UCLA developers, working on the first of its kind in the nation,
plan to begin a project that aims to help city emergency workers
better respond in the event of a disaster.
The Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, a part of the
UCLA’s School of Public Affairs, will develop maps and
databases for officials to identify and aid people with
disabilities and specific needs.
Los Angeles County has awarded about $500,000 to the center to
build the Los Angeles County Operational Area Specific Needs
Awareness Plan Maps, which will be funded by the State Homeland
Security Grants program.
Alan Toy, project director and associate director for the
Center, said this project is important because arrangements can be
made in advance so shelters can be aware of people with specific
needs within the area they service.
“I think it’s a great idea, and it’s nice to
see Los Angeles being a pioneer in taking care of specific
communities,” said Marwa Kaisey, president of the
Undergraduate Students Association Council. Kaisey added that she
is glad to see UCLA taking an active role in the greater Los
Angeles community.
Toy said the project will use geographic information systems,
specifically Microsoft mapping technology.
Emergency operations managers and first responders will access
the maps and databases online in disasters where communities need
to evacuate.
According to a press release by the center, “vulnerable
populations,” which Toy said include people who would have
difficulty evacuating, such as those with cognitive or sensory
disabilities, seniors, and people living with AIDS, will
voluntarily enter information into the database about their needs
or requirements in case of an emergency.
“(The database) will give an idea of where people are at a
fingertip’s notice,” he said.
In addition to identifying the locations of people with specific
needs, the maps will give emergency officials details on nearby
evacuation centers, as well as community centers that can cater to
the requirements of people with disabilities.
Kaisey said she believes it is fitting for UCLA to be involved,
since the UCLA Medical Center would be key in helping the L.A.
community in disasters.
Resources that may need to be located post-disaster include
accessible transit vehicles, mental health services and sign
language interpreters, according to a statement released by the
center.
The database and maps will be used by the Los Angeles County
Office of Emergency Management, as well as the Los Angeles
Mayor’s office, the sheriff’s department, the Los
Angeles Police Department and city and county fire departments.
Toy said students, consultants and center employees are
currently collecting data and building the database and maps. He
said the project should begin in March. With testing and training,
he expects the maps to be functional in about a year.
The project is an offshoot of one of the center’s older
projects, Living Independently in Los Angeles, an online resource
for people with disabilities that uses similar technology.
Twenty percent of L.A. County residents have disability status,
according to U.S. Census data. Toy said 900,000 residents have
“significant disabilities.”