How Emergency Markers & Rapidmap Software Improves Emergency Response in Open Spaces

The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) in Victoria is responsible for handling 000 calls and managing the dispatch of emergency services. However, open spaces, such as parks and reserves, can present challenges for emergency responders due to the lack of traditional addressing for remote bushland and beaches. To improve response times, the ESTA partnered with public land owners and managers and Victorian emergency service organisations to establish the emergency marker program. This program involves placing signs with unique identifiers and descriptive text-based instructions in public areas, which allows emergency call operators to pinpoint a caller’s exact location in seconds and give emergency services precise directions.

The implementation of the Emergency Marker Program requires an efficient data collection and spatial data management system. Initially, the data collection process involved collecting GPS coordinates and textural descriptions of marker locations, which were often inconsistent and subjective depending on individual styles. To address this, ESTA needed the Marker Data Collection Model to capture controlled standard information using a spatial technology-based system. RapidMap and the Summit Spatial Workforce management mapping software were chosen to apply Business Rules and QA to the data collection process to support recurring visits, revisions, and updates to the CAD intelligence.

Revisit and read the full article in Position Magazine by Spatial Source from the Oct/Nov 2010 Issue entitled “The Challenge of Victoria’s Open Spaces”.

Book an online meeting now to discover more about Emergency Markers and how efficient data collection and spatial data management can help improve emergency response times.