Sharing the Glory
Address and street data is used, verified and corrected by many different agencies at all levels of government.
This was the case in Hamilton County, where inaccurate and outdated information was being corrected by individual
cities and towns. The question was how to efficiently and effectively share that improved data between all the
cities and towns, County, and public safety officials?
The Hamilton County Local Government GIS Technical Advisory Group (HAGTAG) was formed to facilitate coordination
between governments in this fast-growing county. Members recognized the importance of having and sharing critical
data, and began developing a multi-user geodatabase to address those needs. The database is shared over a countywide
fiber optic network, and accessed by users in the Hamilton County Sherriff's Office, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville and
Westfield. Users in each location are responsible for editing the geodatabase and maps seen by all.
The first project to be implemented in this system was the Distributed Maintenance of 911 Address Data. The project
involved multiple technicians simultaneously editing the same map layers, namely street centerlines and address points.
This moved maintenance of the data much closer to the people who first receive it. New address and street data is
incorporated into the system more accurately and sooner than ever before; in some cases, six months sooner.
Results
With the new system, Computer Aided Dispatch operators can send police to the correct address immediately; Mobile Data
Computers used by fire departments have up-to-date maps of new subdivisions; and the Communications Center can
confidently coordinate response to emergencies that span municipal boundaries.
The success of the Distributed Maintenance of 911 Address Data Project can be seen daily in the correct, accurate,
and up-to-date address point data and street centerline maps used by emergency personnel throughout Hamilton County.
It exemplifies how cooperation and pooling resources can benefit everyone involved, including the citizens of Hamilton County.
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