Abstract
Using GIS to Identify Residential Areas Unreachable by Fire Apparatus
Track: Emergency Medical Services/Fire
Author(s): Timothy Prather, Joanne Logan
Residential development of ridges near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has resulted in significant numbers of homes and retnal properties being accessed by steep, narrow, winding streets and driveways. One unfortunate outcome of this is the occasional loss of structures when fire apparatus cannot negotiate these streets and driveways. Proposed county ordinances addressed this concern by defining maximum grade and minimum curve radius for roads in new developments, but the ordinances were never adopted.
Undergraduate GIS students obtained and analyzed the best available data to identify road segments that may limit access by fire apparatus, and then estimated the numbers and values of minimally protected or unprotected structures. Results of this project can be used by emergency services personnel, planners, developers, insurance companies and homeowners to develop better street layouts, educational programs and disaster mitigation plans to minimize future losses.
Timothy Prather
University of Tennessee Extension
2506 E J Chapman Dr
Knoxville , Tennessee 37996-4531
United States
Phone: 8659747266
E-mail: tprather@utk.edu
Joanne Logan
University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
2506 E J Chapman Dr
Knoxville , Tennessee 379964531
United States
Phone: 865-974-7266
E-mail: loganj@utk.edu