USNG for Pre-Incident Planning & Mission Tasking
Author: Rand Napoli, Vice-Chairman, NAPSG Foundation Board of Directors
Using the US National Grid for Pre-Incident Planning and Response Mission Tasking
The United States National Grid is often thought of as only a point reference system. However, its versatility as an area reference system makes it a very efficient and effective tool for conducting resource and hazard planning for specific areas prior to an incident as well as mission tasking during and after an incident has occurred. Recent catastrophic planning projects and other efforts around the country have demonstrated the need for more detailed pre-event planning to determine potential resource needs. In planning for regional, large-scale, or catastrophic incidents whose impacts cover widespread areas, the ability to script potential missions and determine resource needs/allocations pre-event is critical. This required resource planning process examines a host of available data such as population demographics, hazards, and infrastructure in the context of potential consequences, and determines likely resource needs for specific operational areas, independent of political jurisdictional boundaries.
The operational area to be pre-scripted should be readily identifiable by local responders, and as importantly be easily identifiable by mutual aid resources that would be asked to respond from other areas of the impacted state, resources requested from other states through EMAC, and by responding federal resources. The USNG meets this requirement.
The United States National Grid is the geographic grid reference system that has been identified by the National SAR Committee as the primary catastrophic incident search and rescue geo-referencing system that must be used by federal land SAR responders. Other non-federal responders across local and state jurisdictions are in the process of adopting the USNG as well. Importantly, the US military is our largest force multiplier and also uses a grid which is functionally the same as the USNG, known as the Military Grid Reference System. Though the USNG is well known in the SAR community as a point reference system it is now being used for many purposes unrelated to SAR, particularly because of its strength as an area reference system.
The challenge has been to develop uniform procedures and techniques that can be used to pre-script missions for specific operational areas across all levels of response (strategic, regional, & tactical) for use by the leadership of various response disciplines (fire, SAR, Haz-Mat, EM, emergency medical, law enforcement, mass care, etc.) to determine resource needs using sound science.
Specific and scalable operational areas can be identified using the United States National Grid. Operational areas can be classified into three basic categories – tactical, regional & strategic. Tactical areas of operation can typically be designated by one or more 1,000 meter (~.62 mile) grid squares and provides detailed information for direct tactical operations. Regional operational areas can be generally designated by 10,000 meter (~6.2 miles) grid squares and at the more strategic level 100,000 meter (~62 miles) grid squares can be utilized to provide a view more typically used by operatives at the state emergency operations center.
Pre-scripted mission analysis can be accomplished for any level of operational areas as delineated above. Once the grid size and target operational area is selected potential missions and required resources can be identified pre-event by combining the USNG with a suite of available data sets to include, but not limited to, demographic data, infrastructure data, known hazards and property type (residential/commercial/agriculture). Combining the USNG with data sets and modeling tools such as HAZUS, ALOHA, Floodwav , CATS, other modeling programs or GIS analysis results in understanding consequences and needs in an actionable data way for a specific operational area designated by USNG grid squares for all types of natural or man-made events.
When the potential consequences and associated requirements are calculated as described above, subject matter experts can then determine resource needs to mitigate or respond to these impacts. Resource needs can then be compared to available resources, identifying resource shortfalls that may exist.
An additional benefit is that consequences (and the resource needs) of an event can be updated from the original scenario-based planning or pre-event forecast projections in real time by using actual damage reports that are being received as the event progresses and/or by using post event damage assessments.
As an outcome, decision makers at every level will have knowledge of the potential consequences of an event in a geographic area that is easily identifiable, and will also have visibility on needed resources for that event in that specific area. This will provide those decision makers with quantifiable data to plan for resource procurement and allocation pre-event, while the event is unfolding and also post-event using actual damage assessment data.
As a simple example, consider any area of the country - a coastal area on the east or gulf coasts, an area in the New Madrid seismic zone, west coast areas subject to potential earthquake or tsunami activity or an area in tornado alley. When planning for a major event, simply identify a USNG grid square of the sizes mentioned above and begin by laying readily available data sets over that identified area. Parcel data from tax collectors or property appraisers would identify the types and sizes of structures that might be encountered, and identifying high rise or multifamily structures will support mission planning for search and rescue, LE and other activities. Census (and other local) data would identify the demographics to assist planning for various age groups (do we need to ship pampers or adult diapers into the impacted area as an example), or are there a large number of potential survivors who do not speak English as a first language. Data sets from any of the modeling programs mentioned above could identify potential flood or surge areas, which might lead us to plan for the use of high-wheeled vehicles and /or marine response assets.
