Complexity defines today’s security operations. Digital maps provide the digital backbone for agencies that provide real-time situational awareness, enable rapid decision-making and stitch together information for seamless interagency collaboration. The practical, day-to-day value of GIS, especially as agencies move from static paper maps to dynamic, interactive digital environments, continues to bring a significant return on investment (ROI).
The annual Esri Safety and Security Summit (ES3), held this July in San Diego, drew hundreds of public safety leaders, emergency managers, law enforcement officials and geospatial professionals from across the globe. This year’s sessions, panel discussions and live demos offered a window into how geographic information systems (GIS) technology is not just mapping the world…but actively safeguarding it.
Indoor Mapping: From Tactical Response to Everyday Operations
Across complex urban campuses, vital infrastructure, schools, and high-profile events, public safety agencies face an expanding web of risks which GIS helps agencies effectively address.
Precision Mapping for Life-Saving Response
John Peabody, GIS Administrator for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, recounted how his team initiated school mapping efforts in response to active shooter incidents. This move was driven by the need for detailed interior maps, not only for law enforcement use but also to empower 911 dispatchers with the capability to pinpoint an exact location down to the specific room within a building. This granularity proves essential in life-threatening situations by shaving minutes off emergency response times and potentially saving lives.
Mark Yacucci from the Illinois State Geological Survey shared his own real-world example. GIS-enabled indoor mapping guided emergency responders directly to a distressed teacher via a school’s side entrance. This reduced the response time by five critical minutes.
Integrating GIS With Facility Systems for Enhanced Security
Integration of indoor maps with existing facility systems further elevates building security and situational awareness. Kyle Yoder, Chief of Threat Management at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, highlighted the benefits of merging data streams from card readers, panic buttons and other systems within the GIS platform. This creates a real-time, data-rich environment in which responders can see not only where an incident is happening, but also who could be affected, which allows for more efficient and informed responses.
Beyond Emergencies: The Broader Value of GIS
While security and emergency use cases often take the spotlight, GIS offers far-reaching benefits beyond crisis management. Speakers at ES3 noted that the utility of GIS extends into facilities management, maintenance and routine operations. The same detailed maps used for emergencies can streamline maintenance workflows, asset tracking and day-to-day facility oversight. All of these use cases offer greater returns on investment (ROI).
For example, integrating GIS with building management, asset tracking, and visitor systems fosters a cohesive digital infrastructure. Yoder observed that by leveraging platforms like ArcGIS Enterprise, organizations gain comprehensive situational awareness that encompasses both what is happening inside a facility and external factors that could impact security and operations. This holistic view empowers multiple stakeholders, from security professionals to facilities managers, from both a safety and operational efficiency standpoint. In short, embracing GIS for indoor mapping enables agencies and organizations to evolve from reactive crisis management to proactive, holistic facility stewardship.
Digital Twins: Bridging the Physical and Virtual Worlds
The use of 3D digital twins for security planning and response ranked high among some of the most talked-about innovations at ES3.
Mike Lambert, Director of the Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement, described how his agency leverages digital twins to protect critical infrastructure, from airports and harbors to the state capitol. “When integrated with detection hardware, it can increase an operator’s awareness of movement patterns and identify security weaknesses,” Lambert explained. Virtual models allow for immersive training, scenario planning and forensic scene reconstruction after an incident.
Drone flights and 360-degree cameras can quickly generate detailed 3D models of complex facilities, as demonstrated live by Pedder, Senior Solutions Engineer at Esri. These models are not just static representations; they are layered with real-time data from sensors, cameras and access control systems. During a simulated lockdown, for example, the digital twin displayed live updates as people exited the building, cameras tracked movement and responders navigated evacuation routes, all within a virtual command center.
