Emergencies will be reported through cloud-based infrastructure under the Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA).

A cloud-based information collection and reporting system will support current reporting from councils of damage and impact from emergencies such as flooding, severe weather events and bushfires.

It has received a grant awarded under the National Disaster Resilience Grants program and another received from the Local Government Research and Development Scheme.

The LGASA is calling for tenders to develop a tool to integrate its Emergency Assessment Reporting System (EARS) with information across emergency service agencies.

LGASA President Kym McHugh said development of the project to the tendering stage has taken some time.

“It is important when dealing with emergency management that key agencies are fully engaged and that the design of the system is compatible with current emergency management systems so data that is being accessed is in a useable format,” Mr McHugh said.

Mr McHugh said “swift and accurate” collection of emergency information was vital to councils and emergency services coordinating state level approaches for assistance during floods, earthquakes, bushfires and other emergencies.

"During the floods in late 2010 and early 2011, it was clear that there was a gap in information gathering and transfer between Councils and the State Emergency Management System,” Mr McHugh said.

He said the gap in information about flood data made the state's response to flooding events difficult.

"Councils are often the first to get the information about damage or prospective damage and it is important that there is a secure and rapid way to get this information to the right people,” Mr McHugh said.

According to Mr McHugh, the EARS approach will incorporate all hazards using software compatible with smartphones and conventional computers.

Additionally, the information will be accessible by the state emergency services as the program is supported by the state government and emergency service agencies.

Emergency information will be collected in a ‘consistent format’, use agreed descriptors, will be available in ‘real time’ and be geo-located.

Authenticated users will be able to input data through a smartphone or web based portal and access reports from a secure website, according to the LGASA.

South Australian councils consulted were Playford, Adelaide, Berri Barmera and Goyder, as well as state government emergency services.

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