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Director’s Blog

• The LA Police Department "War Room" February 22, 2012
  Earlier this month, CBS News in Los Angeles (LA) did a piece on the LA Police Department's Real-Time Analysis Critical Response Center (RACR).   Touted as a model for police departments across the nation, the facility features an impressive range of capabilities.  RACR operates as part of the LA EOC that was opened in August of 2009.  You can learn more […]
• Save a Heart With Your Cell Phone February 21, 2012
  The concept is simple.  Various organizations have made Automated External Defibrillators (AED) available, but no one has mapped out where they are all located.  Consequently, that potential life-saving location information is not available for use on modern smartphones.  The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is out to change that in Philadelphia […]
• National Pipeline Mapping System February 20, 2012
  As a result of the San Bruno, CA pipeline explosion of 2010, a great deal of reflection has been taking place about pipeline safety and the Emergency Services Sector's (ESS) ability to respond to these types of incidents.  Unfortunately, one of the issues that has come to light is paper field notes and drawings created many years ago during original con […]
• UAV (Drone) Mania February 19, 2012
  EXTRA-EXTRA: READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!In the weeks after the U.S. Congress passed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding bill with a provision for the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's)/drones in U.S. airspace (see: Commercial Drones to be Added to U.S. Airspace), there has been a flood of topic related information released in the industry and […]
• NOAA Satellites Helped Save 207 Last Year February 18, 2012
  Last year, satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) materially contributed to rescue operations that saved 207 individuals from life-threatening circumstances in the United States and surrounding waters.  This NOAA system of satellites known as Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking System (SARSAT) operates as par […]
• Smartphone Navigation for the Visually Impaired February 17, 2012
  Photo: KARE11.comWithin the past year, researchers have been demonstrating some promising new ways to help the visually impaired navigate based on technologies originally developed for the greater geospatial community.  One of these efforts is hand-held sonar.  Another is leveraging the diverse and powerful capabilities inherently available in modern smartph […]
• ...Down goes LightSquared, down goes LightSquared, down goes LightSquared... February 16, 2012
  Photo: Sports IllustratedAfter more than a year in the boxing ring, LightSquared has just experienced a series of knock-out punches that have put it on the mat for the final time.  First came the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) release of three reports on February 14, 2012.  These reports clearly show, "...LightS […]
• Predicting Meth Labs Before They Open February 15, 2012
  A recent article in Fast Company highlighted how cutting edge work by Max Lu, a professor at Kansas State University, and Jessica Burnum could be used to predict locations of new meth labs.  Go here to read the article.Comment: This article is a worthwhile read both from the standpoint of the geospatial concepts described, and from the standpoint of gaining […]
• Finding an Amercian Red Cross Shelter February 14, 2012
   Graphic: VisionLink, Inc.Early last year, the American Red Cross (ARC) began deploying a variety of geospatial applications to provide information about its shelters.  There are three that update location information every 30 minutes:National Shelter System: Available to Red Cross Employees and volunteers,Search for Red Cross Shelters: Online search feature […]
• FBI Curtails GPS Tracking February 13, 2012
  As a direct result of the January 23, 2012, ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that put limits on the use of GPS tracking by law enforcement pesonnel (see: GPS Tracking: Bad Guys 1, Good Guys 0), an unnamed source at the FBI has confirmed the ruling has had a major impact on the agency.  For more on this story as reported by USAToday, go here.Comment: It will […]
• Using LIDAR to Understand Earthquakes February 12, 2012
  Photo: crosby_cjScientists have been using Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) to study an earthquake zone in Mexico's Baja peninsula.  Ultimately, it is hoped these efforts will one day lead to creation of an analytical tool that can be used to predict earthquakes.  For more on this story as reported by MSNBC, go here. Alternately, an in depth review o […]
• Sierra Club v. Orange County, California February 11, 2012
  Think $475,000 is a little steep for a county's GIS parcel database?  So did the Sierra Club, and they decided to do something about it - they took Orange County, California to court.  Now, they are fighting a battle for the entire nation, and their case will soon be ruled on by the California Supreme Court.  At issue: who owns the geospatial informatio […]
• LANDFIRE February 10, 2012
  In an effort to harmonize various predictive geospatial modeling efforts related wildfires, members of a public-private collaborative group have been working to create LANDFIRE.  As described in official publications:LANDFIRE (also known as Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools) is an interagency vegetation, fire, and fuel characteristics map […]
• Not So Fast - Crime Push February 9, 2012
  Earlier this week, several news organizations ran stories about Crime Push, a just released smartphone app for reporting crimes. Based on the idea that the typical call to 9-1-1 fails to use many features of modern smartphones, Crime Push is attempting to change that by offering an easy to use reporting menu that will allow users to add pictures, video, and […]
• Geo-tracking Comes to a Cow Near You February 8, 2012
  The Federal government is the final stages of preparing to implement the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) which will use livestock ear tags (primarily Radio-frequency identification (RFID) type), instead of branding, to denote ownership. A driving factor behind this effort - the tags will facilitate the rapid geo-tracking of livestock in the even […]
• The Peacemaker Comes to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida February 7, 2012
  The Fort Lauderdale Police have recently deployed remote sensing in a very unique way - in a large armored van that gets parked near crime hot spots.  Referred to as the "Peacemaker" by law enforcement personnel, the van is home to a bank of remotely controlled cameras that officers at department headquarters can use to scan the area where the van […]
• The FEMA Map Service Center February 6, 2012
   The FEMA Map Service Center serves as FEMA's distribution node for flood information maps supporting the National Flood Insurance Program.   Data related to these maps comes in five basic forms: Flood Information Rate Map (FIRM, or just "Flood Map"): Is the official map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the special hazard areas […]
• GISCorps February 5, 2012
  A recent news release by the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) highlighted the hard work that organization's GISCorps has been doing around the globe.  Starting from humble beginnings in 2003, GISCorps has grown into a substantial volunteer group that provides onsite geospatial assistance to world-wide humanitarian efforts - alm […]
• Commercial Drones to be Added to U.S. Airspace February 4, 2012
  On Friday, February 3, 2012, the U.S. House passed a reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  As part of that bill, a series of deadlines were included that will facilitate introduction of commercial drones into U.S. airspace by September 2015 (six test sites will be operational by June 2012).  Final approval of the bill by both h […]
• Laser Message in the Sky February 3, 2012
  Playing off the Batman symbol in the sky concept, Japanese company Burton, Inc., recently revealed they have developed a prototype aerial 3D technology. Using laser beams, the system can display dynamic symbols and writing in 3D space. In addition to being hawked for potential commercial applications where skywriting might have been previously used, the poss […]