The benefits of digital twins extend beyond tactical response. “We want to be able to conduct training that could include multiple personnel that are geographically separated using virtual environments,” Lambert said. This capability is especially valuable in Hawaii, where law enforcement teams are spread across multiple islands. Digital twins make it possible to run joint exercises and scenario-based training without the logistical challenges of gathering everyone in one place.
Securing Large-Scale Events: Real-Time Coordination Across Venues
The summit also addressed the unique challenges of securing large-scale events, where multiple venues, jurisdictions and agencies must work in concert. Chris Delaney, Product Owner for Law Enforcement Solutions at Esri, and Zach Spencer, Solutions Engineer, showcased how ArcGIS solutions can orchestrate security operations for major events like the Club World Cup.
Traditional hardcopy maps, Delaney noted, simply cannot keep up with the dynamic nature of live events. Instead, agencies turn to ArcGIS Watch Center, a “single pane of glass” solution that compiles real-time data from multiple sources, including live feeds, alerts and partner data. Watch officers can monitor threats at multiple locations, elevate incidents to internal stakeholders and push updates directly to field officers’ mobile devices.
The Special Event Operations solution takes this further by enabling agencies to map out operational plans for each venue, assign staff, track assets and manage road closure, all in a dynamic, interactive environment. “Every feature I create also includes a unique ID for wayfinding and number of officers assigned,” Delaney explained. The system supports both digital and hardcopy outputs so that all stakeholders, from field officers to event coordinators, have the information they need, when they need it.
The Power of Standards and Interoperability
As GIS adoption accelerates, the need for standards has become paramount. Brandon Abley, Chief Technology Officer for the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), stressed that the United States doesn’t have a single 911 system, but thousands of them. “For 911 to have a consistent experience for people that have emergencies across the United States, it’s very important that everything works the same way. That’s where we come in, as the standards development organization for 911,” Abley explained.
The move to “Next Generation 911” (NG911) is a major step forward. NG911 upgrades the old telephony-based system to an IP-based, multimedia ecosystem to allow for the integration of voice, text, images and precise location data, including 3D coordinates. “For your 2D coordinates to make sense, you need a map. For your 3D coordinates to make sense, you need a 3D map,” Abley noted. This shift continues to drive the adoption of advanced indoor mapping and digital twins for real-time actionable location data.
Peabody described the challenges of working across jurisdictions and software platforms, especially during large-scale disasters like hurricanes. “We’ve done a number of tests, deliberately transferring calls to try to identify the problems and issues that we’re having with location, combinations of the different tools, the ways to communicate data from one center to the other. We’re still marching down that road,” he said. Efforts to improve data sharing and interoperability remain ongoing.
Key ES3 Takeaways: Collaboration, Precision and Preparedness
To summarize some key takeaways from the summit:
- Importance of Collaboration: between agencies,technology vendors, standards bodies and the broader GIS community Abley encouraged attendees to join NENA’s open standards working groups, noting, “Anyone can join a work group, regardless of their qualifications or expertise. All of our standards are free and open. There are no dues to participate. You don’t have to pay to access our standards. That’s something we’re very proud of.”
- High-Precision GIS for Data Collection and Mapping: collected with modern tools like GeoSLAM, enables agencies to capture everything from building layouts to the location of USB ports in an airport terminal. This level of detail supports not only emergency response but also long-term planning and infrastructure management.
- Growing Role of GIS Complex Hazard Preparation and Management: From wildfires to pandemics. Lambert reflected on the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, noting that digital twins could have provided critical modeling and evacuation planning information for law enforcement. “Most people don’t want to put money into prevention, but really it can save you a lot of money when it comes to public safety,” he said.
GIS: The Cornerstone of Modern Security
The Esri Safety and Security Summit painted a compelling picture of how professionals weave GIS into the fabric of modern security operations. From indoor mapping and digital twins to real-time event management and standards-based interoperability, GIS empowers agencies to respond faster, coordinate better and plan smarter. The clear security message from ES3: those who harness the power of GIS will be best positioned to protect their communities.