Redlands, California—Esri and Witt O’Brien’s, LLC, have built a new GIS cloud service that will increase an organization’s capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from incidents. For the first time, emergency management personnel can visualize an integrated Incident Command System (ICS) through a common operational picture (COP) and systematically command, control, and coordinate multiagency emergency response. Esri is the world leader in GIS technology, and Witt O’Brien’s is the global leader in incident response management.
"The ability to communicate real-time situational awareness across both the incident management organization and those affected stakeholders is key to a successful response and recovery," said James Lee Witt, executive chairman of the board, Witt O’Brien’s. "The integration of our emergency response management technology solutions, coupled with Esri’s online GIS platform, will help our partners in government and the private sector better manage their response effort while enhancing collaboration across geographic and organizational boundaries."
First responders, government agencies, and private/commercial industries will have the combined ability to respond faster, control resources better, and generate timely incident reports accurately. The new COP will improve their vital communication and coordination capabilities and give them complete enterprise visibility.
"The integration of real-time information provided by Witt O’Brien’s ICS software with Esri’s GIS platform, via online services, will transform the future of incident management," said Jack Dangermond, president of Esri. "Already, Witt O’Brien’s and Esri’s advanced cloud service is proving itself within the oil and gas contingency planning and response theater. We expect this success to open up new possibilities that have positive implications across many other sectors of the incident management and response industry."
The combined technologies in the COP simplify the complex process of ICS and increase the agility and capabilities of managers dealing with disasters of various sizes and scopes. Witt O’Brien’s CommandPro automates emergency management processes. Esri’s ArcGIS Online platform provides users with access to fit-for-purpose maps and workflow-enabled apps (e.g., mobile). The integrated solution aligns real-time data with the systematic approach of ICS. An added value is that COP users can access Esri’s emergency management map templates, which incorporate adopted standards for spatial data and real-time incident management.
The prototype of the CommandPro and ArcGIS Online COP has been used for various high-profile projects and incidents. These include many oil and gas readiness projects in which the COP adhered to heightened government efforts for deep-water operations safety.
The CommandPro and ArcGIS Online COP will be announced during the Esri Petroleum GIS Conference in Houston, Texas, May 7–9, 2013.