Google first launched their Google Earth software in 2005, and people were immediately fascinated by the potential of this very powerful tool. The first thing most people wanted to see was the images of where they live, and after that people typically started searching for famous landmarks, both locally and around the world. In addition to all of the amazing images that Google Earth was making available for everyone there was also a wealth of information and figures that were being provided as people sat in their homes and explored the planet.
While Google Earth is a great tool to educate, and entertain the average users, it is now also playing a vital role in many emergency services command centers in the U.S. and many other countries too. Google Earth provides detailed, up to date maps of locations for emergency services departments, and provides images of the areas where the services are required that were not available before. For example, if their are travelers who are lost of injured in a remote area, Google Earth can provide recent images of these areas, which can help emergency services departments coordinate a search and rescue mission.
Because Google Earth is free to use, and is available to anyone with a PC and an internet connection, the ability to use Google Earth by emergency services personnel is available to every state, city, and town. While bigger cities were the first to adopt this technology many smaller towns are now adding Google Earth to their existing tools, making the job of first responders on the ground easier. Google Earth even has the ability to be enhanced, allowing fire fighters to have real time information on where a fire is, where it is spreading, and the best way to stop the spread of a large fire. This information in invaluable to those in command, whether it is the fire department or any other emergency services units. Google Earth is helping emergency services personnel save lives, and respond to situations more quickly and more efficiently.
read more »