Yesterday, an integrated management system of emergencies was presented in the district. The main objective is to analyse systems that can prevent and, in case of emergency, energize the action of the entities involved. The application was developed by UPorto.
SIGEP (Integrated Management System of Emergencies of Porto) was presented yesterday. It is an information convergence platform with the purpose of aiding the civil defense and emergency agents in Porto. This initiative of the Civil Government can evaluate the impact of a natural risk, identify the structures and locate the assistance means in situations of crisis.
INESC Porto and the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Porto developed the application that enables the use of the system through extranet. This way, several data, cartographic maps and information enabling faster information intersection and response are available. The data are online and they can be accessed through a password.
During the presentation ceremony, the autarchies that joined SIGEP (Porto, Gondomar, Maia, Póvoa do Varzim, Tirso, Amarante and Felgueiras) were given usernames and passwords. The companies that joined the system include APDL (Administration of the Ports of Douro and Leixões), Estradas de Portugal, STCP, Portgás and Metro do Porto. District entities like PSP and GNR of Matosinhos were present as well as the Porto Red Cross, INEM and the Rede Eléctrica Nacional.
Symbolically, the first password used was Isabel Oneto’s, the Civil Governor of Porto. Carlos Bateira, from the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Letters of UPorto, then presented the first public demonstration of SIGEP. According to this Professor, “the reaction of the civil defense agents is very important for the second phase that will start now”. Carlos Bateira used a hypothetical accident to show how the track centres and gas network can be located in Vila do Conde.
He also explained that “whoever is on the road will be able to locate the networks. This way, civil defense will now work at a prevention rather than at an assistance level. Carlos Bateira highlighted the importance of “maximum accuracy in the information given by the agents. Georeferencing must be accurate given that it is not possible to check with GPS”. The Professor showed how you can choose the scale and “impress given information to ease interventions in the spot”.
SIGEP can locate hospitals and health care centres and it can also choose the place with detail, namely through geographical coordinates. It also offers search by subject and listing of means. The only flaw is the available information on dangerous material that is not available yet. The manager stressed that “only the industrial areas are marked, so the project needs further development”.
The Civil Governor of Porto stated that the kick-off for the creation of the system was the intention of “safeguarding the assistance teams. There were teams that could be at risk because they don’t know the location of ammunition or fuel dumps.”. Isabel Oneto mentioned that “from now on, the tendency is to have each city hall manage the municipality themselves”. The civil governor emphasized the “commitment and determination” of everyone involved and she revealed that “in the beginning of this project, the resources were scarce and it looked like we were making stone soup. Now we want to run for structural funds.” Isabel Oneto concluded saying that “it’s everyone’s system and we must be congratulated”.
The ceremony, which took place in the Almeida Garrett Library, involved the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Metro do Porto, Oliveira Marques, Vítor Guimarães - the director of Polícia Judiciária, presidents of several city halls, elements of the Portuguese Republican National Guard, the Polícia Judiciária and the Army, Firemen Corporations, elements of the Red Cross, the Port Authority of Porto and Douro and the Fiscal Guard.
O Primeiro de Janeiro, April 3rd 2007
Text by Favid Furtado and photo by Carlos Machado
Yesterday, an integrated management system of emergencies was presented in the district. The main objective is to analyse systems that can prevent and, in case of emergency, energize the action of the entities involved. The application was developed by UPorto.
SIGEP (Integrated Management System of Emergencies of Porto) was presented yesterday. It is an information convergence platform with the purpose of aiding the civil defense and emergency agents in Porto. This initiative of the Civil Government can evaluate the impact of a natural risk, identify the structures and locate the assistance means in situations of crisis.
INESC Porto and the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Porto developed the application that enables the use of the system through extranet. This way, several data, cartographic maps and information enabling faster information intersection and response are available. The data are online and they can be accessed through a password.
During the presentation ceremony, the autarchies that joined SIGEP (Porto, Gondomar, Maia, Póvoa do Varzim, Tirso, Amarante and Felgueiras) were given usernames and passwords. The companies that joined the system include APDL (Administration of the Ports of Douro and Leixões), Estradas de Portugal, STCP, Portgás and Metro do Porto. District entities like PSP and GNR of Matosinhos were present as well as the Porto Red Cross, INEM and the Rede Eléctrica Nacional.
Symbolically, the first password used was Isabel Oneto’s, the Civil Governor of Porto. Carlos Bateira, from the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Letters of UPorto, then presented the first public demonstration of SIGEP. According to this Professor, “the reaction of the civil defense agents is very important for the second phase that will start now”. Carlos Bateira used a hypothetical accident to show how the track centres and gas network can be located in Vila do Conde.
He also explained that “whoever is on the road will be able to locate the networks. This way, civil defense will now work at a prevention rather than at an assistance level. Carlos Bateira highlighted the importance of “maximum accuracy in the information given by the agents. Georeferencing must be accurate given that it is not possible to check with GPS”. The Professor showed how you can choose the scale and “impress given information to ease interventions in the spot”.
SIGEP can locate hospitals and health care centres and it can also choose the place with detail, namely through geographical coordinates. It also offers search by subject and listing of means. The only flaw is the available information on dangerous material that is not available yet. The manager stressed that “only the industrial areas are marked, so the project needs further development”.
The Civil Governor of Porto stated that the kick-off for the creation of the system was the intention of “safeguarding the assistance teams. There were teams that could be at risk because they don’t know the location of ammunition or fuel dumps.”. Isabel Oneto mentioned that “from now on, the tendency is to have each city hall manage the municipality themselves”. The civil governor emphasized the “commitment and determination” of everyone involved and she revealed that “in the beginning of this project, the resources were scarce and it looked like we were making stone soup. Now we want to run for structural funds.” Isabel Oneto concluded saying that “it’s everyone’s system and we must be congratulated”.
The ceremony, which took place in the Almeida Garrett Library, involved the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Metro do Porto, Oliveira Marques, Vítor Guimarães - the director of Polícia Judiciária, presidents of several city halls, elements of the Portuguese Republican National Guard, the Polícia Judiciária and the Army, Firemen Corporations, elements of the Red Cross, the Port Authority of Porto and Douro and the Fiscal Guard.
O Primeiro de Janeiro, April 3rd 2007
Text by Favid Furtado and photo by Carlos Machado