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California Wildfires: Lessons in Public-Sector Portals

California Wildfires: Lessons in Public-Sector Portals: devastated 14,117 acres and destroyed over 7,000 structures, impacting a population of 10 million—larger than many U.S. states. While Los Angeles has made significant strides in recovery, the wildfires highlighted an urgent need for advanced public-sector portals with robust, user-friendly features to better support constituents during disasters.

In the face of overwhelming challenges, such as evacuation orders, air quality alerts, school closures, and strained hospital resources, integrated communication systems proved essential. Federal, State and Local Government portals must leverage resources, weather, and disaster intelligence and evolve to provide real-time updates, emergency aid coordination, and seamless disaster recovery support, ensuring public health and safety remain a top priority during future crises.

FeatureCapabilityKey Benefits
AI-Driven Incident ManagementAutomates ticket categorization and routing based on historical data.Reduces triage time by 30%, ensures accurate assignment, and improves resolution speed.
Predictive Resource AllocationAnticipates needs for personnel, vehicles, equipment, and supplies during emergencies.Minimizes resource misallocation, speeds up deployments, and ensures critical needs are met.
Unified Disaster DashboardCentralizes real-time tracking of incidents, evacuations, and resource use.Enhances visibility for leaders, enabling faster and informed decision-making.
AI-Powered Constituent AlertsAutomates public updates for evacuations, health alerts, and recovery services.Provides real-time, personalized communication, ensuring communities stay informed and prepared.
Now Assist for PSDSDelivers AI-generated summaries and recommendations for public service agents.Speeds up case resolution and enhances constituent satisfaction during emergencies.
Social Benefits AutomationStreamlines applications for disaster relief and financial assistance.Reduces processing delays and ensures timely support for affected individuals and families.
Emergency Response OptimizationCoordinates ambulance dispatch, hospital updates, and public safety alerts during disasters.Ensures seamless collaboration among emergency responders, hospitals, and public agencies.
Predictive MaintenanceIdentifies infrastructure risks in IT systems and public utilities.Prevents downtime in critical facilities, ensuring uninterrupted services during crises.

Florida Digital Services was one of the fastest PSDS portals set up to support the Hurricane Recovery Efforts. A great success that started where they are and continued to grow and serve.

ServiceNow’s Xanadu AI features transform public-sector disaster management by enabling faster resource deployment, enhancing constituent communication, and improving operational efficiency across schools, health alerts, hospitals, and public security. These innovations ensure communities are better prepared, protected, and supported during emergencies.

ServiceNow’s public-sector portal demonstrated its transformative potential during this crisis, enabling real-time alerts, resource coordination, and constituent engagement. By leveraging these lessons, governments can enhance preparedness, improve response times, and deliver exceptional services to their communities during emergencies.

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS), the world’s largest volunteer fire service, faced immense challenges during the 2019-2020 Australian wildfire season. Managing 14,117 acres burned and processing 10,000 volunteer applications.

They deployed ServiceNow’s Public-Sector Digital Services (PSDS), to manage inefficiencies to mobilize volunteer recruitment, and streamlined resource allocation. Advanced innovations enabled real-time tracking of personnel, vehicles, and equipment, dramatically improving response times and operational efficiency to a single disaster management dashboard, reducing delays and errors, and enhancing collaboration across 2,000 brigades.

 California Wildfires: Lessons in Public-Sector Portals: devastated 14,117 acres and destroyed over 7,000 structures,

A key benefit of using a single platform to digitize these service offerings is the ability to integrate them across human resources, IT, engineering, logistics, finance, and procurement. This offers a simpler request process for end users.

Leadership gained critical visibility into resource gaps, while automated workflows ensured faster deployments during concurrent fires. The implementation of ServiceNow’s Public-Sector Digital Services (PSDS) by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) delivered significant benefits to a wide range of constituents, enhancing safety, communication, and resource accessibility during the 2019-2020 wildfire season.

