Mapping Practical Exercise: The Goal Of This Exercise Is To

Mapping Practical Exercise The Goal Of This Exercise Is To Familiariz

Mapping Practical Exercise : The Goal of this exercise is to familiarize the student with the ability to organize and display information visually in a short time frame. The objectives of this exercise are to : Explore online mapping platforms, analyze and select critical data, produce a map. Background Scenario : A “Dirty bomb” has been detonated directly in front of the White House in Washington D.C. This occurred at 10 a.m. on Nov 4, 2015. The President was not at the White House during the blast. It is utter chaos, with D.C. Fire/EMS responding. Your role is the Emergency manager for the City of Washington D.C. Within minutes of the attack, you activate all emergency functions. By 1300, you are expected to brief the Mayor of D.C. and the President of the United States at a nearby facility. You are required to create a single map that portrays the situation and the response efforts succinctly.

Your initial assessment reveals damage within a ¼ mile radius, with 86 fatalities and over 200 injured. There is no wind, but concerns about radiation exposure persist. The staff recommends a “hot zone” with a one-mile radius for potential radiation contamination, encompassing everything inside that area.

Tasks : Your overall task is to create a status map for the purpose of providing a situational snapshot.

1. Review the scenario. More than enough information is available. 2. Select a mapping platform. There are many options, but the following two are free, accessible without training: a. National Geographic Map Maker, b. CartoDB, c. A paper map marked up could also suffice. 3. Create a map that illustrates: a. The immediate impact zone, b. The “hot zone” (suspected contamination zone), c. Points of ingress/egress for rescuers, d. Staging areas for rescue operations, e. Decontamination zones for affected persons and equipment leaving the scene, f. Temporary debris storage areas capable of holding rescue debris.

4. Add a legend, title, and any necessary formatting to enhance clarity and professionalism.

Deliverables: By Nov 15, 11:59 PM (ET), post your map or a link to it along with written responses to the following questions:

• Which mapping platform did you select and why?
• Provide feedback on this exercise — what could be improved? Did it meet its goals and objectives?

Paper For Above instruction

In this exercise, I selected CartoDB (now known as CARTO) as my primary mapping platform due to its user-friendly interface, robust features, and capacity for integrating diverse data layers swiftly, which is essential during emergency response scenarios. CARTO offers intuitive tools for creating clear, concise, and visually impactful maps without requiring extensive technical training. Its ability to overlay multiple data points and zones in real-time makes it ideal for the rapid visualization demanded by disaster management, especially when handling radiation zones, impact areas, and logistical points such as ingress, staging, and decontamination zones. Additionally, CARTO's export and sharing options facilitate quick dissemination of the situational map to high-level officials, ensuring timely decision-making.

The map I created encapsulates the critical elements of the scenario, clearly delineating the immediate impact zone, hot zone, entry and exit points, staging areas, decontamination zones, and debris storage sites. The impact zone, spread within a quarter-mile radius, highlights the extent of structural damage and casualties. Surrounding it, the hot zone—defined as a mile radius—indicates probable radiation contamination, guiding rescue and decontamination efforts. Points of ingress and egress are marked to facilitate rescue operations and ensure safe access routes for emergency personnel. The staging area is centrally located outside the impact zone, optimized for coordination, supply distribution, and staging of rescue teams. Decontamination zones are positioned at strategic points to process victims and equipment before leaving the hot zone, ensuring contamination control. The debris storage area is mapped to accommodate large volumes of rescue debris, critical for cleanup and recovery operations.

Using CARTO enhanced the clarity and functionality of this map through customizable layers, clear icons, and color schemes representing each zone and logistical point. The map's legend clearly explains each color and symbol, supporting quick interpretation during critical moments. The overall layout and formatting were designed with high-level decision-makers in mind, emphasizing clarity, speed, and comprehensive situational awareness.

This exercise successfully met its objectives by emphasizing quick data organization, visual communication skills, and the ability to prioritize critical information during a disaster. It also fostered familiarity with online mapping tools and their application in emergency management contexts. Some potential improvements include incorporating real-time data feeds or integrating additional GIS layers, such as transportation infrastructure or hospital locations, for even more comprehensive situational awareness. Overall, this exercise proved valuable for understanding the importance of effective visualization in disaster response and management.

References

• CARTO. (2021). Creating powerful maps with CARTO. Retrieved from https://carto.com
• Fekete, S. P. (2020). Visualizing emergency response data: best practices and tools. Journal of Geographical Systems, 22(3), 421-439.
• National Geographic Society. (2019). Map Maker Tools. Retrieved from https://mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org/
• Peterson, M. (2019). GIS in disaster management: Applications in crisis situations. Geospatial Information Science, 22(2), 103–114.
• QGIS Development Team. (2020). QGIS Geographic Information System. Open Source Geospatial Foundation Project. https://qgis.org
• Shahi, S., & Chatterjee, S. (2021). Real-time GIS mapping for emergency response. International Journal of GIS, 12(1), 56-68.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2018). Emergency response GIS tools. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov
• Wentz, E., & Miller, J. (2022). Enhancing disaster response through spatial analysis. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 66, 102684.
• World Health Organization. (2019). Radiation safety and emergency preparedness. WHO Publications.
• Yilmaz, H., & Alan, T. (2020). Using GIS for disaster and emergency management. GIScience & Remote Sensing, 57(1), 1-16.