The Utah Geospatial Emergency Management Hub (UGEM) is a community-driven organization led by a dedicated five-member Coordinating Board and supported by a statewide network of GIS professionals. UGEM serves as a centralized coordinating group to provide resources for local, county, state and private sector geospatial professionals that may encounter emergency management in their organizations. We aim to produce templates, lists of standardized data, point at existing resources, and provide training and exercise opportunities.
The UGEM Hub
The Hub is the digital centerpiece of our organization—a “one-stop shop” for emergency GIS in Utah. Maintained by the Board with assistance from the membership, the Hub ensures that professionals don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” during a crisis.
- Centralized Data: Access to curated, authoritative geospatial layers specifically for Utah emergency contexts.
- Standardized Toolkits: Downloadable templates for Incident Maps, damage assessment forms, and public information dashboards.
- Resource Library: A repository of information on emergency management topics and best practices, existing web applications and maps pertaining to emergency management, and links to various resources such as Esri Solutions.
- Collaboration Space: Integrated communication channels where members can troubleshoot technical issues and share real-time updates.
Quarterly Meetings
These meetings serve as the heartbeat of the organization, ensuring consistent communication and professional growth.
- Peer-to-Peer Learning: Quarterly gatherings provide a forum to discuss lessons learned from recent incidents and share “what worked” in the field.
- Operational Updates: The Board provides updates on Hub developments, upcoming training opportunities, and any changes in statewide emergency management policies.
- Networking: An opportunity for GIS professionals from the public and private sectors to build the relationships necessary for effective cross-jurisdictional collaboration.
Training Tracks
To outline clear standardized educational pathways for understanding the broader emergency management systems and how GIS fits into them.
- Knowledge Certificates: Members can follow specific “tracks” consisting of FEMA/ICS courses, technical GIS workshops, and UGEM-specific training.
- Validated Skills: Completing a track earns a member a Knowledge Certificate, signifying they possess the specific skills needed to support an emergency organization effectively.
- Professional Alignment: These tracks ensure GIS professionals are familiar with NIMS/ICS terminology and the specific information needs of an incident.
Exercises
UGEM provides a safe environment to test tools and skills before they are needed in a real-world response.
Real-World Readiness: Exercises allow members to identify gaps in their workflows and data, ensuring that both the professional and their tools are ready when an actual disaster strikes.
Annual Exercise: Our signature event, to be held at the Utah Geographic Information Council conference, where members apply their training in a high-fidelity simulated emergency.
Tabletop & Functional Drills: Periodically, the Training Coordinator organizes focused drills to test new templates or data-sharing procedures between different agencies.
Quick Links
- Join the Utah Geospatial Emergency Management Hub Google Group
Get invited to our quarterly meetings and notice of upcoming trainings - Training Resources
Access FEMA ICS training and other resources to prepare for GIS roles in emergency management. - Standard Operating Guide (SOG)
Read the full UMETT GIS Response Standard Operating Guide for in-depth information on our procedures.
If you would like to join the Utah Mapping Emergency Technical Team or have questions/needs:
Email: ugem.hub@gmail.com
Suggestions: Drop a note in our new suggestion box!
Meetings: Join our quarterly meetings, in person or virtually, to stay engaged and informed.
Social Media: Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for updates and resources.