GII & Geoplatform PPTs & Video available for download
Please find below the powerpoint presentations from the April 10, 2013, Virtual Training Session. Subject: Geospatial Information Infrastructure & Geoplatform.
The audio/video stream for the event can be accessed at the following LINK
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 Geoplatform | Geoplatform | 2185 Kb | 10/04/13 19:17 |
| GII | Geospatial Information Infrastructure | 2921 Kb | 10/04/13 19:15 |
Remote Sensing PPT & Video Available
Download the Slide Deck from the Febuary 22, 2013, Remote Sensing training session.
The audio/video can be accessed from the following LINK
NAPSG Survey on Access to Federal Geospatial Data Sources
NAPSG Foundation is pleased to release a survey conducted over the Summer to better understand how well the Federal HSIP Gold and Navteq State Release data sets are finding their way to state and local public safety agencies. Further, the survey begins to dig into how these data sets, when utilized, are improving emergency response and preparedness.
NAPSG will continue to research how these data are impacting public safety -- in part by conducting more detailed surveys of respondents to gain more anecdotal information about the data is improving response and increasing civilian safety.
A copy of the survey results can be downloaded below.
If you would like to participate in these more detailed surveys, please contact Peter O’Rourke at porourke@publicsafetygis.org
Case Study: Public-Private Partnership for Statewide GIS Data
Press Release
NAPSG Releases Case Study on Virginia-NAVTEQ Partnership
Washington D.C. – The National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation (NAPSG) is pleased to release a new case study on a groundbreaking agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and NAVTEQ: “Public-Private Partnership for Enhanced Statewide Road Network.” The purpose of the case study was to evaluate how public agencies and commercial data providers can effectively work together to address time and cost-prohibitive challenges when creating and maintaining a routable road network data– a key resources for the public safety community. Over the course of five months, NAPSG coordinated with and interviewed the stakeholders involved with the Virginia-NAVTEQ public-private partnership.
In 2009, Virginia implemented an enterprise licensing agreement with NAVTEQ to develop a statewide routable road network and centerline that can be shared across all levels of government. The agreement, executed through the commonwealth’s Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), a division of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), allows NAVTEQ to use official government GIS data and for Virginia to use commercial data to fill in data gaps within local jurisdictions. According to Dan Widner, VGIN coordinator, “This type of partnership has the potential to improve significantly the ability of public safety agencies to plan for and respond to incidents.”
NAPSG encourages other states and private entities to learn from the example set by VGIN, Virginia and NAVTEQ. The case study provides guidance for similar, future public-private partnerships. Also, the case study demonstrates that applying the data attributes available from NAVTEQ to a state’s own database will maximize value for local end-users – in particular public safety agencies. Keith Richter, NAPSG Chair and Chief of the Orange County Fire Authority highlighted a key finding from the case study: “To make this sort of public-private partnership successful, the parties must engage with local agencies very early in the process to understand their needs and support them in leveraging the data for daily emergency operations.”
Supporting Resources Provided:
Provided below are links to a full version of the Case Study and an Executive Summary document.
For additional resources on this case study, log into the NAPSG Resource Portal and visit the page on "Case Studies: Local, State, & Federal"
Upcoming Webcast on Case Study:
NAPSG will be hosting a virtual seminar on the lessons learned from the case study. Be sure to Register Today to join us for the webcast on January 12 at 2:00pm EST.
Media Advisory - 140 Emergency Responders Convene to Advance Use of GIS & Information Sharing
Public Safety and the Power of Geospatial Technology
140 Emergency Responders Convene to Advance Use of GIS & Information Sharing
WASHINGTON – From November 3-4, 2011, over 140 emergency responders from across the East Coast Region will convene in Washington, DC. The public safety and homeland security community is convening around the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation’s (NAPSG) East Coast Public Safety GIS Summit, where they will address information & data sharing, regional collaboration for geospatial preparedness, and GIS use to enhance resiliency throughout the region. It is the premiere regional event for education, training, and networking to advanced geospatial technology use & information sharing by the public safety and homeland security community.
The first day of the event features opening ceremonies by the DC Fire Department’s Honor Guard, a Keynote Address by Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Deputy Administrator Richard Serino, and multiple of hands-on training sessions delivered by local public safety & GIS leaders. The second day of the event is opened-up by a Keynote Panel Session featuring senior officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. The afternoon of the second day includes additional presentations highlighting local, state, and regional best practices in GIS for emergency responder life safety, all-hazards information sharing, and search & rescue operations.
What: NAPSG’s East Coast Public Safety GIS Summit
Who: National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation; University of the Direct of Columbia’s Institute for Public Safety & Justice; homeland security & public safety leaders; and GIS & IT practitioners, from across the East Coast
When: Thursday, November 3 through Friday, November 4 – 8:00am-5:00pm (2011)
Where: University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20008
Media are welcome to attend this event but are asked to register before by sending an email with name, media outlet, and contact information to rharned@publicsafetygis.org, or by calling 202-895-1711.