You get the idea, and I am certain that you could identify many other data sets that would be useful, such as transportation infrastructure, medical facilities, hazards, etc. A very important added bonus to using the USNG for planning and response is that responders do not need to have any previous knowledge of the identified area. Those arriving (or even enroute) can be tasked with a particular grid square(s) and with the data above can plan and execute a mission while being completely unfamiliar with the area assigned.
Experience has shown us that there is a critical need for pre-event planning to determine resource needs for various types of events. Identifying these needed resources allows us to determine potential resource shortfalls. Using a common area reference system to identify these areas allows decision makers, command personnel and responders to focus on the same area during the planning process and then during the response to an actual event. Using a common reference system such as the USNG allows responders from other jurisdictions and/or other states to have knowledge of the demographic, infrastructure and damage assessment data of their assigned response area prior to arriving in the area of operations. This enhances their ability, and the ability of decision makers at all levels to plan and execute an efficient response mission.
Thanks for taking time to read this lengthy post, and we welcome your comments.
NAPSG Board Issues Resolution on the Public Safety Broadband Network
At its Winter 2011 Board meeting, the NAPSG Foundation Board of Directors decided it was important to add its voice in support of the Public Safety Broadband Network -- in particular articulating how such a network could have a dramatic impact on improving access to life-saving geospatial information. The vote occurred one day after NAPSG hosted an event at the Woodrow Wilson Center regarding how technology advances would be impacted by the creation of a Public Safety Broadband Network.
Provided below is a copy of the official resolution.
Legal Perspective - Liability for Crowdsourced Disaster Response Groups
Preface - This blog article was contributed by Edward Robson as a follow-on from the Panel Discussion on "Liability & Reliability of Crowdsourced & Volunteered Information for Disaster Management" held August 30, 2011, co-hosted by the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars's Science & Technology Innovation Program. A summary & recal from this event is provided at - http://www.napsgfoundation.org/blog/news/116-cspan
Volunteer and technical communities organize to create and build tools that collect, search and organize data coming from crisis areas. These crowdsourcing groups have effectively responded to a variety of disasters, including the Haitian and Chilean earthquakes, the Japanese tsunami and the gulf oil spill.
At the same time, these groups raise liability questions that courts have yet to address. Volunteer and technical communicates should take proactive steps to reduce this liability. If not properly managed, tort liability has the potential to destroy the model before it realizes its potential.
The law does not require a person to rescue another, even if the person can do so safely. Uncomfortable with this general rule, courts have narrowed it with several exceptions. A duty to rescue arises when: 1) a person undertakes rescue; 2) where a person’s conduct puts another in danger; and 3) when a special relationship exists between the rescuer and the victim.
Thus, a crowdsourced response group will not be held liable for failing to aid a disaster victim unless it falls into one of these three exceptions. Although no court appears to have addressed the issue, crowdsourced response groups could potentially fit into one or more of the above exceptions where a duty and the corresponding potential for liability exists.
First, a volunteer group that undertakes rescue opens itself to liability. In the context of crowdsourced disaster response, it is unclear what it means to undertake rescue. Courts reason that when someone undertakes rescue, it decreases the chance others will do the same. Thus, the person attempting rescue must act reasonably to ensure the victim is not worse off. One example would be a crowdsourced response group receiving a call for assistance via social-media and telling the victim help is on the way. If the group fails to send help, it or its members may face liability.
Second, a duty to rescue arises when a person puts another in danger. Courts reason that one who creates danger should attempt to mitigate harm. In the context of crowdsourced disaster response, duty and corresponding liability may arise if the group misled people resulting in injury. For example, a crowdsourced group broadcasting information to a disaster site that results in a stampede could create liability. Moreover, a group that provides incorrect or outdated information regarding the location of a victim that results in responder injury may also give rise to liability.