Constituent GroupHow They BenefitedStatistics/Outcomes
Impacted Residents and EvacueesReceived timely and accurate updates on evacuation alerts, air quality, and road closures.14,117 acres of fire-affected land managed; significant reduction in confusion and risk during evacuations.
Volunteers and FirefightersStreamlined onboarding of new volunteers; enhanced visibility into resource allocation and deployments.10,000 new volunteers onboarded quickly; coordination improved across 75,000 total volunteers in 2,000 brigades.
Vulnerable PopulationsAccessed centralized welfare services for shelter, food, and medical aid.Improved service delivery for priority groups, reducing delays in critical aid during emergencies.
Community Leaders and Local OfficialsGained real-time dashboards for resource tracking and decision-making.Enhanced situational awareness for 2,000 brigades enabled better resource allocation and faster response times.
Broader CommunityAccessed public-facing platforms to track fire progression, recovery efforts, and submit service requests.Increased trust and transparency with real-time information on relief and recovery programs.

This table highlights the key benefits of ServiceNow’s PSDS, showing how it transformed disaster response and management for the NSW Rural Fire Service and its constituents


The devastating impact of wildfires is undeniable, yet effective management has showcased the resilience of our communities. However, the opportunity to elevate our disaster response through smarter, more inclusive community portals remains vast. These platforms can revolutionize how we prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises.

The road to management, rebuilding, and survival in the aftermath of such disasters will demand coordinated efforts across all levels of government. By replacing outdated manual workflows with advanced technologies, we can significantly improve efficiency, transparency, and the overall experience for those affected.

Investing in intuitive, integrated digital solutions not only strengthens disaster response capabilities but also enhances trust and engagement with the communities we serve. The path forward must embrace innovation to ensure we’re better equipped for the challenges ahead.

FunctionalityPortal/AgencyFeatures LeveragedImpact
Real-Time Alerts and UpdatesLos Angeles Emergency Management Portal (ServiceNow-powered)AI-driven alerts for evacuation, air quality, and road closures.Targeted notifications reduced confusion, improved safety, and saved lives.
Coordinated Resource AllocationCalifornia State Disaster Response PortalCentralized requests for shelters, food, medical aid via ServiceNow.Streamlined resource distribution ensured high-need areas received timely support.
Community EngagementMyLA311 (City of Los Angeles)Enabled hazard reporting, aid requests, and recovery progress tracking.Transparent communication boosted public trust and streamlined issue resolution.
Weather and School IntegrationLos Angeles Unified School District Portal (ServiceNow-integrated)Data from weather services and school systems provided real-time updates on closures and emergency plans.Parents received timely alerts, enabling effective family emergency planning.
Federal CoordinationFEMA Disaster Assistance PortalCase management for insurance claims and rebuilding permits with simplified workflows.Reduced processing times for disaster recovery grants, speeding up community recovery.
Air Quality MonitoringSouth Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)Integration with ServiceNow for real-time air quality alerts.Residents accessed accurate information, reducing exposure risks during wildfire events.
Health and Medical ServicesCalifornia Department of Public HealthAI-driven case management for medical aid and vaccination updates during crises.Enhanced coordination between hospitals and emergency services for disaster medical relief.

CategoryExample FeaturesBenefits
Proactive Disaster PreparednessAI-driven predictive analytics for risk forecasts.Identified wildfire-prone areas to allocate resources preemptively.
Enhanced Recovery ServicesSimplified workflows for recovery grants and insurance claims.Reduced administrative burden and improved recovery times.
Constituent-Centered DesignMulti-language support, accessible interfaces.Improved inclusivity ensured critical information reached all populations, including vulnerable groups.

By leveraging ServiceNow’s Public-Sector Digital Services and AI capabilities, city, state, and federal agencies effectively coordinated operations, improved communications, and streamlined disaster recovery during wildfires. We have seen some very effective examples from NSW, from Florida, and from California. Let us continue to grow and advance integrated portals have set a benchmark for integrating real-time data, resource allocation, and community engagement, proving invaluable in safeguarding lives and accelerating recovery efforts

Digital Center of Excellence. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14470145/
Digital Center of Excellence. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14470145/

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