First-response gearRecommended emergency response technology from Seattle’s CTO
Following the rare four-day snowstorm that left Seattle, Washington blanketed in snow, Bill Schrier, the city’s chief technology officer, weighed in on the city’s response and offered tips on how to better implement technology in the future
Following the rare four-day snowstorm that left Seattle, Washington blanketed in snow, Bill Schrier, the city’s chief technology officer, weighed in on the city’s response and offered tips on how to better implement technology in the future.
Schrier notedin a blog post on GeekWire that Seattle received high marks on its clean-up performance, but recognized the need for constant improvement.
In particular highly-accurate digital maps were critical in deploying snow plows and knowing exactly which street had been cleared. Each plow was also outfitted with GPS technology, so emergency planners as well as ordinary citizens could see exactly where they were online.
In addition the online maps were integrated with more than 162 real-time traffic cameras, so users could see exactly what the street conditions were like.
Residents also had access to an online map of the city’s electrical system, which showed the exact locations of power outages, how many homes were affected, and estimated restoration times.
To make responses even more accurate in the future, Schrier recommended placing GPS trackers on every city vehicle so dispatchers can know exactly where every one of the city’s resources are located. Then in the event that a fallen tree has blocked a road or a bus has become stuck, the city can deploy the nearest crew with the proper equipment.
Schrier added that this type of map could also come coordinate department wide resources. For instance if “the fire department needs water to fight fires, and it needs good routes to get its apparatus to the fire and perhaps it would need a snowplow to clear a street as well,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, in terms of communication, Schrier suggested taking advantage of video conferencing technology so the Mayor and other senior city leaders could be in better touch with the news media as well as one another.
Other technological recommendations included a two-way 911 system that allows emergency officials to reach individuals via their mobile phones and developing an app that allows residents to report clogged storm drains, power outages, and other incidents.
