Thursday, October 24, 2013

Real Time Crisis Mapping Comes to San Francisco


San Francisco's SF72 initiative - an online social networking and informational hub designed to help the city's citizens prepare for the first 72 hours after a major disaster - has recently been joined by a companion product which will deliver disaster situational awareness via an online map viewer. Called Crisis Mode, this real-time geospatial interface is a joint effort of San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management and Google's charitable branch. As a way to promote awareness and familiarity for the public, the site has been enabled with information of value on a daily basis, such as traffic conditions and weather (use the "Layers" button in upper right corner of the map). More below:

(Emergency Management, October 21, 2013)



Comment: Kudos to all involved. This effort represents a significant advancement in emergency mapping. Rather than launching a site after a disaster strikes, this approach creates awareness about where to look for disaster information by also offering a capability that has value in everyday life. Furthermore, it is significant that during a disaster, a map will become the home page of San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management! I love it!

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