Maine EMA Uses Google to Streamline Emergency Management Tasks Statewide on a Virtual Globe

By Nancy Mann Jackson When a state or region experiences a major weather event such as a hurricane, blizzard or tornado, numerous agencies and organizations must work together to manage the crisis. For instance, when Hurricane Irene battered the U.S. East Coast in August 2011, thousands of workers were called into action, including fire and rescue personnel, utility workers, public health officials and workers at all levels of state and local government. Typically, each of these groups maintains its own geographical data, tracking a storm, flood or other disaster, and working in a silo to ensure its own portion of the rescue and recovery is completed.