Configure Damage Assessment

Learn how to configure Damage Assessment to meet specific needs in your organization.

Manage active incidents

Over time you may experience several emergency incidents. Therefore, it will be important to name each incident so you will be able to track the damage assessments associated with each incident. The Damage Assessment Operations application can be used to create incident names.

To create an incident name so that all damage reports and assessments can be collected for each individual incident, complete the following steps:

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Damage Assessment Operations app.

   Note:

   The Damage Assessment Operations app can be used by emergency management staff to manage, monitor and administer damage assessments.

2. From the item page, click View.
3. In the header, click the Administer tab.

   The Administer Tools page opens with several administration tools.

4. On the Administer Tools page, review the instructions in the Manage Active Incidents section and click the Incident Names csv hyperlink.

   The IncidentNames item page opens. This item contains a CSV file that can be used to update as each new incident occurs.

5. Click Download.
6. In the Save as dialog box, browse to a folder location or accept the default location. Accept the default name.
7. Click Save.
8. Browse to and open the IncidentNames CSV file on your computer.
9. Add a new incident name in the first field.
10. Save and close the file.
11. From the item page, click Update Data.
12. Follow the steps in the Update data wizard to load your data.

    The new incident name has been added to the list of incidents and will appear on each survey when damage reports are collected. The Public Damage Report does not use the IncidentNames csv; to update incidents listed in the public report.

Modify surveys

The Damage Assessment solution includes four surveys: Public Damage Report, Individual Assistance Survey, Public Assistance Damage Inventory, and Public Assistance Survey. These surveys are all based largely upon FEMA PDA Guidebook. You can modify these surveys by adding your own questions or include logic to populate other values such as a Parcel Identification Number (PIN).

Tip:

The Damage Assessment Operations, Individual Assistance Survey, Public Assistance Survey and Public Assistance Damage Inventory forms are configured to provide address information and will consume credits using the ArcGIS World Geocoding Service. Learn more about credit usage when using the geocoding service.

Modify incident list

You may choose to limit the content of the Public Damage Report. For example, you may want the public to see only the current incident and not all incidents in the past.

To modify content in the Public Damage Report survey, complete the following steps:

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS Online organization and browse to the Public Damage Report form.
2. Install ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
3. Start ArcGIS Survey123 Connect and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
4. In the Download window, click Download and click OK.
5. Click Public Damage Report to download the survey.
6. Click Public Damage Report survey again to open the survey.
7. If a dialog appears indicating the XLSX form has changed, click Yes to continue.
8. On the left, from the side toolbar, click the XLSForm button.
9. At the bottom of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, click the choices tab.

   This tab comprises all the selectable options for survey questions.

10. In the name and label columns, update the Incident list to reflect the incidents you want in the public report.
11. Save and close the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and preview your changes in ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
12. In ArcGIS Survey123 Connect, in the left toolbar, click Publish to publish your changes.
13. Click Publish survey to publish your changes, and then click OK.

Note:

If a warning window appears, keep Update the following field aliases when publishing toggle button off and click Publish Survey and then click OK.

Populate parcel information

Note:

This workflow is optional and doesn't need to be completed to work with the solution.

Parcel information can be used to link damage assessments to home ownership. The parcel information can then be included in each damage report. You can also use other boundary or jurisdiction data to populate your survey as long as you have the boundary data published as web layer.

To include parcels in surveys, complete the following steps:

1. Start ArcGIS Survey123 Connect and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
2. Click Individual Assistance Survey to download the survey.
3. In the Download window, click Download and click OK.
4. Click Individual Assistance Survey again to open the survey.
5. On the toolbar at the bottom, click the Scripts tab.
6. In the myJSFunctions.js window, go to line number 7. file find the following line: https://services.arcgis.com/15kuuRedeiUAOfF5pwAerered/arcgis/rest/services/YourParcelLayer/FeatureServer/0
7. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to your parcel feature layer.
8. From the item page, in the URL section, click Copy.
9. Replace the default URL (https://services.arcgis.com/15kuuRedeiUAOfF5pwAerered/arcgis/rest/services/YourParcelLayer/FeatureServer/0) with your parcel layer URL you just copied.
10. On the right, click Save to save the script.
11. On the left, from the side toolbar, click the XLSForm button.
12. In Excel spreadsheet, in the calculator column, scroll to 108 (parcelid).
13. Add the following logic in the cell: pulldata("@json",${json},"attributes.PARCEL_NO")
14. Update the Parcel_NO value to the name of the field that represents your parcel identifier from the feature layer.
15. Save and close the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and preview your changes in ArcGIS Survey123 Connect.
16. In ArcGIS Survey123 Connect, in the left toolbar, click Publish to publish your changes.
17. Click Publish survey to publish your changes, and then click OK.

Note:

If a warning window appears, keep Update the following field aliases when publishing toggle button off and click Publish Survey and then click OK.

Tip:

Mobile workers face the challenge of collecting accurate information in the field. After a disaster, reference data such as parcel boundaries can help ensure accurate data collection. It can also help mobile workers navigate to assigned location so the correct information can be captured. To add authoritative data such as parcel boundaries, or address points to the survey in your map, add the reference layers to the Individual Assistance Survey or Public Assistance Survey map and save it. You'll see these layers in the survey map.