Nov. 1 Panel Event - Private Sector Innovation for Emergency Communications
November 1, 2011
4:30pm-6:00pm
Register to Attend Live or by Webcast - http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/private-sector-innovation-for-emergency-communications
Co-Hosts - National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Panel Event - Private Sector Innovation for Emergency Communications
Congress and the Administration are working to create a national public safety broadband network. The network will provide interoperable voice and data communications for emergency responders nationwide. It provides the opportunity to leverage mission critical technologies such as geospatial and social media that will dramatically enhance the way public safety prepares for and responds to emergencies. Closing the gap between the emergency responders and private sector innovators is vital to achieving the full potential of the national public safety broadband network. To do so we need to ask the following questions:
- What new technologies and applications in both the commercial and public safety markets are currently being developed that could be leveraged through the deployment and adoption of a national public safety broadband network?
- What new technologies and applications are in the pipeline which 5-10 years from now might aid the public safety and homeland security community?
- How do we create public-private partnerships to make this critical leap, both in technology innovation and adoption, as a nation?
Panel Speakers
- Morgan Wright - Vice-President, Global Public Safety Segment - Alcatel-Lucent
- Bill Maheu - Senior Director - Qualcomm
- Bronwyn Agrios - Project Manager - Esri
- Rick Zak - Director, Justice & Public Safety - Microsoft
- Chris Essid - Director, Office of Emergency Communications - U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Call for Nominations - Awards for Excellence in Public Safety GIS
NAPSG is now accepting nominations for candidates for the 2011 Awards for Excellence in Public Safety GIS. The deadline for nominations is October 15, 2011. The Awards Reception will be held on November 3, 2011 in Washington, DC in conjunction with the East Coast Public Safety GIS Summit.
Read on for information on eligibility & submit a nomination today!
Purpose – To recognize individuals for their leadership and achievements in making significant advancements in the use of GIS for the public safety & homeland security communities.
Goals - Each year individuals from the public safety & homeland security community can be nominated to receive the NAPSG Foundation Award for Excellence in Public Safety GIS. Each year three awards can be given, in each category: 1) Federal/National, 2) State/Tribal/Regional, and 3) Local. For the local category, a total of 3 awards can be given annually. Candidates should exemplify one or more of the nomination criteria outlined below:
Nomination Criteria -
- Demonstrated leadership in promoting and supporting operation use of GIS for enhanced preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.
- Served a key role – and made measureable progress - in advancing the readiness of the public safety & homeland security communities at any level of government (local, county, state, federal).
- Initiated by ideas, programs, and/or other means progress towards strengthening public safety’s capacity to use GIS for mission critical life saving operations.
- Act as a catalyst to facilitating cultural change among the public safety and homeland security communities in maximizing their use of GIS.
Note: Personal acts of heroism shall not be considered for this award.
Eligibility –
- Candidate can be employed by a government agency, non-profit organization, private sector, be self-employed, or serve in a voluntary capacity.
- The actions or achievements for which the candidate is being considered must have a positive impact in advancing the use of GIS for public safety and homeland security at any level of government (local, county, regional, state, tribal, federal, or national).
- Candidate must be nominated by someone other than him/herself, and NAPSG Foundation must receive the nomination form & letter from an individual who is familiar with the candidate's leadership.
- Candidate must have a public safety or homeland security background or have served a significant role in the community.
Nominating Procedure –
- To be considered for this award the candidate must be nominated by someone other than him/herself.
- Nominations shall be in the form of a typewritten letter not to exceed 2 pages in length and be transmitted in a PDF format. The letter should detail how the candidate has worked to advance the use of GIS among public safety and homeland security.
- The nomination letter must be submitted along with the nomination form by the deadline determined each year. For 2011, the deadline is October 15, 2011.
- Candidate nominations must be submitted by email to award@publicsafetygis.org
Such nominations will be forwarded to the Award Selection Committee. Nominees can be nominated twice for this award within a five-year period but cannot receive this award more than once in a five year period.
Selection & Award Presentation –
- The Selection Committee is comprised of the NAPSG Foundation Board of Directors. The award recipient will be the sole decision of the NAPSG Foundation Board of Directors.
- The Awards will be presented at a ceremony held in conjunction with an annual event hosted by NAPSG Foundation. The exact venue for this ceremony may change from year to year.
- The Executive Director shall notify the winner and arrange to have him/her attend the award ceremony.
- All other nominees shall receive a prompt written notification that another candidate has been selected as the winner. All nominees are strongly encouraged to attend the award ceremony.
