Mod 1 - Wireframes, HTML/CSS Discussion

 My proposed Web GIS is a Post-Disaster Facility Assessment Web GIS designed to support Incident Command personnel during hurricane and disaster response operations. This idea was inspired by my experience working disaster response following Hurricane Isaias. 

The proposed system would improve disaster response by decreasing planning and response time, organizing assessment activities geographically, increasing efficiency, reducing travel time, and prioritizing facilities most in need of assistance.

The intended audience includes Incident Command personnel, emergency response teams, environmental health professionals, and other disaster response strike teams. The application would display the locations of high-risk facilities, such as mobile home parks, assisted living facilities, hospitals, shelters, and other vulnerable population sites. In addition to mapping facility locations, the application would allow users to collect and store disaster response information, including photographs, damage assessments, resource requests, and field notes.

Several existing systems demonstrate concepts similar to this proposed Web GIS. Examples include the FEMA Geospatial Resource Center (https://gis-fema.hub.arcgis.com), Esri's Hurricane Disaster Response Program (https://www.esri.com/en-us/disaster-response/disasters/hurricanes), and the Florida State Emergency Response Team Geospatial Hub (https://geodata-floridadisaster.hub.arcgis.com). While these systems operate at larger regional and national scales, my proposed Web GIS would be tailored specifically for county-level emergency response operations, such as those conducted in Escambia County, Florida. Additionally, these systems did not seem to be as in depth as my proposed site.
 The interactive map occupies the largest portion of the interface because location-based decision-making is the core function of the system. Search and filter tools are located at the top of the interface to allow users to quickly identify facilities based on facility type, assessment status, damage level, or geographic location. These tools also support route planning by helping Incident Command staff assign assessment areas to strike teams and minimize duplicate efforts. The Assessment Summary panel displays key response metrics, such as the number of facilities assessed, high-priority sites, and outstanding assessments. Each category may be selected to display additional details about affected facilities. Field personnel conducting assessments can enter information directly into the system, allowing results to update in near real time. The dashboard also includes charts that summarize common hurricane impacts, including flooding, wind damage, power outages, and debris. These visualizations help emergency managers quickly identify damage trends and allocate resources such as tarps, utility crews, sandbags, and recovery teams. Finally, the Facility Information panel allows users to select a facility from the map and view detailed information, including the facility name, permit number, assessment status, damage severity, notes, photographs, and resource needs. 
 
According to MacEachren's Cartography Cube, my proposed Web GIS falls between presenting known information and revealing unknown patterns. The application displays assessment information collected by field personnel while also allowing users to identify geographic trends in disaster damage and resource needs. Because assessment data may include sensitive information about vulnerable populations and facilities, the application would primarily be private-facing and intended for Incident Command staff and emergency response personnel.
Together, these features provide a comprehensive system for supporting post-disaster assessment and recovery operations.