Configure Damage Assessment Operations

The Damage Assessment Operations app allows the damage assessment coordinator to manage, monitor and administer damage assessments. This app can be configured to make the management and administration process easier by adding and updating mobile workers and modifying a help page included with the app.

Add mobile workers

The Damage Assessment Operations app allows the damage assessment coordinator to assign reports to field personnel to conduct the damage assessments. The damage assessment coordinator can type in the username to assign the assessment. However, a more efficient way to manage the process is to maintain a list of mobile workers so that you can follow up with them if necessary. This can also be used as a predefined list of users to make it easier to select the name instead of typing.

To add or update the list of mobile workers, complete the following steps:

1. Verify you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the IndividualAssistance feature layer.
2. From the item details page, click the Data tab.
3. Click Fields.
4. Search for Assigned To and click the Assigned To field.
5. Click Create List.
6. For Label and Code enter values that represent the ArcGIS Online username.

   Note:

   The Code field value needs to match the ArcGIS Online username. The Label field value can be a user-friendly name or also be the username.

7. Repeat the previous step to add all the usernames that are supporting operations for your active incident.
8. Click Save.

   Now when assigning users in the Damage Assessment Operations app, you will be able to select mobile workers from a drop-down list, which will help ensure assignments are correctly being made.

9. Repeat the above steps for the PublicAssistance feature layer.

   Note:

   In the Damage Assessment Operations app, the Manage Damage Reports tab includes a drop-down list when you select submitted records that can be used to easily assign users. This requires the list for both the IndividualAssistance and PublicAssistance mobile workers be identical.

Configure the Damage Assessment site

The Damage Assessment solution includes the ArcGIS Hub Damage Assessment site. This site can be configured with your organization's branding and used to share information with the public.

The following sections will help you update the site with your organizational information.

Prepare images for the Damage Assessment site

To create QR codes for the Damage Assessment site internal destination page, complete the following steps:

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and click the Apps button in the header of the site and.
2. Click QuickCapture.
3. Click the Windshield Damage Report project.
4. Click Share.
5. In the Sharing window, under Sharing options, click QR Code, and then right-click the QR code and save the image locally.

   Note:

   If the Messages pane on the left appears indicating you need to share items, click Share items and accept all defaults to share to the appropriate groups.

6. Click Done twice.
7. Close the ArcGIS QuickCapture designer.
8. Click the Apps button in the header of the site and click ArcGIS Survey123 and sign in, if necessary.
9. Open the Individual Assistance Survey.
10. Click Collaborate.
11. Next to Share this survey, click the Open the survey in the Survey123 field app directly button.

    Note:

    There are calculations in the form that require the field app to be used instead of entering the survey in a web browser, and allows for offline damage assessments.

12. Click the Show the QR Code button and then click Click to download
13. In the Save as dialog box, browse to the location where you want to save the file and provide a file name.
14. Click Save.
15. Repeat the previous steps for the Public Assistance Damage Inventory and Public Assistance Survey.
16. Close the ArcGIS Survey123 website.

Update with organizational information

The Damage Assessment Hub layout requires a few updates to fit your local context.

To update the site with your organizational information, complete the following steps:

1. Browse to the Damage Assessment Hub Site Application.
2. From the item page, click Configure.
3. In the side panel, next to Customize, click the number of associated pages.
4. Under Home, click Internal Destination.
5. Scroll to the Windshield Damage Report section, hover over the Place QR Code Here image card, and click the edit pencil.
6. In the side panel, click the Clear Image button to delete the placeholder image, and then upload the QR code image that you saved locally.
7. Repeat the steps above to replace the QR code placeholder images for the Individual Assistance Survey, Public Assistance Damage Inventory and Public Assistance Survey sections.
8. Scroll to Damage Categories and find the placeholder for damage categories, Affected, Minor, Major, Destroyed and Inaccessible.
9. Replace the placeholder images with your own damage guidance photos.
10. Scroll to the Frequently Asked Questions section, hover over the card and click the edit pencil, and update the questions and answers.
11. Click Save.
12. Click the Save drop-down arrow and click Publish Draft.

    You can now share your internal Hub page with others in your organization. The unique QR codes provide field personnel with quick access to your organization's mobile applications.

Share items with the public

Several layer views, maps and apps included in the Damage Assessment solution must be shared with everyone so they can be accessed by the public on the Damage Assessment site.

To share items with the public, complete the following steps:

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Damage Assessment folder.
2. Next to each of the following items, check the check box:

   Name	Item type
   IndividualAssistance_public	Feature layer (hosted, view)
   IndividualAssistance_report	Feature layer (hosted, view)
   Public Damage Report	Web Map
   Damage Assessment Photo Viewer	Web Map
   Damage Assessment Photo Viewer	Web Mapping Application
   Public Damage Report	Form
   Damage Assessment	Hub Site Application

   Caution:

   The Internal Destination page should not be shared with the public.
3. Click Share.
4. In the Share window, click Everyone (public) and click Save.

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

5. Click Update.