GIS as the operational strategy compass of CGDIS

Planning, analysing, anticipating: mapping has become a true command tool for Luxembourg’s emergency services. From 3D to real-time data, GIS supports every stage of emergency response.

The Grand-Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) is a relatively young organisation, created in 2018. It brought together under a single banner the municipal fire and rescue services, the Fire and Ambulance Service of the City of Luxembourg, airport firefighters, the SAMU emergency medical service, and the civil protection units of the Grand Duchy. 

Its mission is, of course, to deliver a coordinated operational response across Luxembourg, with GIS at the very heart of this strategy.

Within the Directorate of Operational Strategy, the Cartography and Analysis Unit plays a central role in decision support, from resource planning to post-incident review. The unit is led by Lieutenant Gilles Lavandier. 
“I was the first person to work with GIS within CGDIS,” he explains. Joining the organisation in 2018 as an intern during his environmental sciences studies in Freiburg (Germany), he gradually structured what would become a fully-fledged department. 
“At the beginning, everything had to be built: methods, databases, reference maps…” Very quickly, his dual profile as both geomatics specialist and firefighter proved invaluable. 
“Being an officer helps me understand the reality in the field: the abbreviations, team habits, the logic of an intervention. It completely changes how you produce an operational map as a geomatics professional,” says Gilles Lavandier.

Today, based at the National Fire and Rescue Centre south of the capital, the unit, attached to the Planning Department of the Directorate of Operational Strategy, has grown to four staff members. Their mission is to feed, validate, and disseminate geographic data throughout the entire emergency response network. 
“Our role is to provide a clear picture at every level of command, whether for an incident commander on the ground or a planner at headquarters,” summarises the head of the unit.

With more than 70,000 interventions per year, spread across four zones and fourteen groupings, CGDIS relies on spatial data to analyse territorial coverage and adjust resources. GIS is notably used within the National Emergency Response Organisation Plan (PNOS) to map risks, model response times, and simulate coverage areas. 
“We can visualise risks (industrial sites, transport infrastructure, energy networks, public buildings), as well as the resources required for rescue operations: hydrants, access roads, and more. In short, everything that influences the speed and safety of an operation.”

The analyses produced are used both by planning units and decision-makers. Coverage rates, population density, siren mapping, each indicator can be represented visually. 
“GIS allows us to quantify and substantiate decisions. It is much easier to justify relocating a fire station or adding an ambulance when numbers and maps speak together,” the Lieutenant points out.

When the unit was created, the main challenge was not the tools but the data. 
“The information existed, but it was scattered across Excel files, internal databases, and PDF documents. Some datasets were not interconnected, others quickly became outdated.” 
In response, the cartography unit gradually centralised the data required for operational activities. Implementing a single GIS also made it possible to harmonise reference datasets and prepare the development of a CGDIS Geoportal, designed to become the main cartographic entry point for all services.

The portal was designed around three objectives defined by the internal strategy: first, to make maps and applications accessible according to user profiles (zones, stations, directorates); second, to ensure data consistency and security; and finally, to provide operational tools directly usable by units in the field. 
“The goal is for every stakeholder to find the spatial information they need without having to contact us systematically,” explains Gilles Lavandier.

Technically, the backbone of the system is based on ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Pro. CGDIS also uses the 3D Analyst, Spatial Analyst, Network Analyst, and Data Interoperability extensions. All these tools are hosted on CGDIS internal servers with secure authentication.

Luxembourg has a national 3D model in CityGML, including buildings, terrain, and urban furniture. This dataset has been integrated into the CGDIS GIS infrastructure to improve analysis in densely built-up areas. 

“During an intervention in the city centre, 3D helps us understand the complexity of a block or an inner courtyard. This information is also used to secure drone flights, especially at night in urban areas,” illustrates Gilles Lavandier. “Knowing the minimum obstacle height around the take-off point is a real advantage.”

The cartography unit also regularly produces materials used for training exercises, including crisis simulations and command-chain drills. 
“We sometimes start from orthophotos captured by the drone unit after a fire or flood, and reimport them into the GIS to recreate an analysis scenario.” 
This work supports both training and post-incident review. After major events, spatial data makes it possible to review how operations unfolded, locate deployed resources, identify encountered difficulties, and document operational memory. GIS allows an event to be replayed and decisions to be analysed objectively.

The gradual deployment of GIS has been supported by regular guidance from Esri Belux. Training, technology monitoring, and participation in Esri Days Luxembourg all contribute to close collaboration. 
“We have always been able to ask very specific questions and receive answers tailored to our operational needs,” notes Gilles Lavandier.

Likewise, projects showcased at Esri events help broaden GIS awareness within CGDIS itself. 
“It helps operational staff understand that GIS is not just a computer tool for a handful of specialists, but a direct decision-support tool that allows everyone to see the same information and speak the same geographic language.”

In just a few years, mapping has evolved from a simple visual aid into a structuring operational tool. CGDIS now plans to extend GIS usage towards dynamic decision support. Integrating real-time data, particularly from vehicle location systems or incident monitoring tools, opens up new perspectives. 
In the longer term, reflections are moving towards forms of an operational digital twin, building on 3D, live data streams, and predictive analytics. 
“We are not yet talking about a digital twin, but the idea of representing an intervention within an interactive digital space is clearly on people’s minds,” says the cartography officer.

The unit is now pursuing a clear trajectory: consolidating its Geoportal, extending GIS usage across all units, and progressively integrating real-time data to build more responsive and analytical command support. 
“Because when facing an emergency, better understanding space already means saving time on the intervention.”