Emergency operations intelligence fusion

Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, and Ike have revealed a deficiency in the ability to coordinate multiple agencies during the relief effort in both pre and post landfall events. The lack of a common operational picture (COP) has limited the ability of a unified effort in disaster response. The solution which can overcome the obstacles of communication interoperability and rapid dissemination of data to all involved agencies is a fully interactive web based mapping tool. The bases for the map is to utilize the wealth of information in the form of Web Feature Service (WFS)and Web Mapping Services (WMS) being supplied by both government agencies and commercial providers, such as, NOAA, NTSB, and utility suppliers. Coupling this information with the positions of resources, critical infrastructure, and incident reporting will yield a visual aide that allows coordination and the ability to quickly identify mission impacts and asset allocation. This web based application presents another capability in that it creates a network centric environment. Web basing allows any first responder with an internet access to become a sensor and provide additional intelligence to enhance relief efforts. The result is better resource management, faster decision cycles, and more importantly a reduction in loss of life due to delay or indecision.