PDA-GPS integration for improving response efficiency Ken Hudnut and Keith Stark USGS-SCIGN The EOC in the 21 st Century California Institute of Technology June 26, 2001

acronyms PDA – Personal Digital (data) Assistant – In this case, not Preliminary Damage Assessment GPS – Global Positioning System SCIGN – Southern California Integrated GPS Network ATC – Applied Technology Council SEAOC – Structural Engineers Assoc. of Calif. OES – Office of Emergency Services Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U. S. Government

Northridge earthquake Used precise GPS to assess damage to infrastructure – Freeway overpasses – Dams – Buildings Measured tilts and strains on lifeline infrastructure – Aqueducts – Pipelines – Transmission lines How was GPS used then, and how can it be used in the future? from report by USGS, Caltrans & NGS to FEMA

‘Useful tools’ Field users - emergency responders – Hands free: whatever is in hand must be vital – Communications (wireless) – Intelligence/information (PDA) – Time and location (GPS) EOC – Accurate locations to and from field users – Spatial reference (CSRC)

Integrating components of a system PDA – handles the map base & location tracking in the field GPS – provides location (good to 6 meters - or even to a few centimeters - in real-time) Wireless – telecommunications to and from the field person and/or their vehicle GIS – mapping system back at the EOC putting this all together can improve response efficiency

GPS – Global Positioning System GPS is a U.S.-built constellation of navigation satellites (SoCal – LAAFB) Normally it is used for ‘coarse’ positioning – Handheld GPS units (~$100-$500) C/A code only 6 meter precision (with SA turned off) We ‘earthquake people’ do precise GPS – Top-notch GPS receivers ($11,000) P-code and phase on both L1 & L2 Differential phase - several millimeter precision (1000x better!) Wide range of uses for GPS data provided by SCIGN; land surveying, GIS mapping Precise GPS for emergency responders in the future; search & rescue? Do you have applications?

‘normal’ vs. ‘precise’ GPS 5/2/2000 ended SA normal GPS improved by about 10x Note: the Plugger2 military 1-2 m “cheap” useful tool location, location, location…

GPS & PDA integration Many manufacturers for ‘handheld’ GPS units – can be cabled to all types of PDA’s – Standard messaging format to get GPS location read into PDA Some GPS units (for $110) now clip onto PDA – handy for field use Either GPS stand-alone, or with PDA, provide basic mapping and location, etc. Wide range of applications…

Building safety assessment OES volunteer program ATC-20 training & certification Data collection and mapping – Field assessments – Transmittal of field data to EOC – Assimilation of information Better-informed decisions More efficient deployment of resources When an earthquake occurs, a well defined approach now exists for the rapid inspection of structural damage

Description Location Evaluation Tag posting action – Red – Yellow – Green Notes

Northridge building safety and damage assessment map Building damage reported and mapped in detail: – OES GIS lab for FEMA ‘DR-1008’ – Damage is used to define intensity of shaking – Tagging can be used to estimate shaking intensity Valuable data for many purposes Can gather, assimilate, and distribute this information faster and better today than we could in 1994

Future applications ATC-20 PDA & GPS using wireless and web-based collection and distribution – Form on PDA w/ GPS – Wireless link to GIS at EOC – GIS map out to field users Field data acquisition and rapid assimilation – GPS & PDA for fire perimeter mapping; e.g. tracking the Viejas wildfire progression Rapid imagery: airborne and satellite – air photos (digital) – laser swath mapping (topo) – imaging spectro-radiometers (thermal) Combination of remote and direct observations to facilitate informed emergency response decisions

Assess damage to infrastructure Were tilts or strains large enough to damage systems? (from regional measurements) Did damage occur to critical structures or systems? (from site-specific monitoring) – Pacoima dam GPS monitoring since Sept with LA County GPS data can indicate damage to engineered structures such as overpasses and tall buildings

Precise GPS location Search and rescue operations: – Rubble and confusion – Loss of landmarks and features or references – Where are the victims likely to be trapped? – Need for precise positioning to target search and rescue Other needs for precise, real- time GPS for emergency response? If the earth trembles..... If humans are buried in the rubble Then there is no time to lose Because only 100 hours remain to save any buried ones still living But where to search exactly? Only if the rescue teams know where the buried victims are, they can dig exactly there to rescue them Each search without reference point costs valuable time

For more information: Kenneth W. Hudnut, Ph.D. Geophysicist USGS Pasadena Arthur C. Clarke's 2 nd Law: "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible."