Mapping for Preparedness: A Guide to Improved Emergency Management Through Location-Based Solutions

The operating environment for emergency management is becoming substantially more complex. Geospatial information solutions offer an effective mechanism for organizing and coordinating all the data needed to be able to respond quickly, accurately, and efficiently. Canada is recognized as a world leader in building spatial data infrastructures (SDIs), but faces two major challenges in moving forward with a national emergency response framework. Many stakeholders are not aware of or do not understand the role and value of SDIs in emergency planning and response, and the emergency community is having difficulty accessing the infrastructure data needed to make geospatial information solutions effective. This report takes a closer look at the challenges and offers six strategies that will help move Canada toward an integrated national approach to emergency management.