Abstract

Geomatics use in federal emergency management coordination in Canada
Track: Disaster and Emergency Management
Authors: Cameron Bouchard

This presentation will discuss the cyclical and security-related event management mechanism in Canada, giving context to the Government of Canada's Government Operations Centre (GOC) and its use of geomatics to support analysis, situational awareness, planning and response coordination.

The Geomatics section of the GOC has a unique challenge --to create a visual history for natural and technological disasters, as well as for security-related events within a very short timeframe. This has provided experience in a wide range of events such as hurricanes, flooding, aviation accidents, toxic spills, irregular immigration and arctic sovereignty.

The continuous collection of new data from various domestic and international sources and the streamlining of product creation, alongside the development of comprehensive reporting of the events, allow for these geomatics products to be topical, timely and succinct. This presentation will discuss the data used, products created and challenges faced, such as time constraints and client expectations.