July 2006 Newsletter
Indiana First Response Map Application for First Responders
The Indiana First Response Map (INFRM) Application is a free tool, now available to Indiana's emergency
management and public safety personnel. It allows a user to view and search digital maps to support first
response efforts. INFRM includes the 2005 orthophotography, over 100 additional layers of information,
and free viewing software.
The viewing software is a custom application based on ESRI's ArcReader. It offers viewing, exploring and
printing capabilities. With it, users can view any map created with ArcGIS Publisher.
INFRM provides a simple, easy-to-use interface:
- Three Map Views
- Map Data & Layout Views
- Magnify Window
- Navigation Tools
- Custom Zoom Scale Settings
- Powerful Search Tool
- Predefined Map Displays
- Saved Views
- Chemical Database Lookup
INFRM is highly customizable. End users can tailor it to their own police, fire, or emergency
management needs. Additional local data local can be added to the INFRM using ESRI's ArcGIS
Publisher software. For existing GIS users, all the data has been packaged in shapefile format,
and can be used with compatible GIS software.
The flexibility also extends to more advanced programming. The C#.NET source code for INFRM is freeware.
A copy of the source code can be obtained and further customized for specific uses.
The INFRM packages are being delivered to county emergency management offices. A
complete list
of recipients can be found on the IGIC website under the Orthophotography
Project.
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IndianaMap - It's Your Online Resource
The IndianaMap has a face!
www.indianamap.org is the newly released online home for statewide maps.
To date, the site includes layers with aerial photography, elevations, boundaries, waters, and roads -
all available free to the public. Future layers will be determined by input from people like you:
What you want, have, and need. Come to one of the Summer Forums on framework data and tell us what you think.
The IndianaMap mapping website was made possible through a partnership with the Indiana Geological Survey and Indiana University UITS.
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Mitigating the Risks
The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires communities to develop and maintain a risk
management plan in order to be eligible for federal disaster funds. Such planning often requires
considerable information and expertise in order to evaluate the full scope of potential loss.
The Polis Center at IUPUI (Polis) is assisting Indiana's Boundary River Mitigation Planning Initiative
with the development of risk management plans. HAZUS-MH is FEMA's free software program for estimating
potential losses from disasters. Polis is updating 29 counties' HAZUS maps with the most accurate local
data available. The improved data will then also become part of the HAZUS database, and result in
significantly improved hazard management plans.
Working with regional planning commissions, Polis is helping develop and maintain a true picture of each
county's risk from natural and human hazards. Based on these risk assessments, the counties, with support
from their respective planning commissions, will develop community mitigation plans that meet DMA2K requirements.
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ESRI Discounts in Numbers
IGIC members are now eligible to receive discounts on ESRI products. Through a special arrangement with
ESRI, members who work for government entities can combine their orders with those of other IGIC member's.
Participants can receive 10%-30% bulk pricing discounts on ArcView, ArcEditor and ArcGIS extensions. The first
order will be place in October, so if you'd like to add yours to the list, contact the IGIS offices 317.234.924 or
info@igic.org.
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Summer Forums
The Summer Forums continue in July and August. Join us for an informal, half-day event to talk about
Indiana's framework data: what it is, how to get it, how to fund it, and how to maintain it.
If you have a stake in obtaining statewide addresses, roads, orthophotography or any number of other
essential datasets, you are invited to join us.
Addresses and Roads II
August 25, 2006 1pm-3pm
Indiana Farm Bureau
225 S East Street
Hall B
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Orthophotography: 2005 project wrap-up
July 28, 2006 9am-12pm
Indiana Farm Bureau
225 S East Street
Hall D
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Orthophotography: Maintenance
July 28, 2006 1pm-3pm
Indiana Farm Bureau
Hall D
225 S East Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Waters
August 25, 2006 9am-12pm
Indiana Farm Bureau
225 S East Street
Hall B
Indianapolis, IN 46202
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Orthophotograph Update
Excerpted from the Lieutenant Governor's June 26th press release on the orthophotography and the IndianaMap online…
INDIANAPOLIS - Today Lt. Governor Becky Skillman and the State's partners at the Indiana Geographic Information Council
announced that a detailed computer map has been delivered to every Indiana county and is now available online for all to see.
"It is safe to say that few have ever seen Indiana the way it appears on these maps," said Lt. Governor Skillman, who
serves as chair of the Indiana Counter-Terrorism and Security Council. "The mapping technology will be invaluable
to governments and businesses across the state for everything from economic development and environmental planning
to emergency response and demographic studies. The information that can be layered onto the maps is limitless,
and so is the potential to use this tool."
"In the short time that these orthophotos have been available, we are already reaping the benefits," said Jill
Saligoe-Simmel, Ph.D., Director of the Indiana Geographic Information Council, Inc. "Communities are using them
for everything from better flood protection to drug enforcement to attracting new businesses, and much, much more.
The uses are nearly endless, and the more they are used the more valuable they become. There are several local and
state partners that have helped make this project happen. Indiana University and the Indiana Geological Survey have
been especially helpful making these maps available online."
