Emergency Management BC (EMBC) and GeoBC received an award of excellence earlier this month for developing the British Columbia Emergency Event Map Viewer (BCeMap) application using Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Canada's geographic information system (GIS) technology.

Funded partly through Natural Resources Canada's GeoConnection program, the new application allows public-sector agencies to share geographic information for a unified view of emergency events across the province.

"BCeMap is an excellent example of how a GIS can help promote partnership among government agencies to enable better co-ordination and delivery of services," says Alex Miller, president of ESRI Canada.

EMBC, which operates under the province's ministry of public safety and solicitor general, is mandated to enhance the ability of government and first responder agencies to assist citizens during disasters, while GeoBC is a public-sector service that allows British Columbia's government, partner agencies and residents to create, access and use provincial GIS data.