For me this was one of the most interesting and exciting lectures as we got to see in great detail crucial real-world GIS applications. This lecture used the example of the Calgary Fire Department and their use of GIS in planning for the future, deciding where to locate new stations and apparatus deployment. GIS was used for mapping neighbourhood fire risk building by building based on concentration of structures and distribution.

Other applications included historical fire mapping to determine neighbourhood risk, hydrant mapping, station mapping and estimated response times. Station mapping is particularly important to understand how fast an apparatus can reach the nearby allocated buildings, which routes it can take and which hydrants it can use. It is also used for determining where to locate new stations based on response times and expected population growth and neighbourhood developments.

Often fire departments have to respond to emergencies other than fires, so strategical placement of fire trucks and real-time incident monitoring is also quite important. Overall a lot goes into planning where to locate fire stations, hydrants and trucks as they determine the safety of neighbourhoods.