This image shows the Debris Removal Overview from the Columbia County field survey crews during Hurricane Irma in September 2017. The status of service requests and work orders are labeled to assist crews in efficiently addressing storm damage. Image: courtesy of Columbia County, Ga.
The status of work orders throughout the county is visible through this Esri Web App, documented through Cityworks and ArcGIS OnlineWeb Maps, for clear and effective management of service requests. Image: courtesy of Columbia County, Ga.
for user groups based on task responsibilities,” Howard said. “AGOL was the primary platform for the centralization of 911, 311, fire rescue, and crew-based reporting of events during the storm.” A few months later, when Hurricane Irma started to chart its course, so did Columbia County. It was time to see if the improvements made during the spring storm were sufficient to respond to a large hurricane. Preplanning by the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) included more than 60 personnel and processes from throughout the county, including Administration, the Sheriff’s Office, Roads and Bridges, Traffic Engineering, and Water Utility. Citizen communication tools, such as Code Red and various forms of media, also were engaged. Support groups were identified, and GIS-based systems were put into place for data input, data distribution, and post-event information reporting and distribution for each of these divisions. The county also customized the Esri data model for Emergency Management and Public Safety to integrate with the county’s enterprise GIS platform. The ability of the Enterprise GIS to distribute the most current centralized information to multiple map and app interfaces allowed a diverse toolset to be utilized based on user responsibility. An Operations Dashboard was set up to monitor shelter status, while Drone2Map and the countywide Cityworks AMS integration were being leveraged to pull these aspects into one system. Drone2Map for ArcGIS streamlined drone imagery for visualization and analysis in ArcGIS. A Columbia County EOC GIS Hub provided a central location for accessing the various tools, clearly defining them and making them accessible to all authorized users. The initial activation took place with mission-critical staffing, which moved into phased staffing as Irma
approached. As the storm made landfall, the county was able to be fully staffed and operational. All activity could be managed via the Operations Dashboard from incidents in the field to shelter status. Absorbing the hit When Hurricane Irma hit Columbia County, the team’s preparation paid off. As calls came in, they were entered as service requests and converted into work orders. Crews were then dispatched to address traffic, roads, bridges, water utility, and stormwater utility issues throughout the county. As each call was dispatched, it was classified into the active list; when the work was completed, it would move to the completed list. Information was made public regarding the status of infrastructure, roadways closed, power outages, and the status of the local shelters. During the first 24 hours of the event, the county reported that 257 work orders were created. Each was displayed in Cityworks and AGOL Web Maps for clear and effective management. As crews identified locations and areas from call reports, these sites were checked and assessed to determine removal activities and to monitor work activities. Areas along state routes were identified for department of transportation notification. Drone2Map software for UAS inspections proved to be a reliable tool for rapid assessment of damaged and unsafe areas with downed power lines and inaccessible roads. Imagery collected of county facilities before the storm allowed comparison with re-flight inspections to delineate rooftop damages and identify infrastructure damage, such as wash-outs in the storm drain system.
55
february 2018
csengineermag.com
Made with FlippingBook Annual report