SPAR-GIS
2008

Moving towards 2009

The focus as we move towards 2009 we will be developing GIS based community outreach resources. The goal will be to assist the various service providers, government agencies, and the emergency management community gather strategic geographical and geospatial information pertinent to the planning, response, mitigation and recovery issues involving Special Populations. Since the various definitions of Special, Special Needs, Vulnerable populations can cover 65% or more of our general population, the resources will also include resources, data sets etc from general population sources.

SPAR-GIS stands for Special Populations Analysis and Research with GIS. The original focus of SPAR-GIS was emergency management, preparedness, response and recovery with regard to utilizing GIS for various special population functions, such as where special populations are and where are the resources such as shelters, durable medical equipment, and accessible transportation resources for evacuation. What I am learning in the communities and emergency operation centers is that there are best practices and lessons learned that could be applicable to all populations. Another revelation was that GIS is the backbone of all "portal fusion" information type systems. If we can not get the information (i.e. registries) from the communities to develop our data sets, then what value do these systems have?

What is more important than these systems is the process by which we will gather and disseminate information. If the information is not accessible or in a format that is understandable, then you will be "poisoning the well" in being a trusted source of information. The next time a piece of information comes from untrusted source, there is a risk that it will be thrown out with the junk mail or deleted regardless of whether or not the data is of value. Once a trusted source of information is established, the groundwork is set for the two way flow of information between members of the community and emergency operations.

One of the prime objectives of SPAR-GIS in 2008 is to promote a collaborative dialogue across FEMA regions in the United States and the international community to share best practices and lessons learned, to support research and to analyze data pertaining to these various populations. To accomplish this I would like to launch the SPAR-GIS Council. The proposed Council structure will be organized by FEMA regions in the US. Each FEMA Region will have a Regional Council with individual Council workgroups in each state. There will be a National Council to coordinate all the activities from the regional and state groups. The primary goal of this council will be to share best practices and lessons learned regarding GIS's relationship to the emergency management area, with a particular focus on special populations. Quarterly reports from the regions and semi annual conferences will be utilized to disseminate the information, as well as on this web site.

As we move forward in 2009 there will be a new initiative being developed under the SPAR-GIS umbrella involving the private sector, public sector, and the research community to develop solutions to various barriers within emergency management and emergency preparedness for all populations.

The SPAR-GIS initiative is supported by the Institute on Disabilities and the Center of Preparedness, Education and Practice (CPREP) here at Temple University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA .

About the Institute on Disabilities

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is one of the 67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mission of the Institute is to create connections and promote networks within and among communities so that people with disabilities are recognized as integral to the fabric of community life. We accomplish this by learning from and partnering with communities to provide information and resources, educate and support individuals, foster leadership, conduct research, and promote changes in policy and practice that result in positive outcomes and improved lives.

The Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT), a program of the Institute, is a key SPAR-GIS supporter. The mission of PIAT is to enhance the lives of all Pennsylvanians with disabilities, older Pennsylvanians, and their families, through access to and acquisition of assistive technology devices and services, which allow for choice, control and independence at home, work, school, play, and in their neighborhoods.

PIAT leads the Commonwealth's efforts to implement the provisions of the federal Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended.

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MISSION AND GOALS OF C-PREP

Mission
The mission of the Center for Preparedness Research, Education and Practice (C-PREP) is to develop research and training initiatives in public policy, epidemiology, risk perception and communication, and basic bio-medical sciences to enhance public health preparedness and to mitigate the physical, psychological and public health impacts of natural and perpetrated disasters.
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