Guidebook on Integrating GIS in Emergency Management at Airports (2013)

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P a r t I Overview

7 As airspace and aircraft surface management demands increase, emergency management (EM) responsibilities and requirements become more complex and demanding. In many cases, the responsibilities imposed on airport operators and emergency responders continue to rise, while access to, and timeliness of critical information remains as it always has been. Even when information is available, the accuracy of the information can be questionable. Too often, available information is not keeping up with the increase in EM operations demand. If trends hold true, the gap will continue to increase over time, creating a risk to EM operation efficiencies and effectiveness. A geographic information system (GIS) can be a productive tool to enhance EM and signifi- cantly reduce the gap in information flow and accuracy. Although airport operators have begun to recognize the benefits of GIS and EM integration, many of these installations have not been accomplished without significant challenges, including costs. Considering these challenges and the dependence of airports on their mutual aid partners, the integration and implementation of GIS must be thoughtfully planned and coordinated with them, as system requirements and protocols are determined. Purpose The purpose of this Guidebook is to provide a comprehensive and user friendly resource tool for airport operators to uncover the various aspects that need to be addressed when considering the use of GIS in EM at an airport. To fulfill this purpose, at its core the Guidebook provides a roadmap process on how to start and manage a GIS-EM integration initiative. As a starting point, this Guidebook provides a brief overview of the use of GIS in EM in general, with an emphasis on best practices and lessons learned. It should be noted that the Guidebook does not attempt to define a comprehensive EM operation, but to address those EM activities and related key tasks and responsibilities as they are applicable to an airport. Regardless of the size of the initiative, applying a quality project management approach is necessary to ensure that desired objectives will be realized. This Guidebook is not intended to present basic project management techniques, but will provide the reader with key project management attributes, as captured in the process roadmap, that should be addressed through a standard project lifecycle and beyond. Research Approach This Guidebook on Integrating GIS in Emergency Management at Airports was developed in response to ACRP Project 04-11, initiated by TRB. C h a p t e r 1 Introduction

8 Guidebook on Integrating GIS in emergency Management at airports The information to develop the content of this Guidebook was collected through various methods of research, including literature research, interviews, conference workshops, and case studies. This was done to provide a guideline based on industry best practices. Non-aviation entities were included in the research, and information useful for this Guidebook is included where there was a considerable potential to apply those best practices to an airport setting. Intended Audience of the Guidebook Every effort was made to develop an easy-to-use resource that is useful to airport leaders involved in operations and/or EM operations. This includes but is not limited to airport operations, airport emergency management, airport emergency responders, and airport executives. This Guidebook was prepared and structured with the various levels of maturity of GIS in EM at airports in mind, as well as the organizational situations an airport might be in and the potential for the existence of more than one GIS. Therefore, a reader with a small airport that relies on GIS data and EM support from a local municipality to which it belongs as well as a reader with a large airport that may be part of a port authority with a mature GIS and its own onsite EM support can both benefit equally from this Guidebook. How to Use the Guidebook This Guidebook includes the following four parts: • Part I—Overview serves as an introduction to the Guidebook. Chapter 1, Introduction, covers the purpose, scope, intended audience, and how to use the Guidebook. Chapter 2, Clarification of GIS and EM Definitions, discusses how this Guidebook uses various definitions and terminologies relating to the topic. • Part II—How to Start and Manage a GIS-EM Integration Initiative at an Airport presents the main content of the Guidebook. In five chapters, the roadmap flowcharts directing this content cover the five stages of a GIS-EM initiative: vision, resources, launch, develop and implement, and progress and enhance. Part II also discusses the various tools used throughout these stages. • Part III—Model GIS-EM Integration Plan provides an easy-to-use, pre-formatted plan con- taining all of the necessary tools discussed in Part II. This plan especially assists those readers who represent airports that have not integrated GIS with EM, or that have had difficulties getting an initiative off the ground. • Part IV—Appendices offers additional information and includes – Glossary of terms and acronyms; – GIS-EM integrations at airports, including their benefits, opportunities, and best practices; – Complete case study reports; – Additional exhibits; and – Frequently asked questions (FAQs). Roadmap Exhibit 1-1 captures the GIS-EM integration concept overview roadmap. This roadmap serves as the conceptual foundation and highlights the result and accomplishment of each stage from an executive point of view. Each stage is discussed in detail in its own chapter, and each chapter opens with a modified version of this roadmap. As the reader progresses through the five chapters corresponding to

Introduction 9 these five stages, the roadmap builds with detailed steps and tasks, until a fully completed roadmap is developed at the end of Chapter 7. As additional initiatives and/or improvements to existing initiatives are considered, the roadmap brings the reader back to previous stages as new project management efforts are about to be engaged. Tools Throughout the chapter discussions, numerous tools are provided and discussed. Since each airport is at a different level of GIS-EM maturity, the reader can “pick and choose” those tools applicable to the airport’s situation and assemble an integration plan tailored to the reader’s specific needs. Some tools contain sample content in italics. This sample data does not reflect real values, it merely aims to improve understanding and assist the reader in making best use of each tool while developing an integration plan. Some tools have descriptive instructions to further assist the reader in getting the most out of the tool. Full-page, ready-to-fill-out versions of the tools are provided in various appendices in Part III of the Guidebook. Icons This Guidebook makes use of the three icons to further aid the reader as shown in Exhibit 1-2. Exhibit 1-1. GIS-EM integration concept overview roadmap.

