‘Big Data’ as a Strategic Enabler of Superior Emergency Service Management: Lessons from the New South Wales State Emergency Service

Abstract

A unique form of organization that has not received much attention are emergency services organizations, which are tasked with responding to crises and disasters such as floods, fires, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural and man-made disasters. Effective responses in such situations are reliant on the availability of archived information as well as on the effective real-time integration and utilization of data coming from various channels including sensors, satellites, social media feeds, photos, video and cell phone GPS signals or ‘Big Data’ (IBM 2012; Rich 2012). The effective management of these events also requires the collaboration and coordination of a range of government decision makers, emergency response stakeholders, and community-based non-government organizations (Chatfield, Fosso Wamba et al. 2010). The availability of real-time location-aware information, as well as the ability to effectively integrate and utilize information available with different autonomous agencies are key to effective decision making and resource deployment to respond to crises.

This paper draws on an in-depth case study of The New South Wales State Emergency Service (NSW SES) use of ‘Big Data’ for improved emergency service delivery to draw lessons for the effective use of ‘Big Data’. The NSW SES was formed in April 1955 by the New South Wales (NSW) State Government, Australia, after the state experienced disastrous floods. The main objective for the NSW SES was to provide support to the community facing flood disasters. From those beginnings, NSW SES has now evolved to providing leadership and relief in various emergency situations such as storms, tsunami, and disasters management; resupplying the communities affected by disasters; launching air, flood, and road crash rescue operations; and developing community responder, vertical rescue, land search, evidence search, logistics support, and assisting primary industries. The NSW SES is a geographically dispersed covering the entire State of NSW, an area of approximately 800 642 sq. km.

Keywords: ‘Big Data’, disaster management, emergency service, enterprise architecture, benefits, business value, trust, accountability, transparency