Whether you’re getting started with GIS or managing a mature GIS team, there seems to be a focus only on the awesome power and capability of GIS and forget some very basic foundational elements of a sustainable public safety GIS, especially when planning for the future.
Geographic and data management software are a cornerstone of the foundation for GIS. Admittedly, current software and program capabilities are simply inspiring. Each version of major GIS software packages and the soon-to-follow third party applications improves the user interface and analysis capabilities, but software is only one of the foundational blocks.
Computer hardware, another basic element, becomes more sophisticated to meet the possibilities offered by the software. The proliferation of hardware drives a lot of people nuts, (pondering when, what, how many, and how much and focusing on cost instead of the value that GIS brings to emergency service delivery).
Spatial and non-spatial data drives all GIS-based decisions, whether on the emergency scene or in the conference room, and is the third foundational block.
The last two foundational elements are people and policies. Look for an upcoming blog on recent revelations from a series of national public safety meetings in 2010.
Finally, I send my sincere thanks to all who have supported my blogs, writings, and teaching GIS to public safety groups and individuals in 2010. Happy New Year wishes to all my fire, law enforcement and emergency management colleagues.
