Our free mapping for emergencies (MfE) service supports category 1 and 2 responders and is available 24 hours a day
In an emergency, every second counts.
At Ordnance Survey (OS) we understand that emergencies can happen at any time.
Our free Mapping for Emergencies (MfE) service supports the resilience community (category 1 and 2 responders) and is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at no cost - in any emergency.
If you're a local authority, emergency service, hospital trust or a service supporting these organisations such as a utility company or a transport operator, we can help you now.
We provide geospatial support during any emergency or major incident, whether it's responding to natural disasters or security threats (all under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004).
MfE is primarily aimed at Category 1 and 2 responders (emergency services, local authorities, NHS bodies, the Health and Safety Executive, transport and utility companies). However, if you are from another part of the public sector or a commercial business and you urgently need help with mapping during an emergency, please call us.
Support is delivered by OS’s expert analysts, specifically trained in resilience, and can be provided remotely, or at your location.
We’ve responded to previous MfE requests with the following support:
Outputs can be delivered in a range of formats, for example as data that can be re-used for later analysis. It can be loaded into common information sharing platforms, or as finished graphics, which can be used within presentations or situation reports.
The Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, working in partnership with Ministry of Defence and Ordnance Survey, has created a set of common map symbols to promote interoperability between emergency responders.
The symbols have been created in both a vector format (SVG) and a raster format (BMP) for use in a geographical information system. Download the symbols:
Here are some examples of when OS data has been used in an emergency.