Third, a duty to rescue exists when there is a special relationship between parties. These relationships can include common carrier-passenger, hotel operator-guest, business-customer, parent-child, and teacher-student. More recently, courts have recognized special relationships in a variety of contexts, emphasizing the dependence of one party on the other. In crowdsourced disaster response, a special relationship potentially arises between the crowdsourced group and anyone relying on the information, such as aid workers or victims.
Although crowdsourced disaster response groups are a recent phenomenon, it is not too early to take proactive steps to reduce liability. First, volunteer and technology communities should not undertake rescue by sending volunteers to provide emergency services or directing the delivery of aid. Second, these groups should not communicate with victims but should assume the role of the passive observer, collecting, organizing and making information available. Third, groups should discourage reliance on information they disseminate with the use of disclaimers and other notices indicating that any information should not be relied upon for life safety purposes.
Crowdsourced groups have the potential to be a valuable resource in quickly getting help to where it is needed most. By proactively addressing liability issues, these groups can help ensure that their model will be viable for years to come.
This article is published for informational purposes only and is not a description of the law in any state. It should not be construed as providing legal advice on any particular matter.
Edward S. Robson is the managing member of Robson & Robson LLC, a law firm located outside of Philadelphia. Mr. Robson has represented emergency service organizations in a variety of matters, including First Amendment issues, civil rights, employment, contract negotiations, internal governance, personnel policies, SOP's and equipment purchases.
He has volunteered as an emergency medical technician since 2003 and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of a large suburban fire company. Mr. Robson graduated with honors from both Villanova University and Villanova University School of Law and is a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bars.
Edward S. Robson, Esquire
Robson & Robson, LLC
920 Matsonford Road, Suite 103
Conshohocken, PA 19428
Erobson[at] robsonlaw [dot] com
P 610.825.3009
F 610.825.2620
www.robsonlaw.com
USNG to Enhance Situational Awareness
About the Author - Carla Boyce, PMP - Carla is currently the Manager of the Response Division at IEM where she oversese movement coordination and deployment of surge teams in support of state/federal disaster operations in accordance with ICS, NIMs and other applicable best practices; coordinate and provide subject matter expertise to State/Regional/Federal disaster planning initiatives, as well as other duties. Prior to joining IEM she was the Branch Chief of Preparedness at the Florida Division of Emergency Management. She has also served in the positions of Plans Chief and GIS Administrator for the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
In planning for regional, large-scale, or catastrophic incidents, whose impacts likely cover several counties or states, a uniform point & area reference system for defining operational areas will enhance critical situational awareness. To paraphrase from the Army Field Manual, the US Army defines situational awareness as knowledge and understanding of the current situation which promotes timely, relevant and accurate assessment of operations within the impacted areas in order to facilitate decision making. It is an informational perspective and skill that fosters an ability to determine quickly the context and relevance of events that are unfolding. It is easy to see that the importance of a geographic reference system to assist in maintaining situational awareness cannot be overstated when an event stretches across all levels of governmental boundaries, and across responding disciplines with the specific needs of each.
Situational awareness for responders, emergency operations staff, and senior decision & policy makers has always been challenging. A well integrated operational picture is especially difficult in events that result in wide area impacts causing intelligence to come from multiple directions simultaneously. Distilling a steady stream of data into actionable information across various operational areas is essential to affective disaster operations.
Though every large-scale or catastrophic incident after action report dating back to Hurricane Andrew calls for a common reference system; the need for a common and geographic based reference system was made clear again during the exceptionally busy Hurricane Seasons of 2004 & 2005. The State of Florida became intimately familiar with this need during response operations that stretched across all areas of the state over a six (6) week period. Multiple operational areas crossing all levels of government often resulted in confusion as personnel and resources were moved from one side of the state to the other in rapid succession. Additionally, the need became apparent for a geographically based system that could be used by responders to indicate to command staff at various levels when specific missions were underway or completed in a particular area. Traditional municipal or county/parish borders proved unworkable since the impacts of an event do not adhere to governmental boundaries, and as has been demonstrated in every major event since Hurricane Andrew, traditional methods of describing location (street address, landmarks, etc are often destroyed or so dramatically impacted that they’re unrecognizable even to local responders.
