Showcase fire data with an app

You've created a web map showing where fire incidents occur most frequently in your city. You want to show it to the local fire department so they can plan how best to respond to the data. While you could share the map itself, your audience is unfamiliar with GIS and might have difficulty navigating the user interface or understanding what you want them to see.

To solve this problem, you'll transform your web map into a web app. A web app provides a streamlined user experience that only includes the functionality you choose. It can also include descriptive text to explain what the map shows. Your web app will help your audience understand your findings.

This tutorial was last tested on September 25, 2024.

Requirements

• ArcGIS organizational account with a Publisher, Facilitator, or Administrator role (see options for software access)

Showcase fire data with an app

Choose the type of app

First, you'll open the map you want to turn into an app. Then, you'll decide how you want to create the app.

1. Go to Naperville Fire Incidents 2017-2021.

   Note:

   The web map you're using to create an app is the same as the one created in the tutorial Find patterns in fire incidents. If you've previously completed that tutorial, you can use the Naperville Fire Incidents 2017-2021 web map you created instead.

   This web map shows hot spots of fire incidents between 2017 and 2021 in Naperville, Illinois.

2. If necessary, on the ribbon, click Sign In. Sign in using your ArcGIS organizational account.

   Note:

   If you don't have an organizational account, see options for software access.

   Once you're signed in, the option to create a web app using the map becomes available.

   Any changes made to the web map will also affect any apps created using that map. You don't own this web map, so you can't control whether changes are made. Normally, you might want to save your own copy of a web map before creating an app to ensure no unexpected changes occur, but for this tutorial, that won't be necessary.

3. Click Create Web App.

   

   A menu appears with a list of resources for creating web apps. Some of these resources allow for highly customizable and detailed apps. You want to quickly create a simple app, so you'll choose ArcGIS Instant Apps, which uses simple templates to enable quick app creation with minimal configuration required.

4. Click Instant Apps.

   

   A new browser tab appears, listing several app templates.

Choose a template

Rather than examine every template to determine the best one for you, you'll answer a few questions about your goal for the app to narrow down the list.

You want to create a simple app with only a few navigation tools that will showcase your data. Your app will use only a single web map, which contains two layers, neither of which are image services. You'll keep that information in mind as you answer the questions.

1. In the Suggestions pane, for What is your goal for the app, choose Showcase one or more maps with essential tools.

   

2. For What do you want to display in the app, choose One web map.

   

3. For Does the map include an image service, click No.

   

   The list of app templates is reduced to only a small number. You can preview the templates before deciding which to use.

4. For the Basic template, click Preview.

   

   A preview appears, showing how the map looks in the template.

   

   The template shows the map with a few basic navigation tools, including a legend and a search bar. This is exactly what you want: Just enough information to explain what the symbols mean, but not too many tools that might distract from what your map is saying or be difficult for a non-GIS audience to use.

5. Under the preview, click Choose.

   You're prompted to give your app some basic metadata. By default, metadata from the web map is used. The tags are fine, but you'll change the title to make it distinct from the map.

6. In the Create app - Basic pane, for Give your app a title, type Where are fires happening in Naperville? (2017-2021).

   

7. Click Create app.

   The app is created. A new browser tab appears with options to configure it.

Configure the app

By configuring the app, you can change the web map, add useful information for users, adjust the interactivity features, and customize the app's look. You'll go through all of the major configuration options to ensure your app meaningfully and clearly conveys important information.

1. In the Express pane, click Step 1. Map.

   

   The pane changes to show options for the map used by the app. You already chose the map you want, so you don't need to change anything here.

2. Click Next.

   

   The next pane, About, has options for adding more information to the map. The legend is already turned on, which is good, but you want a header that explains what the map shows.

3. Turn on Header.

   

   The app preview changes to include a header that shows the map's title. You'll also add a description of the map for users with impaired vision.

4. For Text alternative for the map, click Edit.

   The default text is the map's summary, which explains that the map shows hot spots. Your audience might not know what hot spots are, though, so you'll change the text to be more descriptive.

5. In the Text alternative for the map window, type (or copy and paste) the following text:

   This map shows hot spots of fire incidents in Naperville between 2017 and 2021. Hot spots show where statistically significant clusters of incidents are, meaning fire incidents occur there in significantly higher concentrations than average. The map shows a hot spot in the northwest corner of Naperville.

6. Click Close. In the About pane, click Next.

   The Interactivity pane has options for the interactive tools users have access to. The search tool is turned on by default, allowing users to search for specific addresses in the city.

   Most of the other tools aren't necessary for the simple app experience you want your users to have. However, the layer list tool would be useful. Your map contains two layers, a hot spot layer and a layer showing fire incidents. The fire incidents layer is hidden by default, but with the layer list, users could turn it on and see individual fire incidents.

7. Turn on Layer list.

   

   In the app preview, the Open layer list button appears in the lower right corner of the map.

8. Click the Open layer list button.

   

   A list of layers in the map appears, with options to change each layer's visibility.

9. In the Interactivity pane, click Next.

   The Theme & Layout pane has options for changing the look and organization of your app. These options are mostly subjective, though a dark theme would better match the dark basemap.

10. For Select a mode, choose Dark.

    

    Also, it would be convenient if the layer list was near the other app tools.

11. For Manage widget positions, drag Layer list to the Top right section, under Legend.

    

    Now, all of the tools are near each other.

    

12. Optionally, play around with the theme settings to create an appearance you like, or rearrange the tools to your preferred position.

    Once you finish, you're done configuring the app.

Publish the app

The changes you made to the app were automatically saved as you made them. All you have to do now is publish the app and launch it.

1. Click Publish.

   

2. In the Publish window, when asked if you're sure you want to publish the app, click Confirm.

   After a few moments, your app is published. You're given the option to change its sharing settings.

3. In the Share window, click Change share settings.

   

4. For Set sharing level, choose Everyone (public). Click Save.

   Now, everyone can view your app. You'll launch it and see it for yourself.

5. Click the Share button.

   

6. In the Share window, click Launch.

   The app is launched in a new browser tab.

   

7. Explore your app, navigating around the map and using the app's tools.

   Anyone with the URL can access your app, meaning you can share it with the fire department.

In this tutorial, you created a simple app with basic functionality to showcase your map of fire incident hot spots. With this app, even users who aren't familiar with GIS have access to the key information you want to show. An app can be created for any map, and there are a massive amount of templates and features that can be added. Try creating apps with other templates and see which template is best for your map.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• The Naperville 2017-2021 Fire Incident Calls feature class was compiled using Annual NFIRS Public Data managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Retrieved on October 26, 2023. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The federal government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from this data after the data has been retrieved from the agency's websites. See OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions for more information. Data on FEMA.gov is free of copyright and may be copied and distributed without permission.
• The Fire Incident Hot Spots layer was created by running the Find Hot Spots tool on the filtered Naperville 2017-2021 Fire Incident Calls layer.
• Dark Gray Canvas map sources: Esri, TomTom, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community