Statement of Work ...

    At 12:30 P.M. on February 28, 2001, amidst the statewide response to the Magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake, Governor Gary Locke signed a Proclamation of Emergency based, among other indicators, on damage estimates provided by the Hazards USA software (HAZUS).  This was the first significant operational use of Geographical Information System (GIS) data to support executive decision-making by the Washington State Emergency Management Division (EMD).  Now, through the NASA funded Strategic and Practical Use of Remotely Sensed data in Emergency Management (SPURS-EM) Project, EMD is taking the next major step in the use of spatial data by incorporating remote sensing, as an essential tool in the executive decision making process for all phases of emergency management.
    Washington State is one of the states most prone to natural and man-made disasters. In the last 40 years, the state has had 42 Federal Disaster declarations and many more state and locally proclaimed emergencies.  The Mission of Washington State EMD is the protection of life, property, the economy, and the environment. The SPURS-EM application is a directed program to integrate products from satellite remote sensing into the operational structure of the EMD. This goal places remote sensing data in a central role for the complex tasks of hazard preparedness, response, recovery, and more importantly, mitigation. Using remotely sensed data, decision makers will have better information regarding the application of resources to emergency management issues.
    SPURS-EM is focusing on developmental and operational integration for the continuous use of an adaptive classified land cover product and the monthly generation of hazard specific forecasts. SPURS-EM will provide additional, more current remotely sensed information to support the hazards analyses and predictive functions of the EMD in developing the strategic forecast support system. This information will supplement local jurisdictions' priorities and other available information such as risk maps and historical data. 
    SPURS-EM is a partnership between NASA, the EMD, the University of Washington (UW) and the Western Disaster Center (WDC).

For an abridged copy of the SPURS-EM Proposal, click here ...