The United States National Grid (USNG) is the geographic grid reference system identified by the National SAR Committee as the primary catastrophic incident search and rescue geo-referencing system that must be used by federal land SAR responders. Additionally, the USNG has been designated as the primary reference grid for interfacing between land and air based SAR operations. Other non-federal responders across local and state jurisdictions have been in the process of adopting the Grid as well. It is important to note that US military assets, one of the largest force multipliers in disaster response operations, uses a grid system which is functionally the same as the USNG, known as the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS). Land based DoD responders are therefore able to share location based information and readily interpret areas of operation defined using the Grid immediately upon joining disaster operations. Additionally, situational awareness can be shared across multiple levels of government not to mention between civilian and military command staff.
NAPSG SOG v. 2 Released w/ GeoCONOPS Alignment & Training Resources
The National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation (NAPSG) is pleased to announce the release of version 2.0 of the Geoaptial Standard Operating Guidance for Multi-Agency Coordination Centers (NAPSG SOG). This latest version - and the supporting training materials - are made possible through NAPSG's partnership with the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) and the US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS).
The following materials are available to support you & your agency in creating & implementing geospatial SOPs.
Training Tutorials & Supporting Resources
Background on NAPSG SOG
This Standard Operating Guidance was developed by a team of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialists and professionals, leaders in public safety operations & managements, and incident support subject matter experts. The document strives to serve as a template to support national GIS standards development for emergency response in Multi-Agency Coordination Centers.
This guidance document is intended to provide public safety agencies at all levels of government with a starting point in developing their agency's guidelines for coordinating GIS emergency response efforts - and with the larger goal of further contributing to enhanced situational awareness & decision making for fire, EMS, and other public safety disciplines.
Background on GeoCONOPS
The GeoCONOPS is focused on the geosaptial communities supporting DHS and FEMA activities under the National Response Framework (NRF). The intended audience of GeoCONOPS includes the 15 Emergency Support Functions (ESF) and other federal mission partners. It is currently in review by FEMA for adoption by the National Incident Management System (NIMS). It is inteded to identify and align the geospatial resources that are required to support the NRF, ESF, and supporting federal mission partners.
NAPSG encourages local, county, state, and tribal public safety agencies to take a look at the latest version of GeoCONOPS as a mission blueprint and requirements matrix for technology, products, data, and interoeprability standards.
New Training Tutorial on GIS Inventory for Public Safety
On August 25 & 30, 2011 NAPSG and the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), with support from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, co-hosted webcast training seminars on how to use the GIS Inventory as a directory for the information acces, sharing & collaboration across public safety at all levels of government. The training session (titled,"Discovering GIS Information that Supports Public Safety") provided public safety, emergency services personnel, and GIS & IT professionals with training on how to use the GIS Inventory to advance the use of geospatial information in daily public safety operations. It covered the following specific knowledge & skills needed to understand what the GIS Inventory is and how it works:
- Gain ideas for how your public safety agency(s) can use the GIS Inventory to support your mission & operations.
- Discover how to use the GIS Inventory as a directory to forge relationships & collaboration.
- Learn how to get access to data layers your agency needs to advance how you use GIS in daily operations.
Providede here is a shortened version of the webcast training seminar as a video training tutorial. Click on the link below to access the Video Training Tutorial on the GIS Inventory for Public Safety
Discovering GIS Information that Supports Public Safety- High Definition
Discovering GIS Information that Supports Public Safety- Regular Quality and Resolution
This video tutorial is a great way to learn how to utilize the GIS inventory in your public safety agency'. You can use this video as a training tool in your agency to equip your staff with valuable information for how the GIS Inventory can be used to enhance your current geospatial capabilities OR to help your agency get started in building a GIS. Also, provided below is an overview document about the GIS Inventory and how it is used to support public safety GIS needs.
If you have questions about the GIS Inventory that are not answered in the video tutorial or on the GIS Inventory website, feel free to send an email to questions@publicsafetygis.org with your question- be sure to include "Questions on Discovering GIS Information" in the subject line of the email. NAPSG will do our best to provide answers to your questions within a couple of weeks.
Join the Discussion - Crowdsourced Information in Public Safety
Liability & Reliability With Crowdsourced & Volunteered Information in Disaster Management
Part 1: Domestic Emergency Preparedness
When: Tuesday, August 30 // 2:00-4:00pm EDT
Where: Your personal computer - this panel will be broadcast via webcast. To join visit,
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/liability-and-reliability-crowdsourced-and-volunteered-information-for-disaster-management
Issue Synopsis:
 A local engaged citizenry, prepared for all types of hazards, is central to fostering a higher level of community resilience needed to meet the complex and dynamic threats of the 21st century. The rapid rate of innovation and adoption of technology, especially mobile technology, by citizens and first responders alike has the potential to enable a greater level of community preparedness not previously possible.