- Other special guests from the public safety and homeland security communities will be invited to attend the award ceremony.
GITA & NAPSG Form Partnership
Press Release
GITA Announces Partnership with the NAPSG Foundation
Aurora, Colo., September 6, 2011—GITA has entered into an agreement with the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation (NAPSG) to explore a partnership to design, develop and conduct educational events to raise awareness of the use of geospatial technologies in the public safety/emergency response sectors and to provide first responders and others with enhanced capabilities for applying geospatial information technologies to emergency/disaster planning, mitigation, response, and recovery.
The agreement provides for GITA contributing to NAPSG’s 2011 East Coast Public Safety GIS Summit, scheduled for November 3-4 in Washington, DC. GITA will contribute educational sessions to the Summit program, as well as increase the number of vendor companies involved.
Robert M. Samborski, GITA’s Executive Director, said, “We are really looking forward to being able to build upon the three successful years of delivering our Emergency Response Symposium at our annual conference. This collaboration with NAPSG offers us a forum for continuing to reach this important industry segment. Both GITA and NAPSG have a strong commitment to providing education and training that enables those charged with preserving public safety and protecting our Nation’s critical infrastructure to benefit from leading edge education and information about geospatial technology.”
Rand Napoli, NAPSG’s Vice-Chairman, said, “The NAPSG-GITA partnership is a critical step forward in building strategic alliances among the emergency response community, private sector technology providers, and the owners & managers of our nation’s critical infrastructure. By working together we will be able to deliver a higher quality educational experience to a more diverse audience starting at our East Coast Public Safety GIS Summit in November.”
About GITA – www.gita.org
The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) is the professional association and leading advocate for anyone using geospatial technology to help operate, maintain, and protect the infrastructure, which includes organizations such as utilities, telecommunication companies, and the public sector. Through industry leading conferences—along with research initiatives, chapters, membership, and other programs—GITA provides education and professional best practices to geospatial practitioners focused upon critical infrastructure assets. For more information on GITA contact Libby Hanna at lhanna@gita.org or by phone at 720-496-0486.
About NAPSG Foundation – www.napsgfoundation.org
The National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation (NAPSG) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the public safety & homeland security community in advancing the use of geospatial technology for enhanced community resiliency. The mission is achieved through nation-wide regional coordination lead by local & state public safety leaders supporting all of NAPSG’s core program areas: education & training, tools & guidance; information clearinghouse, and technical assistance. For more information on NAPSG Foundation contact Rebecca Harned at rharned@publicsafetygis.org or by phone at 202-895-1711.
Recap & C-SPAN Coverage - NAPSG & Wilson Center Event
C-SPAN covered the Panel Discussion on Tuesday, August 30 covered by the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation and the Woodrow WIlson International Center for Scholars. The panel focused on the domestic emergency preparedness considerations with "Liability & Reliability of Crowdsourced & Volunteered Information in Disaster Management".
For full coverage of the event online, visit,
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/DomesticEm
Event Summary & Recap -
On August 30th, 2011, the Commons Lab of the Science and Technology Innovation Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, in partnership with the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation (NAPSG), hosted a panel discussion entitled Liability and Reliability of Crowdsourced and Volunteered Information for Disaster Management. Moderated by Rand Napoli, the Vice-Chairman of the NAPSG board of directors, the discussion focused on the issues of liability, or accuracy, and reliability, or authority, of crowdsourced and volunteered information. Recent events worldwide, such as the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, have showcased the power of these types of information to enhance situational awareness of emergency responders. Despite its potential, barriers remain to its acceptance as a valid source of information in a crisis, chiefly liability and reliability. The panelists (stakeholders, responders, and legal experts) offered their expertise on the topic. This discussion signals a future where citizen responders can support efficient coordinated lifesaving efforts.
The first panelist was Chief Charles L. Werner of the Charlottesville Virginia Fire Department. With 37 years on the job as a first responder, and numerous awards and leadership roles among the public safety community, Chief Werner is a renowned leader with a powerful grasp on both policy and practical concerns. He spoke of how technology and connectivity has created a world where everyday citizens can potentially offer situational awareness to first responders not yet on the scene. When emergency services are stretched thin, a vetted and trained citizen could enable better allocation of resources, saving lives. To that end, Chief Werner believes social media companies must create a common standard interoperable across platforms. For citizens to effectively respond, these companies must engage the public, combat misinformation, and collaborate with the emergency management community.
