To create a common operating picture and execute a seamless, real-time command structure across multiple agencies, TX-TF1 deployed GeoSuite™ – a web-based, advanced situational awareness and information-sharing solution from nFocus Solutions. TX-TF1 has been using GeoSuite™ since 2013 to collect, report, and share real-time information for enhanced decision-making and effective response during emergencies.

With GeoSuite™ in hand, mission-critical data becomes instantly available across multiple sources during dynamic emergency situations, enabling easy collaboration between teams and agencies. The organization noted three primary benefits to TX-TF1 of using GeoSuite™ over other GIS tools to support search and rescue efforts.

First, GeoSuite™ enables two-way communication between field personnel and the operations dispatchers. Typical GPS-based communications are only “push” solutions, allowing dispatchers to send coordinates to the field. With GeoSuite™, however, field responders can also send data on their location and field conditions back to dispatchers and operations centers. Breland notes that this feature was particularly helpful in dealing with 911 and 211 call information during Hurricane Harvey. For example, in Fort Bend County, the sheer number of emergency calls overwhelmed local authorities, with roughly 1,500 calls going unaddressed. To improve response time, TX-TF1 established a call center, determined the level of need for each call, and entered each call location into GeoSuite™ along with situational information (e.g., number of affected residents and severity of need). Responders in the field received call data on their phones and used GeoSuite™ to make immediate, targeted checks on residents requesting assistance. Once the responders assessed each call situation, they were able to report status changes and any requests for additional assistance back to the call center through GeoSuite™. Consequently, emergency responders were able to attend to every single call in only 36 hours.

Second, GeoSuite™ provides field access to historical GIS data, allowing search and rescue personnel to leverage prior knowledge of local assets and risks. By simply dialing back to a map layer containing data from a previous disaster (e.g., a flood) in the same area, responders who may have never been to a particular site can use GeoSuite™ to immediately learn the lay of the land. This knowledge helped TX-TF1 responders make tactical decisions like planning rescue routes that avoided areas prone to flash flooding in the past.

Finally, GeoSuite™ has been specifically augmented with features that support search and rescue data needs across not just dispatch and monitoring, but also stakeholder communication and reporting functions.