The Benefit of Using an Information Technology Platform to Support Decision Making in New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS) and New Zealand USAR (NZUSAR)

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VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON
English Language Institute
The Benefit of Using an Information Technology
Platform to Support Decision Making in New Zealand
Fire Service (NZFS) and New Zealand USAR (NZUSAR)
Prepared by:
Didit Permana
Class:
T
Course:
ELTO Programme, Intake 44
Tutor:
Jean Arnold
May 2017

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Table of Contents
1. Background ..………………………………………………………………………… 3
2. Findings ……………………………………………………………………………… .4
2.1 What does New Zealand Fire Services Department do to implement IT
platform for supporting decision making and daily operations? …………………5
2.2. How do IT systems in New Zealand SAR/Fire Services Department support
data integration, analysis and reporting related to incident management?..........5
2.3 How does New Zealand SAR/ Fire Services Department use an application
in SAR planning to support decision making in the command centre?................6
2.4 How does New Zealand SAR/ Fire Services Department ensure the data
collect from a field is accurately and consistently updated during SAR
operation?............................................................................................................6
2.5 How can the New Zealand SAR IT platform be used to show the rescue team
best practice or case study for response to an SAR incident ?..………………… 7
3. Conclusion ……………………………………………………….………………... ….8
References …………………………………………………………………………... .9

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1. Background
Information technology platforms has been implemented widely in many
sectors to help organisations achieve their mission or goal. In the New Zealand
Government, there are many stakeholders and organisations related with emergency
response management that have implemented various IT Platform system resources
to lead and support daily operation effectively.
I am interested in this issue for explore the benefit of using an IT platform and
support decision making in search and rescue organisation because I work for the
National Search and Rescue Agency of the Republic Indonesia (BASARNAS) in a
Data Centre and Information Department. According to Tomaszewsky (2015), as a
cited in Rose (2015), GIS Software is a utility package of software based on map layer
and have feature in emergency response management, providing users requirement,
aggregating to collect and widely distribute information. GIS technology has available
in a variety of platforms including servers and desktops and can be integrates to mobile
platform such as mobile phone, tablet and web base. BASARNAS Command Centre
(BCC) in head office doesn’t have a specific real time monitoring feature to evaluate
and analyse incident data management or daily operations into an integration
dashboard. BASARNAS has implements GIS technology and have an IT department
to support all users and tasks in an organisation although needs continuity to develop
appropriate application regarding vision and mission as a Search and Rescue (SAR)
organisation.
On 10 March 2017, I went on a workplace visit to Napier Fire Services Station
and we had a meeting and sharing session with Ken Cooper, Area Commander
of New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS), North Island Region and Craig Bedford Regional

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Telecommunications Specialist (Region 3). Based on Ministry of Civil Defence &
Emergency Management (2013, December) Rapid Impact Assessment, Information
for the CDEM Sector [IS 14/13] “Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is a function of
the New Zealand Fire Service and involves finding and rescuing people trapped in a
structural collapse situation”, NZ USAR has been implemented and in advance used
Information technology system to aim they mission in SAR operation. I had an
opportunity and learnt an IT Platform supported NZFS and NZ USAR aim to their daily
operations including incident management, rapid disaster assessment, vehicle
tracking, dispatching management and leveraging GIS feature to collected data from
rescue teams or volunteers.
On 5 May 2017, I went on a workplace visit to USAR New Zealand Task Force
2 (NZ-TF2) in Christchurch fire service station. NZ-TF2 is one of three USAR team
with heavy qualification level in New Zealand. I learnt from the key lesson USAR
deployment, better use technology was available to support the NZUSAR and NZFS
integrated approach
2. Findings
2.1 What does New Zealand Fire Services Department do to implement IT
platform for supporting decision making and daily operations?
Based on the Civil Defence and Emergency Management (2011) the New
Zealand government had experienced in implementing IT platforms, the Ministry of
Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM), Civil Defence and Emergency
Management (CDEM) since 2011 has been used the Emergency Management
Information System (EMIS), this is a web based platform available nationally. EMIS
have functional areas menu to aim Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) as part of

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CDEM group to provide public information such as media release, daily situation
report, create action plan, resource management, welfare registration and lifeline
reporting tools.
The Fire Service Department uses an IT system to monitor daily operations
including an incident management system, logistics inventory, vehicle monitoring,
involving public or community using web platforms and mobile phone. All these
activities will display on a dashboard with data and map integration (GIS).
During workplace visit Craig Bedford mentioned in an emergency situation such
as an earthquake, NZFS system will broadcast gathered from the public and make
that information available using mobile application. The advantage of that application
is that can be accessed offline without internet connection. The data will be stored in
user gadget and when internet connection is available, the application will be ready to
update.
2.2. How do IT systems in Fire Services Department support data integration,
analysis and reporting related to incident management?
Regarding CDEM (2011) EMIS worked to collaborate and integrate among
agencies to effectively share data resource including several function including
planning and intelligence, logistics, welfare and lifelines. EMIS leveraging GIS
technology in mapping feature and user will access layer in map as dynamic data
resource such as traffic conditions, flood model data, lifeline or other council GIS
information
Based on Stuart Waring (2015), NZFS Applications has integrated with National
Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) and National Coordination Centre (NCC). The
system had incident management feature including monitoring incident report consist

