Emergencies can happen anywhere, any time. In an emergency, every second counts. To improve emergency response at K-12 schools, U.S. states are passing legislations and providing funding for the creation of accurate digital floor plans for schools to share with first responders.
Esri’s indoor geographic information system (GIS) capabilities enable the creation, maintenance, sharing, and use of digital indoor maps that can enable faster emergency response and ensure compliance with state mandates.
Indoor Maps for K-12 School Emergency Response
Unfortunately, security threats at schools are a reality and can range from overcrowding, hostile caregivers, gas leaks, and natural disasters, to lockdown events. No matter the cause, it is critical to keep students safe where they show up every day to learn and grow. Therefore, it is important to respond to emergencies as efficiently as possible to limit the consequences as much as possible.
During a school incident, telecommunicators, first responders, and school safety personnel need quick and easy access to facility and building layouts to support their operations. They often rely on floor plans to orient themselves within the campus and to navigate buildings to locate individuals, facilitate evacuations, and address fires or other incidents.
However, according to school safety experts and law enforcement, these maps are often out of date and therefore unreliable. Consequently, telecommunicators, first responders, and school safety personnel may not have quick and ready access to shared information that enables interoperable communication and coordination when arriving on site. Lack of situational and location awareness can cause delays in response times. Safety binders that are often in use take too long to filter through to get the relevant information that would allow them to capture the situation and building layout.
Multiple US states are now passing legislations for K-12 schools to update and digitalize their campus maps and share them with local law enforcement. Esri, leading provider of GIS technology, can help schools meet this requirement. Most state and local governments use GIS in many ways and Esri products are commonly used in the public safety sector, so your local law enforcement and first responders may already be familiar with the ArcGIS suite of products.
Intuitive Map Creation and Maintenance
With ArcGIS Indoors, schools can transform their existing CAD or BIM facilities floor plans into interactive digital 2D or 3D maps. If there is no pre-existing floor plan, the map can be easily created and updated using an intuitive web application called Floor Plan Editor. As this app doesn’t require sophisticated CAD/BIM or GIS skills, school administrators or other staff can effortlessly maintain the map on their own.
In case the school decides to modify their building layout or repurpose some of the indoor space, such as turning a bigger classroom into two separate ones, it can be easily accounted for on the digital map by drawing up a new wall and renaming the spaces. That way, the map is up to date.
Providing a Common Operating Picture
Effective communication and information sharing are crucial for all stakeholders during an emergency. Indoor maps created with ArcGIS Indoors can provide schools and emergency responders with an immediate and up-to-date overview of the building layout as well as locations of:
- Site and roof access points, as well as building entrances and exits
- Rooms, stairwells, and amenities
- Hazardous areas, such as laboratories
- Occupants (staff and students)
- Lifesaving equipment, such as first aid kits, fire extinguishers and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
- Infrastructure systems
- Other points of interest
ArcGIS Indoors also offers tools to visualize indoor maps in both 2D and 3D formats. Additionally, 360-degree photos of the indoor spaces can be included to provide first responders with a realistic visualization. The map is accessible through desktop, web, and mobile applications and can be easily shared among school staff, local law enforcement, telecommunicators, and first responders. During an emergency, school staff can review the map on their mobile phones to locate important points of interest like first aid kits. Moreover, the map helps quickly identify optimal routes to specific points inside the building, facilitating efficient navigation.
Schools often have security cameras installed both inside and outside the building, which can be leveraged during emergencies. The live feed from these CCTV cameras can be integrated into a security monitoring dashboard, allowing for simultaneous visualization of multiple views, including 2D and 3D maps, video feeds, and the live locations of school staff.
Live Location Sharing
Using ArcGIS IPS for indoor positioning within ArcGIS Field Maps, staff can efficiently share their live locations with emergency responders. This real-time insight of number and locations of staff within the building provides responders with critical information needed for a more effective response coordination.
Conclusion
An interactive indoor map generated with ArcGIS Indoors along with indoor positioning enabled through ArcGIS IPS serve as a common operating picture for stakeholders, leading to increased situational awareness, enhanced coordination, and reduced response times. By providing a comprehensive and real-time view of the school building, you can significantly improve safety and security, ensuring that K-12 students and staff are better protected in an emergency.
Watch this video to learn how indoor maps can be easily created and updated with Indoors. Explore Indoor GIS resources and contact your Esri account representative to learn more about indoor mapping for schools.
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