Emergency and Disaster Management

Build resilience, respond, and recover with real-time GIS technology

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Focusing efforts to mitigate the impacts and protect against the complex threats and hazards in today's modern world requires a deeper understanding of the social, economic, and environmental systems around us. Emergency managers use geographic information system (GIS) technology with data-driven insights to better prepare and help their communities respond and recover from significant events.

  • Build resilience with data-driven insight

    Understand, identify, and build strategies that mitigate natural hazards and human-caused threats using the science of geography. Using GIS, areas of risk and vulnerability are highlighted by combining critical infrastructure, hazard, and demographics data into a single map.

  • Respond with real-time information

    Anticipate needs during rapidly changing conditions with real-time dashboards that aid critical decision-making and maximize the effectiveness of emergency management operations. GIS builds shared situational awareness across response teams, stakeholders, and the public.

  • Reestablish lifelines with mobile tools

    Conduct damage assessments, build a reporting database, and monitor debris removal with field data collecting and reporting applications. Using GIS expedites response and recovery efforts, monitors the status of community lifelines, and helps you communicate recovery resources to the public.

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Mapping disaster response

A natural disaster can hit at any moment. For search and rescue teams, the first hours after the event are critical. The ability to gain situational awareness by gathering information quickly and efficiently is key to saving lives. 

Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) staff members explain how collected aerial imagery helped create vital GIS maps that visualized Hurricane Ian’s impact and guided emergency responders to find those in need of rescue faster than ever before.

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Real-Time Emergency Management Operations ebook

The ever-expanding role of emergency managers requires systems and solutions that help agencies provide quick response to frequent and systemic threats and hazards. Esri's emergency management operations solutions provide a set of real-time, configurable apps designed to support your mission-critical decision-making. Maintain situational and operational awareness, quickly analyze the incident impact, assess the damage, deploy resources, and engage the public with GIS maps built to scale.

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Esri Disaster Response Program (DRP)

Esri was founded to help solve some of the world's most difficult problems. For over 25 years, the Esri DRP has provided GIS support to our users and the global community during disasters and crises of all types and sizes.

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ArcGIS software

Temporarily extend existing licenses or gain access to ArcGIS, the world's leading GIS technology, to support GIS requirements during a disaster response.

Workflow implementation

Discover modern capabilities to support disaster response. We can implement or help you configure battle-tested solutions during your response.

Geospatial data

Respond with incident-specific data—such as real-time weather, traffic, hazards, infrastructure information, and demographics—from the response community and private sector.

Technical support

Gain access to our industry-leading premium support services. A dedicated team of professionals is ready to address any question or issue related to ArcGIS technology.

Upcoming events

Stay up-to-date on trends, technology, and best practices related to GIS in public safety.

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Emergency Management Community

View the latest GIS news, user stories, and resources for emergency management professionals. 

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Supporting initiatives across public safety

Disaster Response Program (DRP)

Request immediate assistance for an active emergency response or find out how we help when disaster strikes.

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Public safety federal funding options

Real-time situational awareness

Special event management

Health and human crisis

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