Abstract

Addressing the Special Needs Community Using GIS
Track: Disaster Management and Emergency Response
Author(s): David Moss

The Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management has been addressing the issue of collecting and using data from the special needs community for over 20 years with minimal success. Because of the complexity of keeping the data current and growing demand of more effective usage of this type of data nationally, the program was revamped in 2007 by developing an online registration website.

The Special Needs Assistance Program (S.N.A.P.) website stores residents' geocoded addresses along with their disabilities and contact information in a SQL database that is linked to GIS. With this new capability the data is now entered into a hazard analysis model which calculates potential hazards in the area along with the closest police and fire stations, hospitals, shelters, community agencies and the quickest routes to each.

David Moss
City of Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management
1000 Throckmorton St
Fort Worth , Texas 76102
United States
Phone: 682-432-4819
E-mail: david.moss@fortworthgov.org