GeoConnections has released version 1.0 of Canada's new Emergency Mapping Symbology (EMS).

Over 200 mapping symbols have been created for use in geospatial products, and will help to provide common understanding of emergency situations and improve information-sharing among emergency-management agencies. 

The Emergency Mapping Symbology was developed by Refractions Research Inc., under contract to GeoConnections. In order to create the EMS, a comprehensive research and consultation process was undertaken with emergency management and mapping specialists. The two-tiered symbology was designed to cover a wide range of emergency incident, infrastructure, and operations subjects. The symbols are tailored to Canadian requirements for situational awareness reporting, first response, natural hazards assessment, public alerting, and critical infrastructure protection. The symbols are already being used by federal and provincial agencies, and are a valuable resource for the Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System initiative, which enables emergency management organizations to efficiently share geospatial incident, event and alert information to form a national common operational picture.

Future plans for the Emergency Mapping Symbology are to establish a formal standard, and to set up a change-management process to guide the continued development of new symbols and enhancement of the existing symbols and taxonomy.

The Emergency Mapping Symbology is free to use, share, modify and extend without restriction. The symbols and documentation can be downloaded from the GeoConnections website at http://geoconnections.org/masas/ems.zip.

GeoConnections helps decision-makers use online, location-based or "geospatial" information, such as web maps and satellite images, to tackle some of Canada's most pressing challenges.

To manage and respond to threats and hazards, public safety and security organizations need to be aware of the situations they face. By equipping themselves with location-based information that improves situational awareness, officials can better predict, detect, prepare for, and respond to public-safety threats.

Emergency response organizations from different jurisdictions also need to cooperate and share information. Location-based information can give the public safety and security community a common operating picture-a perspective that helps them collaborate both while planning for and responding to threats and disasters. GeoConnections is working with the public safety and security community to increase situational awareness using location-based information.