"If you have no idea which comes first, tomorrow or an accident, our digital platform can now give you the answer."

Chen Weiguo, head of the emergency management bureau of Ruichang, Jiangxi province, made that comment as he concluded his introduction to the city's smart emergency command platform.

The platform, whose development was based on data compiled during the First National Census on the Risk of Natural Disasters, integrates various powerful functions that can quickly identify the shortest disaster-relief route and the nearest emergency shelter in the event of a crisis.

According to Chen, there is no doubt that the platform is of great benefit to local policymakers and rescue workers in disaster-weary Ruichang, located in East China's Jiangxi.

Since ancient times, the city, which has a population of 460,000, has been prone to many types of natural disasters, including floods, geological hazards, forest fires, earthquakes and meteorological catastrophes.

According to official statistics, the city's average financial loss from disasters surpasses 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) every year.

Now, though, the census offers a smarter way for Ruichang's officials to strengthen their ability to prevent and respond to disasters. The local government has invested 23 million yuan to establish a smart emergency command center, which is where the online intelligent emergency command platform was developed for local officials.

Furthermore, by using data collected during the census, the platform is equipped with six major functions that allow officials to assess hidden dangers, the number of emergency teams, the volume of stored supplies, rescue plans, routes and shelters in the city.

"For example, through the platform, we can directly check the size, main equipment, expertise and contacts of all the rescue teams, including two professional teams, 21 semiprofessional teams and two military rescue units," Chen said.

This guarantees that the city can mobilize the best, most appropriate rescue teams as soon as an incident occurs, he said.

The platform is also integrated with the city's public transportation system so that it can automatically calculate all routes to the site of any given disaster and identify the shortest one.

In addition, local policymakers can be made aware of the contents of major supermarkets and 25 emergency warehouses citywide, as well as the locations of Ruichang's 119 emergency shelters and their overall capacities.

"Thanks to the powerful digital platform, we can efficiently organize emergency supplies and instruct local residents to avoid disasters by going to the shelters nearest their homes," Chen said.

According to the local government, the emergency system is connected to a large number of real-time sensors across the city that can oversee the operations and production of major chemical companies, check water levels in major areas and monitor the highest temperatures in forest areas.

If there are any suspicious circumstances, the system will automatically warn the duty officials, who will deal with the issue immediately.