Emergency Preparedness Committee
The Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) is Minnesota’s principal organization for promoting, coordinating, and standardizing GIS use across all levels of the state's Emergency Management community. EPC membership is open to all individuals with an interest in using GIS for emergency preparedness and response.
The EPC is comprised of volunteers from the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) community who are working to improve and leverage use of geospatial technologies for emergency and disaster response. Members are employed by federal, state, county, local, tribal, educational, nonprofit and corporate entities.
Join the committee!
Submit to the committee interest survey to express your interest in joining the committee or its subgroups.
Featured Resources
Committee Leadership
- Chair: Britta Maddox, Anoka County Fire Protection Council, bmaddox@coonrapidsmn.gov
- Vice Chair: Matt Goodman, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, goodmanm@stlouiscountymn.gov
Committee Meetings
Meetings of the EPC are held quarterly and usually also include an educational presentation.
View the meeting minutes below to explore past meeting discussions.
Upcoming Meetings
All EPC meetings are virtual. For connection information, contact committee leadership.
- May 14, 2026, 1-3 p.m.
- August 13, 2026, 1-3 p.m.
- November 12, 2026, 1-3 p.m.
- February 11, 2027, 1-3 p.m.
- May 13, 2027, 1-3 p.m.
Charter, Accomplishments, and Workplan
Subgroups
Critical Infrastructure Assessment Workgroup
Mission: Develop a workflow for state critical facilities to be updated in statewide and national databases.
- Chair: Stacey Stark, GAC Higher Education Representative, slstark@d.umn.edu
Fire Risk Assessment Tool Workgroup
Mission: Identify what types of questions a Fire Risk Assessment Tool should be designed to answer, the needs of the greater fire service community, and what an easy-to-use tool would look like. View the workgroup charter to learn more about this work.
- Chair: Andrea Contreras, State Fire Marshal Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, angela.contreras@state.mn.us
Education Workgroup
Mission: Develop training standards and programs for the Minnesota GIS and Emergency Services Sector (ESS) communities that will promote productive interaction, provide training to those communities, and facilitate state and national training opportunities.
- Chair: Cory Richter, Ramsey County, cory.richter@ramseycounty.us
Related Resources
- Geospatial Emergency Management Specialist Curriculum (2010)
- NAPSG Qualifications and Credentialing Proposal (2015)
- FEMA GIS Position Qualifications
United States National Grid Workgroup
Mission: Promote use of the U.S. National Grid (USNG) in Minnesota through collaboration among implementing agencies and interested individuals. Create consistency within a national context by developing and sharing tools, standards, applications, and educational materials.
- Chair: Randy Knippel, Past EPC Vice Chair, rdknippel@gmail.com
Completed Initiatives
- U.S. National Grid Materials (2025)
- Underground Utilities Mapping (2025)
- Situational Awareness Sharing Initiative (2020)
- Damage Assessment Standard (2017)
- Minnesota Structures Collaborative (2011)
- Minnesota Structures Collaborative (2010)
- Red River Valley Flood Mapping Support (2009)
- Republican National Convention Support (2008)
- HSEM Geographic Information Systems Capabilities Review (2008)
Meeting Minutes
Return to Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council committees page