FEMA App Makes Collecting Damage Info Easier

Some emergency management directors in Wisconsin are testing a new application from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Outagamie County director Julie Loeffelholz says the process for collecting disaster damage information has so far been low tech. Loeffelholz tells WLUK-TV she has spent countless hours assessing damage with pencil and paper and then entering the data once back in the office.

The new FEMA app allows inspectors to work right from an iPad or smart phone, input their assessments and include photos. Wisconsin Emergency Management’s Steve Fenske says once the information is entered, an inspector can pull up a map in real time and survey the damage.

FEMA has asked some emergency management offices in Wisconsin and Illinois to test the app. Fenske says there are still some bugs to work out in the software.