The South Florida Water Management District has developed a critical facility GIS database for use in the District's Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The database contains such crucial geographic data as shelters, hospitals, and fire stations for the 16 counties within the District. The project team overcame numerous obstacles including establishing contacts with regional and local agencies; obtaining data in various formats, datums, and projections; and processing the data into ArcInfo coverages with a consistent format. With the completed database in place, District EOC GIS staff can use ArcView GIS to quickly map critical facilities and provide valuable information to emergency managers.