10 Guidebook on Integrating GIS in emergency Management at airports TOOL This icon indicates a tool or worksheet to be used by the reader in preparing a GIS-EM integration plan. TIP Throughout the Guidebook, valuable hints are indicated with this icon. INFO This icon identifies useful material that provides additional information about a discussed concept. Exhibit 1-2. Guidebook icons.

11 This chapter defines the GIS and EM terminology as it is used throughout this Guidebook. The glossary in Appendix A provides additional terms and acronyms. GIS GIS comprises the hardware, software, and infrastructure used for the collection, manage- ment, analysis, and presentation of geospatial data. Geospatial data are the data that identify geographic locations of features (such as hydrants and runway boundaries) and the tabular data related to the location. Geospatial data are primarily represented in a map format with symbols, icons, and text providing feature information. A GIS can be extremely flexible in its use and, therefore, the volume and detail of informa- tion stored and the processes used to sustain it can be very complex. The “maturity” of a GIS is therefore the degree of complexity and the level a GIS established in its business environment. The factors of a mature GIS include • A large number of data layers, or major classes of spatial data, that exist in the system; • Multiple user groups; • Established and strictly followed procedures that exist for data updates and maintenance or application development; and • A high degree of spatial and tabular accuracy in all GIS data layers. Although a very mature GIS may exist in an organization, it could lack the data required to support a new function or application. GIS Technology GIS technology is available for many hardware and software configurations. Standalone desktop systems, multiuser client/server, mobile device connection and cloud-based services all exist and are used. GIS technology is commonly designed to integrate with multiple platforms and applications allowing management of the geospatial information in GIS and the related tabular data in a separate system, such as asset management, work order, financial, or business system. Emergency Management Emergency management is the comprehensive set of functions executed within its defined four phases that support an airport’s emergency operations. These phases are as follows: • Mitigation/Planning—sustained actions taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural or man-made hazards and their effects; C h a p t e r 2 Clarification of GIS and EM Definitions

12 Guidebook on Integrating GIS in emergency Management at airports • Preparedness—processes to sustain and improve operational capability to prevent, respond, and recover from emergency incidents; • Response—immediate actions taken to contain, reduce, or prevent further impact of an incident on the public and environment; and • Recovery—the long-term activities required to return all airport operations to a normal state after incident or emergency response has contained an incident. Within each of these phases, there are functions performed by a variety of entities that support an airport’s emergency operations. These entities exist in locations on the airport premises or outside of the airport boundaries, including along coast lines. These entities may operate within the airport’s authority, as a peer organization within a government organization, through a mutual agreement, or through a relationship developed between the airport and external emergency response organizations. These organizations are typically referred to as mutual aid partners, and generally include • Aircraft rescue and fire fighting (on-airport only); • Law enforcement (on/off airport); • Fire (on/off airport); • Emergency medical services, which may or may not be a part of fire (on/off airport); and • EM agencies (on/off airport). Also, while not a conclusive list, other organizations that may engage in and support an airport’s emergency operations are • FAA, • National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), • Transportation Security Administration (TSA), • Immigration and Customs/Customs and Border Protection (ICE/CBP), • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), • Airlines, • City/county/state agencies, • Red Cross, • Salvation Army, • Air Marshals, • Air National Guard, • U.S. Coast Guard, • Harbor patrols. Emergency Management Technology The need to enhance communication between the organizations responding (incident command, operations centers, remote stakeholders, government officials, news media, and the public) presents an opportunity to deliver answers using a wide array of GIS-related technologies. However, the technologies alone do not address EM requirements, but rather provide a foundation to build on using GIS information. Therefore, when GIS is used in EM, applications are generally developed according to the specific requirements needed to meet the objectives of the organization. For example, GIS is often integrated with computer-aided dispatch systems in emergency response organizations, to process or present the nearest available vehicle for an incident response. Today, technology initiatives in the field have been seen in the following: • Interactive mapping software; • GIS mapping capability on mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.);

Clarification of GIS and eM Definitions 13 • Web-based communications; • High-definition scanners; • Data transformation software; • Ground surveillance radar; • Photography integration, including light detection and ranging (LIDAR); • Communication and reporting through business intelligence software; and • Transponders (low/high/ultrahigh frequencies) in use with automated vehicle identification and location. Additional information on these technologies is provided in Appendix I, Frequently Asked Questions.