history
256 BC
Dujiangyan water irrigation system is built to control flooding in China .
1450
The Incans complete their earthquake-proof city , Machu Picchu . They use ashlar masonry , which fits blocks of stone together without mortar , locking the structure together and minimizing earthquake damage .
Mid-1600s
Early lightning conductors are installed at the imperial residence in the Forbidden City in China . They ’ re designed to stop lightning strikes from starting fires around the wooden structure .
Emergency response innovations
From fireproof buildings to crowdsourced mobile damage reports , innovations — and the people who fuel them — have saved countless lives throughout history .
by Danny Bradbury
1962
Hughes Aircraft Company introduces the first LIDAR system , which uses light to scan the distance of faraway surfaces . The technology will later be employed to create detailed imagery following disasters that can help coordinate rescue efforts .
1873
The Palmer House Hotel reopens in Chicago after burning down two years earlier . The hotel ’ s sand- and clay-based terra-cotta roof tiles , and steel and brick construction , make it the first fireproof hotel in the U . S .
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INFOGRAPHIC BY MARK MCCLURE