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GIS Eliminates Data Update Disruptions in Vermont's 9-1-1 SystemCurrent Maps Save Staff Time and Improve Emergency ResponseBy Greg Phillips, microDATA Locating callers on a map is an imperative rather than a luxury for first responders of 9-1-1 agencies. In the State of Vermont, hilly terrain and a tourism-based economy present unique challenges when locating callers who these days are often nomadic and could be using mobile, landline, or Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phones to contact 9-1-1.
As part of a comprehensive Request for Proposal in 2006, Vermont sought to enhance all aspects of its 9-1-1 system. Once the new, high-speed IP data network was in place for the state, sharing resources such as the GIS database management system (DBMS) over the network of 10 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs)—communications centers responsible for answering 9-1-1 calls—meant fundamental changes in how the 9-1-1 system operated. It also meant Vermont could ensure that accurate and up-to-date GIS data was transmitted to the 36 call takers' map displays efficiently and without interruption to the 9-1-1 system. Prior to deploying the current GIS system, Vermont’s GIS specialist Jeremy McMullen had a cumbersome process for applying GIS updates to the servers at PSAPs, which subsequently distributed data updates to the maps on the call taker’s computers. "We had to update the whole database, which could be a couple of gigabytes," said McMullen. "It would take us two to four hours and had to be done when no one was doing anything network intensive. In that system, the call taker would get a prompt to accept the changes and that the map application would have to be shut-down and restarted, impeding call taker activity. I would then have to call each of the call-takers to remind them to accept the changes.” The process consisted of constructing a replica of the primary GIS database, saving it to a centrally located server that was on the same wide area network (WAN) as the 10 PSAPs, and copying the entire dataset to the primary server. That server then pushed the multiple gigabyte replica to each of the 10 PSAPs while rebuilding each database separately. Such a labor-intensive process meant that updates occurred an average of once a month. Although Vermont was ahead of many agencies in 9-1-1 that today are still “sneaker-porting” updates to each PSAP on DVDR and manually copying data to each call taker map position, Vermont quickly discovered that its GIS updating process could be dramatically enhanced with recent advances in GIS technology.
Today, implementation of the integrated ESRI ArcGIS and ESRI business partner microDATA software suites affords Vermont a seamless and nondisruptive automated process. Once McMullen posts GIS edits from his workstation running microDATA’s x9GIS, a GIS application built on ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.2 platform coupled with ArcSDE 9.2/SQL Server (or Oracle database), he publishes only the changes to the enterprise geodatabase server at Vermont’s 9-1-1 Board Office. Then the replica containing the data edits from the editing session is ready to transmit over Vermont’s WAN via transactional replication to each of Vermont’s 10 PSAP servers, also running ArcSDE 9.2/SQL Server. The call taker stations (client PCs) at PSAPs connect to each local ArcSDE server over a local area network (LAN) within the PSAP. Lastly, microDATA’s mapping client xTrakker, an application built on ArcGIS Engine 9.2, enables seamless GIS updates. Should a call taker pan or zoom in on a recently updated area of the map, data appears as it would if it had been there all along. For McMullen, managing updates is now painless. “With a touch of the button I can apply updates twice daily and in seconds to all 10 PSAPs simultaneously. What's more, there is no interruption to 9-1-1 operations, as the call taker map stays up throughout the process.” Additionally, the updates appear with no rebooting of systems or the time-intensive rebuilding of databases. In a world of specialized skill sets and shrinking budgets, an automated GIS update process provides a significant return on investment for 9-1-1 centers like Vermont's. Other benefits of the new GIS process include the following.
Now, with much less effort, all call taker positions can be actively updated, assuring that call takers always have the very latest data available to them as they respond to those in need. Since more than 60 percent of callers are nomadic (mobile and VOIP), and this number continues to grow, McMullen sees a time when Vermont and other 9-1-1 agencies come to rely on their GIS database more exclusively for locating callers. Advancements in GIS database management ensure that Vermont and other 9-1-1 agencies can quickly locate and respond more effectively to every call. For more information, contact: |
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