The use of information technology has had a profound impact on the response that military and civil emergency managers have to a wide variety of emergencies (man-made & natural). One of the most innovative information technology tools that can respond to these disasters is the Consequences Assessment Tool Set (CATS).  This computer system is easily usable by emergency response staff and operates in real time.  The Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed this system.  Both of these agencies collaborated to develop this Geographic Information System (GIS) tool to apply to a broad array of disasters.

CATS currently can be used for earthquakes, hurricanes, storm tracking, radiological, chemical, and biological releases. The CATS system capabilities include: Hazard/Damage area estimates, contingency planning, assessment of consequences, logistics plans/reports, and response training. CATS is currently operational at numerous Department of Defense sites, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and several State Emergency Management Agencies, and National Guard units.

This tool was developed to prepare for a variety of civil and military disasters.  This GIS system incorporates databases from various agencies to assess a situation with real-time damage prediction models.  This tool has been very successful in a variety of recent hazards and training exercises.  For instance, this tool has been used to support emergency managers for every hurricane since August of 1993. CATS was instrumental in the assessment of the Midwest floods of 1993, the Northridge earthquake of 1994, and various fires in California and New York. In addition, CATS has been extensively used for training exercises and operations in numerous states.

CATS has been designed to be extremely user friendly with Graphical User Interface (GUI) controls and instant customized reports of a disaster situation. CATS' hurricane module is capable of estimating the population and civil resources at risk from threatening hurricanes, and helps prepare emergency managers for relief efforts before the hurricanes arrive.

CATS' hurricane modules incorporate advisory messages from the National Weather Service to obtain accurate position and speed profiles of a hurricane. CATS' Storm Surge Model is a conglomeration of the National Weather Service’s Maximum Extent of Water (MEOW) database and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Digital Elevation Model. The model predicts the height-of-water over land when a hurricane will occur. 

CATS has incorporated an earthquake model developed by the USGS to estimate and respond to earthquake damage.  The earthquake model requires the location of the earthquake's epicenter, its magnitude, the geometry of the fault rupture, and the surface geology where the earthquake struck. CATS' user interface automatically inputs this information from the USGS site and digitized fault lines. When the model output is merged with population databases, this GIS tool can help emergency managers quickly estimate the extent of an expected earthquake, and anticipate response actions. 

During the morning of the earthquake in the Northridge section of Los Angeles, FEMA used CATS to assess the extent of the damage. CATS' earthquake module used bulletins issued by the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Boulder, Colorado to calculate the area impacted by the earthquake. CATS uses the GIS to determine the population and critical resources at risk in the affected areas.

CATS’ analysis of floods is also remarkable.  For example, CATS was able to detect the substantial flooding that occurred in 1993.  The floodwater destroyed substantial farmland, destroyed bridges, plants, and other public structures.  In 1993, the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries flooded entire towns and forced thousands of families from their homes.  The flooding stopped river traffic. Responding to the immediate demands of the crisis, CATS provided information regarding the extent of flood damage, and helped emergency managers determine how much of the population and critical resources were at risk of suffering losses.

Estimates were obtained through CATS' analysis of satellite imagery from sensor satellites set in orbit by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The analysis was performed using CATS.  CATS translated pixels from the satellite images into polygons representing the extent of the flooding. The flood polygons helped determine estimated resources needed for the impacted community.  CATS' assessment helped benefit the affected participants in the nine affected states who needed assistance.

CATS predicts and tracks chemical, biological, and radiological releases.  CATS is used by military forces or civilian deliberate/accidental releases.  Also, CATS emphasizes the calculation and analysis of consequences, which may include the probability of death within a population.

Technological innovation like CATS is a necessity for an emergency manager to effectively mitigate, prepare, and respond to events.  CATS involves various models, scenarios that can be easily implemented by an emergency manager regardless of experience.  Nonetheless, training is an integral tool for an emergency manager to effectively use powerful information technology tools when addressing a disaster. 

Reference

1. http://www.arcdataonline.com/library/userconf/proc97/proc97/to400/pap383/p383.htm