One way that first responders use geospatial technology is to provide heightened situational awareness in daily planning & response operations, in turn enhancing safety & quality of life. Many local public safety agencies also use social media as a mechanism to provide the public with authoritative information to mitigate threats & increase preparedness in their communities. Advanced technologies can support real-time crowd sourced & volunteered information exchange through, participatory mapping; alerting systems; location-aware social media; aggregation of volunteered geographic information; and other applications. The emergence of the volunteer and technical communities (V&TC) in recent years provides for a unique opportunity to leverage crowd sourced & volunteered information as a preparedness and mitigation capability—and not just in the aftermath of a major disaster as a crisis response tool. The power behind these innovations lies in the potential for the V&TC to coordinate and collaborate with local public safety agencies and citizens in building the local capacity to operationalize advanced technologies as mission critical tools for all types, and scales, of hazards and threats.
Liability and reliability, pertaining to accuracy and authoritativeness, of crowd sourced and volunteered information is a current knowledge gap that needs further examination.  This also includes liability issues working with technically-oriented volunteers that are not formerly part of any authoritative agency, in any emergency operations scenario. Independent research and evaluation on these issues is needed to serve as the basis by which the public safety community can effectively harness the power of the V&TC and the wisdom of the crowd while ensuring the integrity of information used in decision making affecting the life and safety of our communities. The purpose of this panel session is to convene a diverse panel of experts to begin the dialogue. It starts by examining the liability and reliability issues at the local level in day-to-day incidents, first as a preparedness & mitigation strategy and second as a response & recovery tactic. It will serve as the starting point to extract lessons learned that will inform the development of a coordinated strategy on crowd sourced and volunteered information for emergency and disaster management.
Speakers:
Charles Werner - Fire Chief - Charlottesville Fire Department (VA)
Xenophon Gikas - Captain - Los Angeles City Fire Department
Brad Kieserman - Chief Counsel - Federal Emergency Management Agency
Deborah Shaddon - CrisisCommons Core Team Member and Infrastructure Working Group Lead
Martin Valentine - Senior Manager - USAA Insurance
Moderator - Rand Napoli - Vice-Chairman, NAPSG Foundation
DHS Releases GeoCONOPS 3.0 & NAPSG Call for Comments
On July 6th 2011 he US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Geospatial Management Office (GMO) announced that Version 3.0 of the GeoCONOPS is now available. The development of the GeoCONOPS is lead by the Geospatial Interagency Oversight Team, which is a selected group of federal geospatial leads who discuss and guide the process of the GeoCONOPS.
The GeoCONOPS is focused on the geosaptial communities supporting DHS and FEMA activities under the National Response Framework (NRF). The intended audience of GeoCONOPS includes the 15 Emergency Support Functions (ESF) and other federal mission partners. It is currently in review by FEMA for adoption by the National Incident Management System (NIMS). It is inteded to identify and align the geospatial resources that are required to support the NRF, ESF, and supporting federal mission partners.
NAPSG encourages local, county, state, and tribal public safety agencies to take a look at the latest version of GeoCONOPS as a mission blueprint and requirements matrix for technology, products, data, and interoeprability standards. Over the next month NAPSG will be working with members of the Standards Working Group, the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), DHS, and several other public safety & GIS practitioners to update version 1.1 of the NAPSG Standard Operating Guidance for Multi-Agency Coordination Centers (SOG). In the next update NAPSG plans to make updates that will further evolve the SOG to serve as a more versatile template for public safety & geospatial practitioners to build their own Standard Operating Procedures for their agencies that support map production, information & data sharing, and map product delivery.
Provided below is GeoCONOPS 3.0 as a PDF file and the NAPSG SOG as a word document. NAPSG welcomes input, edits, and feedback on the SOG as we proceed with the next update - and we encourage any review & edits to reflect any point sof intersection that are identified with GeoCONOPS 3.0. Please send any suggested edits or comments to rharned@publicsafetygis.org by July 31, 2011.
