ABSTRACT
Contents Background .......................................................................................................168 GIS for the EMS DOC .....................................................................................170 Evolution of a Disaster Preparedness Spatial Database .......................................171
Background San Diego is the second most populated county in the State of California with over 3.1 million residents living in 18 cities and a vast unincorporated area. San Diego County’s land area of approximately 4,200 square miles contains four major microclimates including coastal, inland, mountain, and desert, and a mix of urban, suburban, rural, and remote communities. Although numerous fault lines run through San Diego County, the most likely natural disaster comes not from seismic activity, but from wildfire. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection developed models ranking fire probability based on factors, such as the frequency of fire weather, fuel ignition patterns, expected rate of spread, and/or past fire history. Nearly all of the land area in San Diego County is ranked as “high” to “very high” fire risk (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 2008). San Diego County residents have recently experienced two major wildfires, or firestorms, in the past few years: 2003 and 2007.
