Indianapolis, IN – The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) released new guidance for geographic information systems (GIS) professionals asked to provide GIS support to state emergency managers and first responders. The Pre-Incident Checklist for GIS Professionals in State Emergency Operations Centers: Setting Yourself Up for Success is now available on NSGIC’s website.
“This document was developed following a February meeting of NSGIC members where we discussed deficiencies that we’ve encountered in supporting emergency management within our states” said Bruce Oswald, NSGIC’s liaison to the US Department of Homeland Security. “This is not a checklist designed for use during actual emergencies,” Oswald emphasized. “This document was created for GIS professionals with a checklist of resources and actions to be taken before emergencies to maximize the impact of important geospatial decision-making tools during a State Emergency Operations (EOC) activation.”
The Pre-Incident Checklist document was developed by NSGIC’s Geospatial Preparedness Committee co-chaired by Jon Paoli, GIS coordinator for Iowa Homeland and Emergency Management, and Josh Groeneveld, GIS coordinator for the Utah Division of Emergency Management, and unveiled this week during NSGIC’s Annual Conference.
The document includes topics of integration of GIS into the organizational workflow, hardware, software, connectivity, data and data services, GIS products, staffing, training, communication and mobile (in the event of a mobile deployment).
Participation in the NSGIC Geospatial Preparedness Committee is open to all GIS professionals interested in geospatial preparedness, including those in state and local government. To join the committee, please contact Jon Paoli atjonathan.paoli@iowa.gov.
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The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) promotes statewide geospatial coordination activities in all states and advocates for states in national geospatial policy initiatives that support a national spatial data infrastructure. We work toward our vision of all levels of government becoming highly effective and efficient through coordinated development and use of geospatial data and technologies. Our members represent state Geographic Information Officers (GIOs), state agency GIS heads, leaders of the statewide coordination council, federal agencies, tribal government, local government, the private sector, academia and other professional organizations. Learn more at www.nsgic.org.