Santa Rosa County Florida Emergency Management Division Using Xora in Response to Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

Mobile Phone-based Xora Application Used to Capture Oil Spill Information To Speed Response

Mountain View, CA (PRWEB) August 10, 2010

Xora, a global provider of location-based mobile workforce management solutions, today announced that Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Division in Florida has used Xora to track the flow of oil off its coast from the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico that began in April. Data captured by emergency teams with the Xora application was used to speed response activities, thus limiting the ability of the oil to drift into local waterways and estuaries.

Armed with GPS-enabled Sprint HTC EVO™ Android 4G mobile phones running Xora, Santa Rosa County emergency management teams on patrol boats scouted for oil. When product was found, team members used the Xora app to take a picture and fill out a form noting what type of oil product was found. The photo was attached to the form, and both were submitted via the Xora app to Santa Rosa County’s Emergency Operation Center.

The Xora app automatically captured the oil’s GPS coordinates, giving the EOC real-time location data and details about the spill. The information was used to make important decisions including how to respond and what resources were needed based on the type of product found. Pictures were easily forwarded to other command areas to dispatch appropriate equipment.

Brandon Knuth, Santa Rosa County, Florida, Computer/GIS Division praised the Xora app by stating, “When the water recon team observes tar balls, mats, oil sheen, or a damaged or displaced boom, a picture is taken and is immediately emailed back to the EOC, along with the GPS coordinates. This is real-time reporting at its best!”

“Xora has been an excellent tool for this incident. I can see it being useful in other emergency or disaster situations as well,” said Sheryl Bracewell, Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Director.

The Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Division is responsible for the development, implementation and management of county-wide disaster prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. It’s responsible for the county’s all-hazard Comprehensive Emergency Plan and coordinates the activities for the county’s emergency operations center. The EOC is a central location where representatives of local government and private sector agencies convene during disaster situations to make decisions, set priorities and coordinate resources.

About Xora

Founded in 1999 and based in Mountain View, CA, Xora is a global leader in the rapidly expanding location-based mobile business applications market. The company’s software as a service (SaaS) model makes it simple and cost-effective for businesses of all sizes to leverage Xora’s powerful location-based services. With Xora’s portfolio of solutions, companies can easily monitor their workers, vehicles and assets...in real-time. This information leads to increased productivity and utilization, reduced costs, and the ability to provide superior customer service. Xora is privately funded. Investors include Dawntreader Ventures, BlueStream Ventures, Rho Ventures, and Split Rock Partners.

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