Floodplain Management System Database - Management Tool

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The Floodplain Management and Services Division (FMS) of the District is responsible for a number of different and somewhat unrelated functions – Customer Service to provide flood insurance, floodplain management, and general floodplain information; field visits to investigate flooding during and after events; technical review and processing of Floodplain Use Permits; Enforcement of the Floodplain Regulations for Maricopa County through permitting and pursuing violations; Mitigation Planning and Technical programs coordination with federal and state agencies. In order to properly manage and track the data assets related to these particular functions, a technology solution was needed - one that included robust reporting features (used to respond to audits by FEMA for instance), integration with the County’s One-Stop Shop system (Accela), plus the flexibility to extend the tool for other functions and services. The FMS database allows staff to enter records consistently for easier reporting and search capability, and allows managers to track all the efforts of the Division in one system. Previously the Division used 5 different databases to track records for the different functions, with no “communication” between systems. Data can now be cross-referenced and reports and permits can be generated quickly to respond to customer or federal agency needs.