Cape Town has introduced an integrated solution for city emergency management.
In the event of a catastrophe, every second counts. If a fire breaks out or a city is flooded, emergency services need to get to the scene quickly, and in force. Yet all too often information exchange between various control centers is uncoordinated and resources are allocated incorrectly owing to lack of knowledge about the latest developments. This can have fatal consequences.
With modern technology from SAP, Cape Town is better prepared to tackle emergencies
Many cities have since discovered the importance of modern technology when it comes to developing a coordinated incident management system. Cape Town is one of them. The city battles heavy fires during the hot summer months, which are particularly prevalent in the city’s most impoverished areas. For these inhabitants, fire prevention is unsurprisingly not one of their top priorities. According to statistics from 2011, Cape Town reported 105 fire victims in so-called “informal settlements.” Between December 1, 2012, and January 8, 2013, fires destroyed the homes of more than 5,200 people within this timeframe alone.
In an attempt to better prepare themselves for such events in the future, Cape Town initiated project EPIC (Emergency Policing and Incident Command) more than three years ago. The result was the creation of a centralized emergency control platform, upon which information is shared, updated, and consolidated between stakeholders.
First responders at the scene have access to the latest data via their mobile devices, and can thereby take the necessary measures – and have better control of the situation. Additional functions enable emergency services to make detailed analyses to draw lessons for future planning. The system, EPIC, went live in November last year.
SAP realized the solution together with its partner EOH. The solution is based on its own components, such as SAP CRM powered by SAP HANA and SAP Investigative Case Management, as well as EOH modules, such as EOH Computer Aided Dispatch with GIS. Thanks to this, the city feels well prepared to tackle any emergency situation.
