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Nearmap and New Light Technologies Join Forces for Enhanced FEMA Disaster Response

In an era of increasing natural disasters, Nearmap, a global leader in property intelligence, has partnered with New Light Technologies to strengthen the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster response capabilities. This collaboration aims to provide rapid, integrated aerial imagery and data, ensuring efficiency in emergency response and recovery efforts across the United States.

The Importance of Timely Data for Disaster Management

As climate events become more frequent and severe, immediate access to accurate geospatial data is crucial for effective emergency management. FEMA's operations rely heavily on timely and reliable information to assess the impact of disasters, coordinate resources, and facilitate recovery planning across various jurisdictions. With this partnership, FEMA is now equipped to integrate and operationalize post-event aerial imagery swiftly, providing them with essential insights for decision-making.

David Tobias, Chief Product Officer at Nearmap, emphasized the importance of speed and data trust in disaster response: "Effective disaster response depends on speed, coordination, and trust in the data. By merging Nearmap’s rapid aerial intelligence with New Light’s operational workflows, FEMA can transition from uncertainty to actionable evidence swiftly. This not only supports timely decisions but also greatly affects the lives of impacted communities."

A Seamless Workflow for Enhanced Coordination

The collaboration leverages the strengths of both companies to improve workflows dramatically. New Light’s expertise in emergency management complements Nearmap’s advanced aerial imaging technology, allowing FEMA to capture a visual baseline before and after major disasters. The reliable imagery helps FEMA and its partners better understand and adapt to changing conditions within the affected communities.

In recent years, this partnership has already proven its effectiveness through support of FEMA's geospatial responses for nine presidential disaster declarations, including various hurricanes, wildfires, and floods. Since 2024 alone, Nearmap has executed over 40 post-event aerial imaging missions covering more than 57,000 square miles of disaster-hit regions.

Fast and Reliable Imagery Delivery

Nearmap is known for its high-resolution ortho-rectified imagery, which is delivered within 25 hours from the time of aircraft deployment. This rapid delivery provides FEMA and its partners with crucial situational awareness as situations evolve, sometimes by the hour. This efficiency is vital for responding to disasters where every moment counts.

Furthermore, New Light facilitates seamless access to this high-value imagery. Their advanced coordination and project management capabilities ensure that the imagery is integrated efficiently into FEMA's operational systems. Utilizing Nearmap's tools, FEMA can directly source post-disaster imagery into its applications, creating a common operating picture that enables effective collaboration among response teams.

Accelerating Disaster Relief Funding

One of the significant benefits of this partnership is the acceleration of disaster relief funding. Effective damage validation is essential for FEMA to submit presidential disaster declarations. The integration of Nearmap's imagery into New Light’s workflow simplifies the damage detection and categorization process, ensuring a faster and more consistent evaluation.

This collaboration has the potential to release disaster relief funds rapidly, often within three days of validation. The new enterprise agreement between FEMA, Nearmap, and New Light enables FEMA to directly task Nearmap for aerial missions during active disasters—significantly reducing delays typically encountered during emergency responses.

Looking Ahead

The collaboration between Nearmap and New Light Technologies continues to evolve, but its positive impact on disaster management is already evident. As they demonstrate at the Esri Federal User Conference, such partnerships are essential in developing resilient and efficient disaster response frameworks that truly serve communities during their most critical times.

For more information on Nearmap and New Light's innovative approaches to emergency management, visit Nearmap and New Light Technologies.