The second speaker was Captain Xenophon “Yo” Gikas of the Los Angeles Fire Department, a firefighter with 23 years of experience at multiple levels of emergency response. Captain Gikas framed his comments around the enormous flows of information to be managed during a crisis. His department receives over 2,000 calls a day, 100 to 1,100 of which will require a dispatched response. Information from more sources can provide the necessary context on the request and better hone the response. Captain Gikas discussed the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) as a way to work around the concerns around trusting received information. CERT members are trained, identified, and vetted. Social media, he cautioned, has the potential for misunderstanding to rapidly expand out of control, and CERT teams could enable qualified individuals to stop the flow of misinformation in a crisis.
We next heard from Jodi Cramer, Counsel for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. While the first two commentators focused their remarks on the role of first responders, Ms. Cramer discussed some of the legal issues at play. If a citizen offers information about a crisis and is geotagged, they may fear being tracked by government entities. There may be Fourth Amendment and privacy issues involved with citizen-generated information used for public safety purposes, such as how long to keep it, who can see it, and who owns it. Ms. Cramer also touched on the risks of implicit endorsement if FEMA provides information relayed from a citizen source and others rely upon it.
Next there were comments from Deborah Shaddon, a career IT professional with over 20 years of experience, with the CrisisCommons group. Ms. Shaddon represented the Volunteer Technical Community (VTC), and advocated that training and collaboration can enhance trust in the power of VTCs to help emergency responders save lives. As she noted, it is not just crowd sourced data that can be incorrect and lead to an inefficient response. Data that opens itself to collaboration in the public domain can be corrected and triangulated by the community. Organizations like the Standby Taskforce can work to build relationships with responders, and become a trusted source for citizen-generated information in a crisis.
Our fifth speaker was Governor Jim Geringer, the Director of Policy at the Environmental Systems Research Institute, which focuses on educating business and government on using geospatial technology for place based decisions. Through his experience, Governor Geringer detailed a shift in the challenges confronting effective emergency response. The current problem is not lacking information, instead it is having too much and needing to sort the good from bad. Technology and analytics relieves some of the burden to filter these data flows. He encouraged confrontation of these challenges, both through development of better tools and more active engagement between public safety leaders and the community at large.
The sixth panelist was Edward S. Robson, Esq., an attorney with Robson & Robson, LLC. In his practice, Mr. Robson has advised volunteer fire and ambulance organizations, and serves as a member on the Board of Directors of a suburban fire company. He noted that there has yet to be a definitive legal doctrine on these issues, but the definitive issue as he sees it will be tort law. That is, people harmed by bad information provided by a VTC suing for damages. This implicates many questions. What duty does the VTC owe to the public when relaying information? If tort law implies a duty to act “reasonably,” what qualifies as reasonable in a crisis situation? To what extent can they be held liable if something bad happens? Mr. Robson cautioned that VTCs taking part in emergency response should be careful to consider these issues in advance and acknowledge both their strengths and limitations. The more they step into the sphere of directing individuals during a crisis, the more they risk injury and liability.
Finally, we heard from Martin Valentine, a Senior Portfolio Manager with USAA Insurance. From the perspective of the insurance process after a disaster, Mr. Vallentine discussed the power of GIS to make response more precise. Before a crisis takes place, the better and deeper data GIS can provide can more appropriately price out insurance rates, allowing rates to coincide with level of risk. GIS can simplify otherwise complex situations, and make the data used in response and mitigation transparent.
This diverse group of leading practitioners facilitated an outstanding dialogue on the future of emergency response. Crowdsourced information, social media, and geospatial technology are not catch-all tools that eliminate the need for careful thought and planning in a crisis. When used effectively, it can provide rich context and reinforce the actions required to enhance community safety and resiliency during a crisis. Further scholarly and practitioner-led inquiry into these issues will enable its incorporation into how we respond to disasters at all levels.
Common Message on GIS in Next Generation 9-1-1
The National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation (NAPSG), National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) have joined forces to help 9-1-1 authorities and public safety agencies at all levels of government to begin "working smarter together" to improve the geospatial components of 9-1-1 systems while reducing costs.
Deploying Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) in uncertain economic times presents many challenges, but also offers opportunities for collaborating to enhance public safety operations nationwide. NG 9-1-1 systems use GIS data to pre-validate caller locations by address and geographic coordinates, and to aid first responders in routing to the incident based on caller location. This moves GIS to the front end of the process, and GIS is a core component of NG 9-1-1.
NG 9-1-1 offers new opportunities to work smarter. Producing geospatial data products consistent with national standards, takes advantage of the efficiencies offered by large area contracting techniques that; help to ensure interoperability, reduce direct costs, aid in implementing a uniform national map grid (USNG), and enhance mission critical capabilities for first responders.
To learn more about our collaborative effort to "Work Together Smarter" with NG 9-1-1, review the 2-page brochure linked below.
We encourage other mission partners to join us in this important effort. Please contact NAPSG Programs Director, Rebecca Harned at rharned@publicsafetygis.org to discuss how you would like to get involved.
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