"We are very pleased to have access to this new technology," said Indiana Department of Homeland Security
Executive Director Eric Dietz. "This mapping technology will make Indiana's response capabilities more efficient
and effective. Having a single source for information concerning location of events and key equipment will improve
our ability to direct help to the right capability to the right location at the right time."
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In Brief
New USGS Liaison
The US Geological Survey has appointed a full-time Geospatial Liaison for Indiana. Dave Nail will take
up the torch from Charley Hickman beginning in mid-September. Welcome Dave! And many thanks to
Charley for his tireless work and long drives over the years.
Local Websites, National Attention
In the July 20th issue of Directions Magazine an article highlights six exemplary mapping websites,
and three of them are in Indiana: IndianaMap, City of Carmel and Jasper County. Read the
full article or
download a copy.
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Free Seminars
Addressing Do's and Don'ts
Wednesday, July 26th,1:00-3:30pm, Indiana State Library, Room 401, Indianapolis
Addresses are vital to nearly everyone in Indiana - government, private sector and
public alike. But finding and knowing which ones are "correct" can pose a problem.
Find out what's going on in the effort to create a statewide address database, where you
can go in the meantime, and how to use the data intelligently once you get it. Speakers will include
Larry Stout of Hamilton County, Brooke Gajownik of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and
Jill Saligoe-Simmel of IGIC.
Introduction to GIS for Librarians
Thursday, August 17th, 2006, 1:00-3:30pm, Indiana State Library, Room 401, Indianapolis
GIS is a powerful tool that can be used by anyone. But what exactly IS it, and how can you take
advantage of it? Jim Sparks of Paul I Cripe will guide you through the basics, everything from how
GIS started to realizing its potential. Tailored for librarians, this seminar can open up a world of
possibilities for anyone working with maps or spatial data.
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Smart Growth
While Indiana communities rank high on many quality of life factors, they often fall behind peers in
attaining environmental and health standards.
At the core of the problem are often-conflicting agriculture, urban development and non-metropolitan
growth land resource issues. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) uses GIS to
inform decision-makers on the issues of economic development and "smart growth".
The concept of smart growth centers on encouraging economic development without sacrificing
environmental and health assets. Using GIS, the IUPUI Geography Department provides
information that assists local communities in making informed decisions that balance
land use, development, and environment. Local control for land use decisions requires
integration of data on land cover, demographics, brown-fields, environmental, natural
resources, economic development, and infrastructure. GIS is the ideal tool for integrating these data.
IUPUI used GIS and satellite images to map land cover and integrate it with demographic
data like education and income. They also analyzed land cover types and calculated
trends in average rates of loss of agricultural and forest land to development.
The results of the analysis provide base-line data to measure change over the coming
years, and give a birds-eye view of development trends statewide to local jurisdictions.
The information is being used to support local decision-making by providing land cover
change maps for land use planning to every county in Indiana.
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Information for Indiana
Information for Indiana is a collaborative project launched by Governor Mitch Daniels in July 2005. It brings
together government, university, and private resources in an effort to build a solid foundation of data and
analysis for informed decision-making statewide. The objective of IFI is to work with internal and external
partners to assess, improve, and coordinate the collection, management, dissemination, and analysis of vital
data for Indiana. IFI is led by the Office of the Governor, the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment,
and the Indiana Business Research Center in cooperation with IGIC, Purdue University, and Ball State University.
A series of subject area issue briefs have been authored by steering committee members and other contributors
who have been engaged to support IFI. In June, an issue brief on Geographic Information Systems was published
that highlights the role of GIS in Indiana's future. In the past decade, governmental agencies, educational
institutions and private industry have developed increasingly powerful GIS designed to process and analyze map
and other data into meaningful information. Read how
"GIS Can Map a Better Future for Indiana".
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Remote Sensing
Indiana Remote Sensing Data
At the
IndianaView Portal more than 130 Landsat scenes are available
covering the early 1990's through 2005, in addition to a number of Landsat MSS scenes. IndianaView wants
to know if there are any specific Landsat scenes users are interested in, or if anyone has scenes they'd like to provide.
The tracking antenna at Purdue University has been installed and is collecting AVHRR, MVISR and MODIS data.
You can
browse images from the latest passes.
National Remote Sensing Survey
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has enlisted the support of the geospatial
community to play a major role in helping to determine the future of the US moderate resolution land imaging
program. In an effort to assist OSTP in documenting the value and nature of societal benefits derived from
moderate resolution land imaging, ASPRS has developed a survey so that the professional community can provide
useful input into the deliberative process. This survey asks for information about past applications of
Landsat and other moderate resolution sources, as well as solicits opinions on future systems and policies.
The responses will provide valuable information to support the White House effort to "operationalize" moderate
resolution satellite land imaging by the U.S. The survey may be accessed at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=99782258161.
Survey results will be published electronically and in a future issue of PE&RS.
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