Los Angeles County has contracted with the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge at the UCLA School of Public Affairs to develop an online database and mapping system to address emergency planning, evacuation and response needs for specific-needs and vulnerable populations living in the county. The project, representing approximately $500,000, according to the center's associate director, Alan Toy, is being funded by the State Homeland Security Grants Program.

"The Center for Neighborhood Knowledge has developed an international reputation for the use of technology in building communities, said Barbara J. Nelson, dean of the School of Public Affairs. "This initiative will use that community knowledge to help save lives in a disaster."

The UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge will utilize geographic information systems (GIS) mapping and sophisticated database connectivity to both store and share data with emergency managers and first responders. The mapping system - called the Los Angeles County Operational Area (LACOA) Specific Needs Awareness Plan (SNAP), or SNAP Maps - entails that individuals voluntarily provide information on any special or specific assistance they would require in the event of a disaster, which will allow responders to plan for and accommodate those needs when appropriate. Data sharing protocols with city and county agencies will allow information about the area's most vulnerable populations to be stored in secure environments accessible only in the instance of life-threatening emergencies.

"[The center] has been a leader in the use of digital mapping for the benefit of diverse communities. We are very pleased to be working in partnership with the county and city of Los Angeles on this important project," said Toy. "This type of work, which combines information technology, urban planning and organizational skills, and which can have real benefit for the community, is what our center thrives on."

The SNAP Maps project will be a cooperative endeavor with key stakeholders and first responders in the Los Angeles County area. To date, this partnership includes the Los Angeles
County Office of Emergency Management; the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office and Emergency Preparedness Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department; the Los Angeles Police Department; Los Angeles city and county fire departments; the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services; the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services; the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; the Los Angeles City Department on Disability; the Area Agencies on Aging; the United States Department of Homeland Security; the Governor's Office of Emergency Services; the Disaster Management Areas Coordinators; and others.

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