Emergencies at a marina — a fire on a vessel, a fuel spill at the dock, a medical emergency on the water — happen fast and in environments that are difficult to navigate for first responders unfamiliar with the facility. The dock layout, electrical shutoffs, fire suppression equipment, and safe water access routes are often known only to experienced marina staff — and staff aren't always present when emergencies occur.
A marina emergency response map changes this by putting critical facility information in a shareable, visual format that responds can access immediately from any device.
What a Marina Emergency Response Map Covers
A comprehensive emergency response map addresses four primary emergency types that all marinas face:
Fire Response
- Location of every fire extinguisher on the docks
- Fire hose connections (standpipes, hose bibs)
- Main electrical shut-off for shore power
- Circuit breakers by dock section
- Propane storage locations
- Fire department access points to the docks and water
Fuel Spill Response
- Fuel storage tank locations
- Emergency fuel shutoff valves
- Spill kit locations
- Secondary containment areas
- Drainage outfall locations (to prevent spill from reaching the water)
- Boom deployment staging areas
Medical Emergency
- Automated External Defibrillator (AED) locations
- First aid kit locations
- Nearest safe vessel lift-off point (for water rescue)
- Clear access route from each dock section to the emergency assembly area
- Gate codes or access key locations for emergency vehicles
Severe Weather
- Safe shelter locations on the marina property
- Electrical shut-off sequence for approaching lightning
- Vessel tie-down procedures by dock section
- Flood risk zones (low-lying areas that may be inundated in surge events)
Building the Emergency Map in Atlas
Step 1: Create a Base Marina Map
Start with your standard marina operational map as the base — slips, docks, facility buildings, fuel systems, and parking already mapped. The emergency map adds response-specific layers on top.
Step 2: Add Emergency Equipment Layers
Create a dedicated emergency equipment layer and drop point features for each piece of equipment:
Fire Suppression:
- Fire extinguisher (mark type: ABC, CO2, marine wet chemical)
- Fire hose connection
- Fire alarm pull station
Spill Response:
- Spill kit (with contents: absorbent pads, containment boom, sorbent material)
- Fuel shutoff valve (mark as high-visibility red feature)
- Boom deployment point
Medical:
- AED unit
- First aid station
- Emergency eyewash station
For each point, add attributes: equipment ID, last inspection date, expiration date (for extinguishers), and a photo of the equipment location to help unfamiliar responders identify it quickly.
Step 3: Map Access Routes
Draw polyline features for emergency access routes:
- Primary fire department vehicle access from the street to the dock area
- Secondary access route if the primary is blocked
- Water rescue vessel approach to each dock section
- Pedestrian evacuation routes from each dock section to the emergency assembly point
Mark any width restrictions, overhead clearances, or gates that require access codes — these are critical for arriving emergency vehicles.
Step 4: Mark Utility Shutoffs
Every electrical panel, main water shutoff, and gas shutoff on the property should be a point feature on the emergency map. Include:
- Panel ID and what it controls
- Lock combination or key box location
- Shutoff sequence if multiple steps are required
This information is typically known to maintenance staff but unknown to dock staff, marina office staff, and certainly to arriving responders. The map fills that gap.
Step 5: Define Hazard Zones
Draw polygon features for areas that represent concentrated hazards:
- Fuel dock and fuel storage area
- Marine battery charging station
- Propane storage
- Hazardous materials storage (antifouling paint, solvents, bilge cleaner)
Color these prominently (orange or red fill with hazard symbol annotation) so arriving responders immediately understand which areas require specialized handling.
Step 6: Add Environmental Sensitivity Information
For fuel spill response specifically, include information about environmental features near the marina that require protection:
- Seagrass beds and sensitive benthic habitat
- Shellfish harvest areas
- Wildlife habitat (bird nesting areas, marine mammal haul-outs)
- Storm drain outfalls that could carry spilled fuel off-site
If a fuel spill occurs, responders who know about adjacent sensitive habitat can prioritize boom deployment to protect those areas immediately — rather than learning about them after the fact.
Sharing the Emergency Map
Shared with Local Fire and Coast Guard
Before an emergency occurs, share your emergency response map with your local fire department and Coast Guard station. A read-only Atlas link lets their dispatchers and crews review the facility layout, equipment locations, and access routes before they respond to a call.
Some fire departments will conduct a pre-incident planning visit using maps like this. Your GIS map makes that process significantly faster.
Posted at the Marina Office
Print a high-quality export of the emergency map and post it prominently at the marina office, dock master station, fuel dock, and entrance gate. The printed version is available to anyone on the property even if power or connectivity is disrupted.
Shared with All Dock Staff
All dock staff — including seasonal and part-time employees — should receive the emergency map link as part of their orientation. They should know where the fire extinguishers are before they need them.
Distributed to Marina Tenants
Consider sharing a simplified version with seasonal tenants — not the full operational detail, but equipment locations and evacuation routes for the dock sections adjacent to their slips.
Keeping the Map Current
An emergency map with out-of-date information can be worse than no map at all — responders acting on incorrect equipment locations waste critical seconds.
Establish a maintenance schedule:
- Monthly: verify all extinguisher inspection tags are current; update any passed or failed
- Quarterly: walk the property and confirm equipment is still in mapped locations
- After any equipment addition, relocation, or removal: update the map before the change takes effect
- Annually: conduct a full emergency response tabletop exercise using the map and update based on what you learn
An emergency response map is one of the most important operational documents a marina can maintain. Atlas makes it shareable, updatable, and accessible to everyone who needs it — from the marina manager to the arriving fire crew.
