TRAFFIC: San Francisco boosting emergency preparedness with online crisis map

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management soft-launched Crisis Mode, a geo-tagged crisis map that will include real-time displays and updates on emergencies in San Francisco, on Google.org’s open source platform SF72.

In the event of a localized or widespread emergency or incident, Crisis Mode will become the front page of SF72.org and will label and display information on hazardous areas. It will also specify road closures around the hazardous area and identify other roads cars should avoid.

Below the map, a Twitter feed featuring updates from official sources such as the Department of Emergency Management and FEMA will inform site visitors on the status of the emergency. The feed will also feature crowdsource updates from unofficial sources and Twitter accounts that can provide pictures of the incident.

The map currently features traffic updates from 511.org and is still in the early stages of development.