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incident details, incident history, incident response, other feature is vehicle tracking
the system provide information including position, maintenance schedule the vehicle,
moreover the system aggregate weather data from meteorological service agency.
2.3. How does New Zealand USAR/ Fire Services Department use an application
in SAR planning to support decision making in the command centre?
NZFS applications is an IT solution system supporting RDA (Rapid Disaster
Assessment) integration said Stuart Waring (2015). The dashboard show SMART
MAP menu provide and assist command centre gathering information leveraging GIS
layer. SMART MAP feature incident report provides some information including
incident details, incident history, responses to incident. Report can be use as utility
tools and information resource as decision support making in command centre.
As mention on Chief Executive/National Commander's Inquiry into Christchurch
Earthquake final report (2011), during Christchurch earthquake in 2011, Information
Communication Technology (ICT) staff effectively supported NZFS and USAR team
gathering information from the incident area to National Crisis Management Centre
(NCMC) for particular purpose including decision making. According Ministry of Civil
Defence & Emergency Management (2013, December) Rapid Impact Assessment,
Information for The CDEM Sector [IS 14/13] p15, NZFC developing an application
uses leveraging GIS technology to collecting the require data needs and application
running in web platform. The application can be access and integrate among CDEM
organisations also other stakeholders such as response agencies and public in rapid
impact assessment feature. NCMC gathering information from an application during
preparation readiness time to response incident.

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2.4. How does New Zealand USAR/ Fire Services Department ensure the data
collected from field, is accurately and consistently updated during SAR
operation?
Based on Stuart Waring (2015), NZFS applications integrate with NZ USAR
rapid disaster assessment solution applications. NZ USAR, as the member of the
International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) followed the procedure
during disaster response. NZ USAR application leveraging GIS maps technology to
collect particular information require for disaster assessment purposes. The data
collected from field and synchronized by a GIS server to ensure accurate, consistency
and then will display into dashboards and available for NCC, UN On-Site Operations
Co-ordination Centre (OSOC) and USAR Base of Operations (BoO).
2.5. How IT platform be used to show the rescue team best practice or case
studies for response to a SAR incident?
According to Chief Executive/National Commander's inquiry into Canterbury
Earthquake (2011) p:25, ICT team involved inChristchurch earthquake an integral part
of NZFS response by collaborating and supporting team operation on location. NZFS
technology provided reliability and readiness as well proving invaluable asset for
organisation other agencies.
As mentioned by Stuart Waring (2015), NZFS Applications using GIS
technology gathering data and information in real time operational to manage the
resource and assets to response rapid disaster.
According to Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (2013,
December) Rapid Impact Assessment, Information for The CDEM Sector [IS 14/13]

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p12, the advantage of GIS can be used to effectively completing the rapid assessment
forms to achieve readiness time and response a SAR incident.
4. Conclusion
Based on the research project, firstly I found the implementation of IT platform
in New Zealand government especially stake holder who responsible with emergency
situation have a benefit to support decision making process on critical time during to
handle incident.
Secondly leveraging and enhance the GIS technology significantly contribute
to appropriate an application to provide data, information produced by layer and Map
imagery on GIS process for end users further more to particular purpose including real
time monitoring, data analysis, evaluation, reporting.
Thirdly, New Zealand have good experience from best practise during
earthquake, involving ICT staff and IT technology in real situation supporting NZFS,
NZ USAR as integral part of team. Looking advance technology and use appropriate
an application will increase peak of performance rescue team to response incidents.
I learned from New Zealand the benefit involving public participant contribution
during disaster using mobile platform as alternative to gathering information from field.
That experience will be helpful government Indonesia to adopt in case while
earthquake disaster happens. I suggest New Zealand as member of The International
Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) and capability of NZ USAR as heavy
team level, should cooperate and share their experiences to Indonesia how IT platform
implementation supporting their task.
Word Count 1478

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References
Civil Defence & Emergency Management (2011, June). Unpacking EMIS. In Impact
Volume 41: p33-37
Chief Executive/National Commander's inquiry into Canterbury Earthquake p:4,20
retrieved from
http://www.fire.org.nz/media/news/Documents/Christchurch%20inquiry%20re
port.pdf
Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (2013, December) Rapid Impact
Assessment, Information for The CDEM Sector [IS 14/13] p5;12, retrieved from
http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/publications/is-14-13-rapid-
impact-assessment.pdf
Rose, C. (2015). Mapping Technology in Wilderness Search and Rescue. In Thesis
Master of Science Cartography and Geographic Information Systems,
University of Wisconsin, Madison: p4
Stuart Waring (2015) | An Emergency Management Collaboration Keynote, Rapid
Disaster and Impact Assessment Solutions retrieved from
http://www.algim.org.nz/globalassets/symposium-gis/2015-gis-
symposium/presentations/stuart_nz-fire-service-.pdf