ESMap, or “Emergency Services Activity Map”, is a service that tracks police, EMS, fire, and other government agency activity through their publicly accessible “computer-aided dispatch” (CAD) logs. All of the collected information is aggregated into a single location for easy access.
While most data is made available in near to real-time, some agencies may not report everything immediately or with sufficient detail to be useful.
The service is currently only available in Orange County, Florida.
Important Notes
- Most information, especially regarding law enforcement activity, comes from dispatch logs, which are based on initial reports from callers and others at the location. Often these reports can be vague or completely unrelated to what is actually taking place.
- All information is only what the departments themselves decide to release, and some information (such as calls related to domestic violence and other sensitive crimes) is intentionally redacted.
- Location plotting relies on Google Maps, it’s Geocoding API, and the accuracy of the reported address, and so the map may not always be completely accurate.
- Some smaller departments in more local municipalities do not make their dispatch information available directly in real time, so data may be lacking in these areas.