ArcGIS Guide—Questions and Answers for Emergency Managers

How-To Series continues with answering the following question: I have access to an ArcGIS license; how do I know what product I need?

Do you need a real-time/interactive map with your own datasets?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Online (a cloud-based service)
• ArcGIS Enterprise (hosted on-premises, behind a firewall) ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Desktop (single use desktop software)
• ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Desktop (single use desktop software

Does your real-time/interactive map need to be mobile-friendly?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Instant Apps (built into ArcGIS Online)
• ArcGIS Experience Builder (built into ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise)

Do you need a situational awareness dashboard?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Dashboards (built into ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, and ArcGIS Desktop)

Does your situational awareness dashboard need to be mobile-friendly?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Experience Builder (built into ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise)
• ArcGIS Instant Apps (built into ArcGIS Online

Do you need an executive briefing capability?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS StoryMaps (requires ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise)
• Portfolio App (offered within ArcGIS Instant Apps)

Does your executive briefing capability need to be mobile-friendly?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Experience Builder (built into ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise)

Do you need data visualization, analysis, and graphics?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Insights (requires ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, and ArcGIS Desktop)
• ArcGIS Business Analyst (must have a Business Analyst license)

Do you need a field-based data-collection capability (e.g., damage assessments)?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Survey123 (built into ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise)

Do you need a cascading impacts analysis?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Dashboards (built into ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, and ArcGIS Desktop)
• ArcGIS Business Analyst (must have a Business Analyst license)
• Situation Awareness Viewer

Do you need to perform data analytics?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Desktop (requires a Desktop license)
• ArcGIS Velocity (requires ArcGIS Online, must have a Velocity license); or,
• ArcGIS GeoEvent Server (requires ArcGIS Enterprise, hosted on-premises, must have a GeoEvent Server license); or,
• ArcGIS Business Analyst (requires ArcGIS Enterprise, hosted on-premises, must have a Business Analyst license)

Do you need a physical security/indoors tool?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Indoors (requires ArcGIS Enterprise, requires an Indoors server and Indoors license)

Do you need a mission tasker to manage a team between an operations center and the field?

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Mission (requires ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Mission Server); and,
• ArcGIS Mission Manager (web app, requires ArcGIS Mission Server); and,
• ArcGIS Mission Responder (mobile app, requires ArcGIS Mission Server)

Your organization’s policies don’t allow for mobile or cloud-based technology.

ArcGIS products to ask about:

• ArcGIS Platform (full suite of GIS products); or,
• ArcGIS Enterprise (hosted on-premises, behind a firewall); or, ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Desktop (single use desktop software)

Current ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online users have access to the following emergency management solutions:

• GIS for Hazard Mitigation and Risk Reduction
• Situational Awareness
• Damage Assessments
• Debris Management
• Public Information Sharing and Collaboration

Any questions? Connect with your Esri Account Manager or email emergencymanagement@esri.com to get a response from our Emergency Management team at Esri.

Need assistance during an active event? Please submit a request at Disaster Request Assistance.

Carrie Speranza

Carrie Speranza, CEM, director of Emergency Management Solutions at Esri, is responsible for cross-cutting industry-wide strategic initiatives. Previously, Carrie worked at the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, where she served as deputy director. She is the current chair of the FEMA National Advisory Council, where she has served as an Administrator’s appointee since 2019. Carrie is the president of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and was selected as one of the Top 40 Under 40 in 2021 by IAEM-USA. Carrie is a graduate of the National Emergency Management Executive Academy.