A group of four individuals pose for a group photo in front of a banner displaying the text College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

OSU research team enhances hazmat emergency preparedness with interactive mapping tool

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Media Contact: Desa James | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-2065 | desa.james@okstate.edu

A research team from Oklahoma State University is expanding the capabilities of an interactive tool designed to support emergency planning and response preparedness for communities across Oklahoma.

The project, developed in collaboration with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, focuses on tracking the regular transport of extremely hazardous substances on county roads and highways throughout the state.

The multi-disciplinary team is comprised of two faculty members from the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology and one from the Ferguson College of Agriculture. Dr. Manjunath Kamath from the School of Industrial Engineering and Management is the principal investigator, and Drs. Diana Rodriguez-Coca from the Fire Protection & Safety Engineering Technology program and Scott Frazier of the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering serve as Co-PIs.

The project's overall goal is to provide reliable, location-specific information about the regular movement and incident risk levels associated with 14 high-priority hazardous materials. This data is available to Local Emergency Planning Committees, first responders and other public safety professionals to help inform emergency preparedness plans. The initiative helps communities understand which materials are moving through their regions, how frequently and where the potential incident risks lie.

To achieve this, the team developed an ArcGIS-based application called OK-EFRA, which presents shipment data and roadway risk assessments in an interactive, user-friendly format. County-specific summary sheets also provide annual totals, shipment frequency ranges and heat maps that detail incident risk levels, and risk related to health, flammability and instability for local roadways. 

The current phase of the project includes developing an updated version of the OK-EFRA application that incorporates new shipment data. The team is also developing an interactive dashboard to compare storage and transport data from 2018 and 2024, allowing users to evaluate changes over time. 

A man wearing a formal suit and tie, standing confidently with a neutral expression. — Dr. Manjunath Kamath

While ArcGIS has become a widely used platform among emergency managers and planners, many local entities are still learning about its capabilities. OK-EFRA is accessible through the OEM hub, alongside other ArcGIS-based resources used by emergency managers across the state.

The program was created in response to the need for comprehensive commodity flow studies, a requirement outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency for local emergency planning. Instead of relying on physical checkpoints, the team uses shipment data from facilities that store hazardous materials to capture a more accurate picture of transportation patterns statewide.

A woman wearing a black blazer over a black shirt, standing confidently with a neutral expression. — Dr. Diana Rodriguez-Coca

The result is a tool that helps LEPCs and first responders better anticipate and plan for chemical hazards in their jurisdictions. OK-EFRA helps communities acquire appropriate protective equipment, identify strategic evacuation zones and prepare emergency plans for vulnerable locations such as schools, hospitals and senior living facilities.

The project has already seen practical application.

“Oklahoma’s Region 2 Medical Emergency Response Center has used the results of our project to support exercise planning and planning for medical response to chemical events in a twelve-county region,” Kamath said.

CEAT students play an active role in this project as well. Graduate and undergraduate research assistants have contributed to the project through data analysis, application development and research. In the classroom, the OK-EFRA application is used to demonstrate real-world applications of relational databases and geographic information systems. Additionally, one graduate assistant completed their master’s thesis on developing an inventory model for HazMat that incorporates risk and safety considerations. 

Following the current phase, the team plans to continue supporting and maintaining the OK-EFRA web application, dashboard, county summary sheets and the project website, OKEHS.org. Additional outreach and dissemination are planned through LEPC meetings, OEM events and the OEM hub.

Each member of the research team contributes specialized expertise. Frazier’s background is in hazardous material management and pollution prevention for industrial clients via the OSU Industrial Assessment Center. He brings subject matter expertise to the project, and his involvement in the state’s extension network supports the project’s dissemination activities.

Rodriguez’s background is in hazardous materials management and mathematical modeling. Her expertise in mathematical modeling supports the methodological aspects of the project.

Kamath’s expertise in relational databases and SQL has been instrumental in designing and developing the relational database that stores all the project’s core data. His expertise in mathematical modeling guided the development of models for flow assignment and risk analysis.

For more information, visit www.okehs.org.