GIS helps track special needs residents
Linn County, Iowa, has a large and growing special needs population, primarily made up of residents over age 65. Many have medical or mobility concerns that could cause them to have problems during emergencies. The county also has a nuclear power plant, and that combination has caused its emergency management officials some concern.
They decided that, if a county can use GIS to map its trees and fire hydrants, it ought to be able to use it to map its special needs residents. They were already one step up. Because of the presence of the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC), Iowa’s only nuclear power plant, the Linn County Emergency Management Agency, in partnership with Alliant Energy, DAEC’s operator, had developed a Special Needs Registration Program (SNRP) that identifies and maps the homes of residents who may need assistance in an emergency.
DAEC’s presence also meant that the county, by law, had created a Metropolitan Evacuation Plan (MEP), which was designed to help handle nuclear emergencies. Under the MEP, a map of the metropolitan area was broken down into sub-areas, and those were subdivided into smaller sectors along major identifiable landmarks, primarily major streets. A professional cartographer had digitized the map, which had been added to the county’s GIS program.
In January 2000, the Linn County Emergency Management Agency used GIS to combine the two programs. Using postage-paid cards, emergency management officials collected such basic information as name, address, phone number and brief descriptions of any special needs, then created a database of special needs residents who live within 10 miles of the power plant. The local Red Cross chapter assisted in identifying potential registrants and distributing cards. The service is free and confidential, and no doctor’s statement is needed to qualify. Currently, 1,100 people are registered in the program.
Once the registration cards are returned, the information is entered into a database. The database is part of the Emergency Management Agency’s GIS, which places the registrants’ location on a computer-generated map of the MEP. The map gives emergency personnel a snapshot of the residents in need, assisting in the evaluation of the need for extra resources or staffing levels.
Having information about location and types of needs/challenges for residents helps the emergency management staff ensure that plans and resources remain at adequate levels of readiness. The staff can identify those in danger by using the database and GIS maps instead of waiting for 911 calls. Having the information in advance saves time in a crisis and allows a more efficient use of limited resources.
The information is compiled on an ongoing basis, and detailed maps are distributed to response department commanders periodically. The emergency information maps are published in the telephone book and provided to local radio and television stations.
The financing for the $14,000 project was obtained through the EMA budget and through a Hazardous Material Emergency Planning grant from the State Emergency Response Committee. The SNRP cost between $5,000 and $6,000, most of that for printing the cards. The county paid $2,000 to develop the evacuation maps and another $5,000 to reproduce and distribute them. The $3,500 cost for the GIS software and computer system for both programs was financed by the DAEC.
