Hawaii to Implement EMS with GIS

The state of Hawaii has contracted with 21st Century Systems which announced that they were to implement a statewide emergency management system that integrates real-time information, satellite imagery and other geospatial information into a comprehensive GIS. The system will be managed by Hawaii State Civil Defense (HSCD). From personal experience, I’m happy to hear this. In 2006, I experienced a 6.7 and 6.0 magnitude earthquakes that occurred seven minutes apart while on the Big Island. It knocked out power there and on Oahu for several hours, and according to my sources it also knocked out power at HSCD. There was no loss of life and the threat of tsunami was minimal. However, no one knew that at the time. It was disconcerting to hear that the state agency tasked with responding to disasters did not have the ability to implement their warning systems if it was necessary to do so. Let’s hope this project solves this deficiency.