The provision of spatial support, especially mapping, during major emergencies has often put enormous pressure on the day to day functionality of various government departments. Examples include the Canberra fires where this support was contracted in and in the Victorian fires of 2003-4 where the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) called in federal support for mapping and spent many months recovering and catching up on the backlog due to lost work time. The Mapping and Planning Support (MAPS) group was created and its model developed to help alleviate these situations. MAPS was deployed to the recent Victorian fires and have now proven that the model works. This presentation will explain the history and reasoning behind MAPS, the organisational and deployment model, and where we believe the model should go from here. http://www.spatial.gov.au/Conferences/spatialgov+2009/presentations/social+inclusion/15.aspx

1. Providing spatial support
in major emergencies
- the MAPS model
Spatial@GOV
June 2009

2. Content
► Setting the scene
► History and reasoning
► Organisational model
► Deployment model
► Where to from here?
Spatial@GOV
June 2009

3. Setting the scene
► Pressureon day to day functionality
► Canberra 2003
 Local then contract
► Victoria 2003-04
 Local then federal support
► Recovering and catching up on the backlog
Spatial@GOV
June 2009

4. History and reasoning
► 2005 – the incubation of MAPS
► 2006 – our first deployment
► 2007 – World Youth Day
► 2009 – Victorian Fires
 53 people over 6 weeks
 Over 9000 georeferenced photos
 Thousands of data forms
 Thousands of printed maps
Spatial@GOV
June 2009

5. Organisational model
► Volunteers
►6 Coordinators
 ACT ESA and NSW RFS members
 Basic training
 AIIMS training
► Casual volunteers
 One or two MAPS training days a year
Spatial@GOV
June 2009

6. Deployment model
► Initial deployment
 Coordinators only
► Larger or long term incident
 Coordinator takes supervisor role
 Casual volunteers for the workforce
► Take our own equipment
Spatial@GOV
June 2009

7. Where to from here?
► Sizeof group
► More MAPS groups
► Closer links to SSSI
► Expand our role
► Federal vs State based resource
Spatial@GOV
June 2009

8. Thank you
Ian Batley
MAPS Coordinator
maps.volunteers@gmail.com
Spatial@GOV
June 2009