San Bernardino County Fire Damage Assessment

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

The Trona earthquake of 2019 highlighted problems with San Bernardino County’s damage assessment methodology, a haphazard mix of paper and electronic surveys. In order to prepare for the next incident, San Bernardino County Fire Department and the San Bernardino County Fire Department Office of the Fire Marshal created a Damage Assessment Solution based on ESRI’s ArcGIS Online platform and mobile applications.The Damage Assessment solution allows damage assessment personnel to quickly assess damage using their mobile phones. When a property is assessed the information is transmitted to the Incident Command Post in real-time and displayed on dashboards. Much of the property information is collected automatically, making the creation of damage assessment reports quick and easy. The accessibility of the data via ArcGIS Online allows for increased transparency and dissemination of time-sensitive information. The Damage Assessment solution is now being use as a model for other County departments who are impacted when an incident occurs. Other departments are looking for ways to utilize the data collected to help affected residents access much needed resources.