A method for hazard mapping illustrated with an example of fire service interventions

Abstract

Spatial information systems are already widely used and are commonly applied in crisis management. The aim of the study was to develop a method for mapping hazards as a tool supporting crisis management processes and decision-making processes for the purposes of security and activities of the Fire Service, and the organisation of the National Rescue and Fire System. As part of the study, formulas determining the scale of danger of each event, and a danger scale factor were developed. Hazard maps were compiled using various methods of cartographic presentation, including interpolation, chorogram, and hotspot. The data used was information from the National Fire Service, from an area accepted as representative. The suggested solution proposes a new method for spatial analysis which takes into account not only the number of events as such, but also the weight of hazards they generate, the specified scale of dan-gers. The conducted study indicates that the hazard map compiled using this method show more spatial relationships than raw statistical data, which enables a better analysis of the studied phenomenon. The end result of the study is the development of algorithms enabling the compilation of a hazard map which takes into account not only the very fact of the occurrence of a hazard but also its weight.