Configure Emergency Management Operations

Emergency Management Operations can be used to manage incident operations and maintain situational awareness during emergency response and recovery phases.

In this topic, you'll learn how to configure the Emergency Management Operations solution to meet specific needs in your organization.

Load data

The Emergency Management Operations solution includes a series of facility layers needed to support emergency response activities:

  • Emergency Facilities—Police and fire
  • Industrial Facilities—Factories, utilities
  • Commercial Facilities—Shopping centers and businesses
  • Medical Facilities—Hospitals and clinics
  • Educational Facilities—Schools

In some cases, you may already have this information in ArcGIS or another mapping system. Review the layers provided with the solution and determine what source data you want to load. If you do not have an inventory of facility information in your ArcGIS organization, you may have them in a spreadsheet or another system you can export to a spreadsheet. Once you have created a spreadsheet for each facility type, you can load the data into the facility layers provided with the solution.

Load data from a spreadsheet

To load your facility data from a spreadsheet, complete the following steps:

  1. If necessary, sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
  2. At the top of the site, click Content.
  3. On the My Content tab, type  Emergency Management Operations in the search box.
  4. Under  Item Type, click Layers, then click Feature Layers.
    Note:

    Some of the feature layers have a suffix added such as public. These are layer views of the of the original source feature layer. These layer views are used to share information with the public without showing all the details or allowing the public to edit the layers. The original source layers do not have a suffix.

  5. Click the title of the original source layer into which you want to load data to view the item details.
  6. Click Update Data, then click Append Data to Layer.
  7. Under Filename, choose your spreadsheet.
  8. Click Upload, then click Continue.
  9. Click Show field matching to match the fields from the spreadsheet to the fields in the selected feature layer.
  10. After you have matched the fields, click Apply Updates.
  11. Click the Data tab on the banner of the item page to confirm your data has loaded successfully.
Tip:

To make additional updates to a hosted feature layer, see Append data to layers.

Configure Public Information app

The Public Information app can be used by the public to review authoritative information and understand the status of an incident or event. National Weather Service feeds can be shared in the app and directions to the nearest facility enabled so users can quickly find the facility they are looking for.

Share weather feeds

Follow the steps below to share National Weather Service layers from the ArcGIS Living Atlas with the public.

  1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Public Information app.
  2. On the app item page, click Edit Application.
  3. On the Attribute tab, click Subscriber content access.
  4. Select the ArcGIS Living Atlas layers to allow the public to access them through your subscription.
  5. Click Save.

Configure directions

Optionally, the Public Information app can be configured to provide directions to the nearest facility.

This configuration draws routes and provides directions using the ArcGIS Online World Route Service. This service requires authorization to consume premium content as it consumes credits. Learn more about credit usage when creating simple routes.

Follow the steps below to enable directions.

  1. If necessary, sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Public Information app.
  2. Open the item page and click Configure App.

    Close the Welcome to the App Setup Page splash page, if necessary.

  3. On the Contents (dark) toolbar, click Full Setup.
  4. Click Nearby > Results Panel and turn on the Show directions toggle button.
  5. Check the check box next to the Local Incidents, Open Shelters and Road Blocks layers.
  6. Click Publish.
  7. Click Confirm.

    The Authorize premium content window appears indicating the number of credits consumed.

  8. Click Authorize.
  9. Click Launch.

Modify volunteer survey

The Emergency Management Operations solution includes a Emergency Response Volunteer Survey that can be used by the general public to volunteer for emergency response activities. Review the preconfigured questions and align the survey with your organizational policies and desired outcomes.

To modify the Emergency Response Volunteer Survey, complete the following steps:

  1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Emergency Response Volunteer Survey.
  2. Open the item page and click Open in Survey 123 > Manage in Survey123 website.
  3. Click the Design tab.
  4. Make your edits to the survey and save the changes.
  5. Click Publish twice.

Configure emergency response site

The Emergency Management Operations solution includes the Emergency Response ArcGIS Hub site that your organization can configure with your branding and use to share emergency information with the public.

Update with organizational information

After deploying the Emergency Management Operations solution, the Emergency Response site layout only requires a few updates to fit your local context. Consider what information you already have and what you can most easily find. To update your site, complete the following steps:

  1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Emergency Response site.
  2. Open the item page and click Configure App.
  3. Click the edit button Edit to open the site editor.
  4. In the title section of the site, click the edit button, click Edit in HTML, and the update the text below to reflect the message you want promote with the community.
    <span><strong>Flood Warning</strong> in effect. More than 5" of rain expected in next 24 hours. Visit the Emergency Map for more information on local road closures.</span>
    Note:

    To remove the animated banner when a warning period has expired or there is nothing to report. Edit the Damage Assessment and then edit the row where the text is animated. In the Row CSS Class you will see the word warning, remove this text to disable the animation. When you are ready to enable the animated banner, add warning to the CSS class and modify the message.

  5. In the title section, click the edit button, click Edit in HTML, and them update the Statistics section listed under the title of the website.

    The Road Closures, and Evacuation Notices statistics cards are linked to the layers used in the Public Information map. These stats automatically update as incident information is maintained using the Emergency Management Operations solution.

  6. Scroll to the Statistics section listed under the title of the website.

    The Road Closures, and Evacuation Notices statistics cards are linked to the layers used in the Public Information map. These stats automatically update as incident information is maintained using the Emergency Management Operations solution.

  7. Scroll to the Newsroom section, hover over each card and click edit pencil Edit.
  8. Click the Find a Shelter button and click Edit.
  9. Enter the URL to your Shelter Locator, if available, in the Link Destination text box and click Add Link.
  10. In the Damage Assessment section, click the Learn More button and click Edit.
  11. Enter the URL to your damage assessment site, if available, in the Link Destination text box and click Add Link.
  12. Scroll to the Apply Now section, hover over the card and click edit pencil.
  13. In the Debris Removal section, click the Learn More button and click Edit.
  14. Enter the URL to your emergency debris management site or application, if available, in the Link Destination text box and click Add Link.
  15. Scroll to the Frequently Asked Questions section, hover over the card and click the edit pencil, and update the questions and answers.
  16. On the side panel, click Footer.

    A custom footer is already provided, and in most cases, it needs to be updated with your organization's branding, contact information, and social media references.

  17. Click the HTML text box.

    The HTML window appears.

  18. Make the necessary changes and click Apply.
  19. Click Save.

Share items with public

Several layer views, maps and apps included in the Emergency Management Operations solution must be shared with everyone so they can be accessed by the public on the Emergency Response site. To share your public emergency response items with everyone, use the guide below and complete the following steps:

  1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Emergency Management Operations folder.
  2. Check the check box next to each of the items below:

    ItemName

    Feature Layer (hosted, view)

    EmergencyShelters_public

    Feature Layer (hosted, view)

    Evacuations_active_public

    Feature Layer (hosted, view)

    IncidentLocations_active_public

    Feature Layer (hosted, view)

    RoadClosures_active_public

    Web Map

    Public Information

    Web Mapping Application

    Public Information

    Feature Layer (hosted, view)

    EmergencyResponseVolunteer_fieldworker

    Form

    Emergency Response Volunteer Survey

    Site Application

    Emergency Response
  3. Click Share.
  4. In the Share window, click Everyone (public) and click Save.

    Warning: Sharing editable layers publicly appears notifying that you are sharing editable layers publicly.

  5. Click Update.