There is one conference this year that you can't afford to miss, the Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness (TCIP) conference of 2011. Why can't you afford to miss it? There are many reason, but number one is that it is free. Not many conferences today are free and TCIP is unique at many levels. The reason its free is because it is co-sponsored by the US Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Defense - and hosted with the Nation's leading public safety and homeland security non-profit organizations, including NAPSG.
Aside from the great price tag, there are many other reasons that you should consider in making the decision to come to TCIP this year. We've outlined some of the key points about the conference, and hopefully they will help you make the case to your bosses and other decision makers:
- TCIP is the ONLY conference that will bring together nearly 1,000 emergency responders and public safety officials across all disciplines
- TCIP is the ONLY conference dedicated to providing you with education on cutting-edge technology for use in prevention, preparedness, response & recovery
- TCIP is the premier, and Federal government sponsored, annual education and information sharing opportunity for the public safety & technology communities
- You will learn about best practices first hand from local, state, and Federal government technology deployments - that will help to inform your agency's decisions & investments
- You will hear from the Nation's leaders on how to leverage Federal funding to support your agency's advanced technology efforts
- And if thats not enough reasons yet... you will learn how to leverage advanced technology as a key tool to enhancing operations AND reducing costs for leaner budgets
If you are still having a hard time making the case to participate in TCIP 2011, visit the website to read more. The conference agenda isn't up yet but we know it is going to highly innovative and packed with valuable sessions & great speakers. One session that is sure to spark your interest is one dedicated to examining how geospatial technology serves as a collaborative platform for emergency preparedness.
NAPSG is an official TCIP partner organization and we look forward to seeing you there!
When: August 30-September 1
Where: Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center - 201 Waterfront Street - National Harbor, Maryland 20745
Need More Information: http://www.tcipexpo.com/
NAPSG Foundation enlisted the expertise from Mike Price, a renowned public safety GIS expert, to provide some insight on the potential uses & considerations for commercial street data to support local public safety needs. The first case scenario was conducted for Fire District 21 in Whatcom County, WA. In this example, Mike conducted a time-based travel comparison of customized Agency streets with commercially-available NAVTEQ streets. The results revealed that the commercial NAVTEQ streets provided very realistic time-based travel parameters. Read on to learn more about this case example. You will quickly see the potential power that commercial street data offers for local public safety agencies - especially as local agencies become increasingly resource & staff strained.
Case in Review - Time-based travel comparison of customized Agency streets with commercial NAVTEQ streets
Blog Contributor - Mike Price
Fire District 21, Whatcom County, WA maintains a time-based street centerline dataset to model response capability in District 21 and neighboring jurisdictions. Recently, District staff compared 4 and 8 minute travel on the District’s custom streets to identical travel on commercial NAVTEQ streets, obtained for testing through ESRI. This map shows the relationship of four and eight minute response from FD 21’s Stations 61, 63, and 71, modeled using ESRI’s Network Analyst Service Area solver. Filled, trimmed polygons show modeled travel on NAVTEQ streets, using impedance and turn parameters built into ESRI’s StreetMap Premium. Outlines represent travel on highly tuned FD 21 streets, using speed and turn impedance. Check out the PDF of the map below to see for yourself - be sure to use the"layer feature" to take a closer look (the layer feature is located on the left-hand side, click on the layers icon).
The similarities between the custom and commercial models are striking. Four and eight minute travel footprints are nearly identical for all stations! The only areas where travel perimeters are noticeably different are within a western gated community, where custom streets are intentionally conservative and in a southern industrial area, outside of the District, where custom streets were not tuned. We have determined that the commercial NAVTEQ streets provide very realistic time-based travel parameters. District 21 staff spends many project hours preparing and maintaining custom streets that model almost exactly like the NAVTEQ dataset.
Mike Price, GISP - President, Entrada/San Juan, Inc. - Mike is a renowned expert in Public Safety GIS. He specializes in GIS-based response time modeling and evacuation analysis for local public safety & emergency management agencies. He has also developed and led National and State Technical Workshops for NFPA's Fire wise Communities, and is a regular contributor to ArcUser. Mike is a member of NAPSG's Pacific Northwest Regional Leadership Team and serves as an Instructor for NAPSG Foundation, the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). He can be contacted at mike_price@frontiernet.net
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