Beyond first aid: emergency response teams turn to graphics

Whether it is a chemical or biological hazard, a fire, a crime in progress, or a life-threatening health situation, the faster the first responders arrive on the scene, the better. In a large urban area, finding the right building or house can prove difficult. The addition of helicopter units to many police departments brought emergency response teams closer to their targets sooner, but with limited success because identifying exact addresses from the air was not inherent in the process. In most cities, the helicopters are responsible for getting to the general area of an emergency situation, where ground crews then direct them. Now a company called MetaMAP has introduced MetaVUE geographic information system (GIS) software that makes identifying exact addresses from the air possible. The paper discusses its application