2023 SAG Award Winners

Washington County

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Project Goal

The GIG envisioned providing exceptional support for emergency management, from planning to recovery, by implementing standardized and shared geospatial data, tools, processes, services, and technology while leveraging existing GIS architecture presently in place.
Through a multi-phase project involving 13 agencies within and overlapping with Washington County Oregon the SEPRR (GIS Support for Emergency Planning, Response, and Recovery) project resulted in recommendations ranging from system architecture modifications to training and support. One of the primary outcomes was the development of a central collaboration hub called the ‘ORGIG’ -Oregon Geospatial Infrastructure Group- site. The ORGIG site is a trusted, central, shared, and real-time geospatial platform for Geospatial Infrastructure Group (GIG) members supporting emergency management as well as other GIS initiatives. ORGIG is part of the Esri ArcGIS Online ecosystem and leverages GIG member’s existing ArcGIS Online sites

Business Problem Solved

The SEPRR Project planning phase identified multiple business problems related to GIS support by GIG members for emergency management planning and operations. These include:
•Lack of common geospatial data framework to support emergency management
•Inability to reliably collect, update, resolve, and share critical event and incident data among GIG agencies and other partners during emergency events/exercises
•Access restrictions prevent sharing of secure data
•Lack of standardization and stewardship of EM related geospatial data
•Inadequate GIS communication and coordination between agencies during emergency events

Technology Implemented

ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Hub
The GIG’s construct made for a unique opportunity to leverage ESRI’s latest technology. Presently most GIG members have their own established GIS programs and infrastructure including ArcGIS Online sites. Leveraging this existing architecture, the GIG set up a jointly owned ArcGIS Online site (ORGIG). This site allows for a lower cost and centrally managed environment to establish partnered collaborations and geospatial data sharing hub. To further the emergency management support goal for members, the GIG also used Hub Premium to allow for a surge of registered users engaging in field data collection, such as damage assessment, during emergency events.

Development Team Biography

Preston Beck, City of Tigard (Lead)
Brian Hanes, Washington County
Richard Crucchiola, Washington County
Eric Redmond, TVF&R
David Gassaway, Washington County Emergency Management Cooperative
Maria Schlangen, Hillsboro (Ret)
Brian McLeer, Hillsboro
Martin Loring, City of Tualatin