New Common Operating Platform Enhances Emergency Response Capability
Fire and Emergency's Data and Analytics Directorate recently received international recognition at the 2024 Esri User Conference in San Diego, winning a Special Achievement in GIS award for the Common Operating Picture developed during Cyclone Gabrielle. This success has now evolved into our permanent Common Operating Platform (COP), which launched in July 2024.
From Award-Winning Innovation to Operational Reality
The original Common Operating Picture created during Cyclone Gabrielle connected 34 government agencies, 5 commercial agencies, 215 individual accounts, and 30 different datasets. This collaborative approach provided crucial situational awareness that transformed how we coordinate multi-agency responses.
Building on this success, the new COP provides a permanent, web-based platform with secure login access that integrates over 26 data sources into four separate applications:
- Situational Awareness (what is happening)
- People and Property (who it is happening to)
- Assets and Infrastructure (where it is happening and infrastructure condition)
- Imagery Viewer (visual intelligence including satellite, aerial, and drone imagery)
Supporting Frameworks: Data Sharing in Emergencies
The platform's effectiveness relies on robust data sharing protocols. Our recently developed "Data Sharing in Emergencies" guideline provides the framework for sharing critical information with partner agencies while protecting privacy and commercial interests. This guideline enables conditional sharing of Fire and Emergency-collected data with key emergency services (Police, St John/Wellington Free Ambulance, NEMA/CDEM) while maintaining appropriate restrictions for commercially sensitive or personal information.
Looking Forward
The COP represents a new chapter in emergency response capability for New Zealand. By combining award-winning innovation with practical field application and robust data governance, we're better positioned to protect our communities during large-scale events.
The platform will continue evolving based on user feedback and operational experience, ensuring it remains responsive to the changing needs of emergency response in New Zealand.
Learn more
Contact the Data and Analytics team, or visit the Data User Community COP pages(external link) for more detailed information.
Click here(external link) to register for our September Live Info Session where Phil Woods (COP Product Manager) will demonstrate the platform in action and answer your questions.