Emergency services in Wales targeting vulnerable people using OS mapping

The creation of a single mapping and data platform in Wales is proving invaluable for emergency services who need to know who is most vulnerable when flooding hits.

DataMapWales, a data portal developed by the Welsh Government, is being used along with a bespoke application called Jigso to support the emergency services and partners involved in resilience in Wales.

With severe flooding expected to occur more frequently across the country as a result of climate change, this portal is set to be critical for emergency responders. Jigso was used last year as part of the response to the major flooding in Monmouthshire. By combining OS data with other datasets, Jigso provides the spatial accuracy needed for emergency services to respond quickly and effectively.

“During the recent flooding in Monmouth, we were able to use Jigso, drawing on Ordnance Survey data, to quickly identify vulnerable households within flood-risk areas. This enabled fire crews, working alongside partner agencies and the voluntary sector, to carry out targeted visits to chck on the welfare of residents.

“By using this approach, we were able to deploy our resources in a far more focused and effective way. Through Tactical and Strategic Coordinating Group meetings, we were also able to provide timely, informed updates to our partners.

“Previously, gathering this level of information would have taken a considerable amount of time. Now, it can be accessed within minutes, enabling faster, better-informed decision making during incidents.”

GM Stuart Townsend, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The majority of the emergency service, responder agencies and resilience organisations across Wales are already signed up to the application and can access and download its data.

The portal is supported by data from Ordnance Survey (OS), ranging from speed limits to the location of public toilets and can provide near real-time information to the resilience community, planning for, and responding to, emergencies such as landslides or flooding.

OS data is integral to the portal, which first started out as an environmental tool for the Welsh Government more than ten years ago. It makes full use of 35 OS datasets, such as OS MasterMap Topography Layer and OS AddressBase, available to the public sector under the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement. Datasets such as OS NGD Buildings and OS NGD Address from the OS National Geographic Database (NGD) are in the process of being made available in the portal with more to follow.

The Welsh Government has provided additional funding to further develop the Jigso application into a fully supported product. Dave Roberts is the Head of Geography for the Welsh Government. He said that DataMapWales is “constantly evolving” with Ordnance Survey data “is key to the success and effectiveness of the platform.”

Pam Whitham, Customer Development Manager at OS described the portal as fantastic where: “the public sector and service providers across the country are able to access trusted and authoritative data to support their routine and critical services.”

Ordnance Survey returns to The Emergency Tech Show on 16 and 17 September. Register to attend here.