Delineating Epistemology-Based Spatial Perceptions of Hazards: Yosemite All Hazards Region Geospatial Coordination Group

Keywords: Hazardscape, GIS, Emergency Response, Public Lands, Gateway Communities
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Monday
Session Start / End Time: 2/28/2022 02:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/28/2022 03:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 16

Abstract

Major natural disasters, such as the 2018 Ferguson Fire in and around Yosemite National Park require collaborative management and response due to complex physical and jurisdictional boundaries. While some entities have successfully utilized the mutual-aid knowledge and resource sharing model across agencies, data sharing in the geospatial sciences still battles challenges with data siloing. Dynamic events, such as the Ferguson Fire, compound issues with data siloing. For example, a county web map only highlighting road closures within their respective boundaries is especially problematic during evacuations, where many visitors and residents rely on digital maps to navigate away from danger safely. This paper first asks what (and where) is the Yosemite National Park region, followed by how epistemologies of emergency responders and geospatial professionals shape their perception of the area and associated hazards. Emergency responders and geospatial professionals are intricately linked before, during, and after hazard events due to the nature of information collection, relay, and action- such as the implementation of an evacuation, communication of evacuation routes, and shelter designation. The authors utilize Esri’s Survey123 software to solicit digital sketch maps created by respondents from emergency response and geospatial fields to better understand how respondents perceive the greater Yosemite Region and identify specific hazards. The geospatially enabled surveys are accompanied by short and long-form responses, facilitating identifying and analyzing epistemologies shaping respondent hazard perceptions. Emergency managers may leverage improved co-production of knowledge to better serve emergency response and support through enhanced understanding of ways of knowing across critical resource groups.