be wasted.  Having technology that gives you mapping data is necessary to maximize emergency response efforts.   

With GIS data, dispatchers can help response teams by providing real-time incident mapping, route optimization for responders and the ability to visualize incident scenes. Dispatchers can use GIS to allocate the closest resources to an incident, thereby reducing response times. 

This information is also helpful for crime analysis and predictive policing. Law enforcement agencies can identify crime hotspots, analyze crime trends, to allocate resources strategically. By mapping crime incidents over time, agencies can uncover patterns and develop effective crime prevention strategies. 

There is also the matter of disaster management and planning. GIS assists in disaster preparedness by creating hazard maps, identifying vulnerable areas and planning evacuation routes. Post-disaster, GIS aids in damage assessment, helping agencies allocate resources effectively. 

The Challenges of GIS 

While GIS data enhances emergency response efforts, there are still challenges that persist with managing and utilizing the information. Historically, GIS data has been stored in silos and not easily shared by departments, neighboring agencies and other jurisdictions.  

There are many different departments in a municipality gathering important GIS data that can be useful to other agencies. Whether it’s a collaboration between the fire department and public works, or even streets and sanitation, communities need interoperability across disciplines.    

There are also issues with inaccurate or outdated GIS data that can lead to misguided decisions. Management and keeping up-to-date records can also be a slow manual process.  

Additionally, depending on where your community is located, there are challenges with connectivity in rural areas accessing offline information. 

Atlas Enterprise CAD 

Atlas is a new dispatch mapping platform in our Enterprise CAD system that is designed to address the challenges in optimizing, managing and sharing GIS data.  

This solution addresses the issues agencies experience with GIS such as slow updates, lack of connectivity and not being able to share information across organizations. 

The power of the technology is that it is already built into CentralSquare’s CAD system. Atlas is an integrated solution that enhances the Enterprise CAD system and takes your agency’s operations to the next level with faster and more accurate dispatch.  

An added benefit of Atlas is that the user interface is specifically designed to provide a consistent mapping experience across multiple CentralSquare products. Our technology is made for the end-user to be functional for your team.  

Learn More About CentralSquare’s Solution 

GIS data’s role in public safety cannot be overstated. From guiding emergency responses to predicting crime patterns and aiding disaster management, its impact is far-reaching.  

The ability to visualize, analyze and act upon geospatial information empowers agencies to save lives and create safer communities. As technology evolves, the potential for GIS data to revolutionize public safety will only grow. 

Learn more today about how your agency can leverage the power of GIS data by watching our free webinar for more information.