WIRE App – CARO

CARO
https://www.caro.ie/
GIS and Data Analytics, Government and Community, Software and Mobile App Development

The Weather Impacts Register (WIRE) is a location based mobile App developed on behalf of CARO, the local government office for the coordination of local government activities related to climate impact in Ireland.  

The app allows Local Authority staff to record and collect data on the impacts of weather events, and features an online Map Viewer and Data Dashboard to view and analyse spatial event information. 

The system was created using ESRI’s ArcGIS Online and Survey123 suite of applications, and involved the management of complex data flows, custom user views and authorisation, and location data presentation and reporting. 

The data collected will be used to inform climate risk and vulnerability assessments for Local Authorities and to develop an evidence-based approach to climate adaptation planning at a local and regional level.

About CARO

CARO (Climate Action Regional Offices) is a local government initiative for the coordination of local government activities related to climate action in Ireland. 

Comprising four regional initiatives and offices, CARO works with local authorities to deliver climate policies and behavioural change within their own organisations and seek to empower citizens and enterprises to embrace the need for climate action.

Local Authorities are critical for implementing national climate change policy, and the CAROs coordinate climate action at a regional and local level. 

Their work programme includes six key themes:  adaptation, mitigation, communication and citizen engagement, training and education, knowledge development, and office management and response partnership.

Project Requirements

In developing local authority adaptation strategies, it was discovered that there was a lack of recorded data available on the impact of weather events in Ireland. 

CARO Atlantic Seaboard North requested development of a mobile App to capture the impacts of weather events by Local Authority staff. 

The proposed solution would include an intuitive ‘form’ that would allow for the field recording of weather event impacts, plus an online map viewer and data dashboard to view and analyse the collected information. 

The system would be developed using ESRI’s ArcGIS Online suite and Survey123 applications, with Climate Ireland providing strategic advice to allow captured data to be embedded into a Climate Change Risk & Vulnerability Tool for cross-sectoral use. 

The resulting ArcGIS Web AppBuilder applications and Dashboard would be utilised by all 31 Local Authorities in Ireland, and would be named WIRE, the Weather Impacts Register.

Compass’ Solution – WIRE Mobile App

The WIRE mobile App was developed to enable Local Authority staff to easily capture the local impacts of weather events on various infrastructure, services, and the environment. 

The app features an intuitive data collection form that can be accessed on a mobile device or desktop PC, with GPS-enabled location tracking and the option to upload photos and additional file formats as desired. 

The data is stored in a cloud service and can be viewed and analysed in real-time through a web map viewer and data dashboard. 

The resulting dataset will be used to inform climate risk and vulnerability assessments for Local Authorities and aid in evidence-based climate adaptation planning.

Solution Benefit

  • Real-time collection of data – providing officials with data on storm damage as it happens, which can help them respond quickly and effectively. 
  • Increased accuracy – the WIRE app help ensure that the data collected is accurate and consistent, through inclusion of features like GPS image tagging and form drop downs.
  • Streamlined data management – the WIRE app has helped to streamline the process of collecting and managing data, as information can be automatically organised in a central database.
  • Improved communication – the app has facilitated improved communication between officials and residents, allowing a coordinated local government response.
  • Long-term planning – Through the coordinated recording of damage over time, central and local government can gain insight to trends and patterns that can inform their long-term planning efforts around climate change.

Solution Snapshot

Illustration of CARO data dashboard
Illustration of CARO web map interface, and mobile App survey GUI

About Compass

Compass Informatics is an Irish company providing location technologies and data analytics solutions which enable government and commercial organisations to deliver more efficient operations, protect their assets and meet regulatory requirements.   

Compass Informatics’ services include GIS & Data Analytics, IT Systems Development and Location Technologies and the company has won awards for their innovative solutions and focus on sustainability.

Compass leverages the latest technologies to achieve full-service project delivery including; Big Data Analytics, AI, Cloud, Mobile, GIS and Satellite-based Earth Observation amongst others. 

Compass Informatics  are part of Tracsis Plc.

LinkedIn | Website

To learn more about this project, and how the solution provided may benefit your organisation, please contact our government solutions team at info@compassinformatics.com.