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SITUATION
ANALYSIS AND RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT
During a disaster situation, aerial imagery and mapping in a GIS
can be used to analyze the size and extent of the disaster site
and to model any developing impact, such as hazardous plumes in
a chemical attack. If posted online and distributed in real time,
this information can be vital to determining disaster site avoidance
and emergency vehicle dispatch. GIS traffic and demographic data
can be used to analyze staging capabilities in a given area and
timeframe and to identify deficiencies in medical assistance, water
supplies, and other resources.
DAMAGE
ASSESSMENT AND RECOVERY
Following a disaster, aerial photography can support search and
rescue efforts, providing valuable information on unmapped features,
such as roads, shelters, and sources of water. Together with demographic
and terrain data, a thorough understanding of the natural elements
can be derived in advance of searches. Aerial photography, in conjunction
with asset inventory and mapping, can be used to assess damage to
property and infrastructure for disaster relief funding and long-term
recovery efforts.
GIS
SERVICES FOR HOMELAND SECURITY
To assist public- and private-sector organizations in applying GIS
technology to the security effort, Sewall offers a broad range of
services from developing implementation plans for emergency preparedness
to creating new systems and software applications. Sewall’s
expertise in GIS consulting and project implementation is supported
by 50 years’ experience in aerial photography, photo interpretation,
and mapping. Since the 1970s, we have converted data for GIS integration,
designed databases, and developed applications for clients in government,
utilities, and the forest industry. Since the 1990s, we have produced
digital orthophotography for landbase development and map updating.
In recent years, we have warehoused spatial data, developing Internet
and Intranet Web sites for rapid, efficient distribution of information.
With these capabilities, we are prepared to address our clients’
specific data management and mapping needs as they respond to the
homeland security imperative.
GIS
Consulting.
With experience in GIS needs assessment and implementation planning,
Sewall professional staff is ready to work closely with client personnel
to determine how existing resources, including hardware, software,
and data, can be utilized for emergency preparedness. Sewall will
identify critical data sets, evaluate the currency, accuracy, and
inter-operability of existing data, and assess the utility of current
database systems, recommending a plan of implementation. This plan
may include converting hard copy drawings and maps to digital format,
updating maps with new aerial photography, or linking databases.
Many organizations with existing GIS or asset management systems
probably will need only to enhance their capabilities with specific
map layers or specific software applications, such as E911 addressing
or automated routing.
GPS Surveying. The first step in protecting
infrastructure is understanding where critical assets are located.
This is accomplished by performing an asset inventory to identify
features from existing plans and existing GIS and to locate them
in the field using GPS. Sewall engineers and professional land surveyors
can locate, inspect, and map such critical assets as water supply
access points, fresh air intakes, and underground storage tanks,
providing data essential to assessing their security. Sewall is
also prepared to perform surveys in the field to support damage
assessment after a disaster has occurred. With over 120 years of
surveying experience, Sewall is well qualified to conduct a broad
range of services from high order geodetic surveys for controlling
GIS landbase accuracy to mapping-grade GPS data collection.
Aerial Photography and Photo Interpretation.
Aerial photography has broad functionality in all stages of a homeland
security effort. Sewall’s experienced aerial photographers
can assist organizations in acquiring photography for producing
or updating accurate GIS base maps, the essential foundation for
graphic and attribute data on infrastructure, transportation networks,
demographics, and property parcels. With a fleet of well-equipped
twin-engine airplanes located in Kentucky and Maine, Sewall can
mobilize within hours to document disaster sites over a broad geographic
area. In recent years, our photographers have recorded the extent
and impact of oil spills, forest fires, ice storms, and spruce budworm.
In addition, our archive of over one million aerial photographs
has provided a useful resource tool for search and rescue efforts
and forensic research. Experienced in photo interpretation, Sewall
can bring highly qualified skills to damage assessment and recovery
efforts. For long-term recovery and repair efforts, Sewall can capture
highly accurate digital images of bridges, roads, and tunnels and
industrial facilities using digital close-range photogrammetry technology.
GIS Data Conversion and Mapping. As
an aerial mapping firm, Sewall’s core competency is creating
maps and producing digital orthophotography, mosaicked aerial imagery
with the accuracy of mapping. Since the 1970s, Sewall has produced
digital landbase mapping for GIS, compiling roads, buildings, bodies
of water, and other surface features for planimetric mapping and
terrain contours for topographic mapping. Sewall has also produced
coverages on utilities infrastructure, land parcels, and land use
and cover type. Integrated in a GIS, this spatial information provides
the basis for emergency analysis and reporting.
With expertise in all major industry-standard software platforms,
Sewall has converted land parcel and facilities data to digital
format for GIS integration and migrated data from one database to
another to meet the specific needs of government, utilities, and
forestry clients. For emergency preparedness, our analysts have
the skills to integrate critical data sets on water and wastewater,
pipeline and gas distribution, telecommunications, and property
ownership from a wide variety of sources. We are also experienced
in road conflation to provide more refined mapping of transportation
networks.
Web Services and Data Warehousing.
Publishing maps and associated data over the Web can effectively
communicate essential information to the general public to support
disaster recovery. Online data on disaster site location, evacuation
routes, and emergency staging can be accessed by multiple users
from any desktop with a standard browser. Sewall can help organizations
post critical data online so that they can speed its distribution
to a high volume of people before, during, and after any crisis.
If organizations do not have the capability in-house to store and
manage their data, Sewall can warehouse client data offsite, providing
savings on the initial costs of hardware and software and of continuing
maintenance.
Application Development. Sewall is
prepared to assist organizations with developing specific applications
for homeland security to collect asset information, assess infrastructure
security, automate routing, and deploy resources. Our staff of GIS
analysts and programmers have designed and developed GIS software
applications for a variety of public and private entities. As business
partners with ESRI, Autodesk, Intergraph, and GE Network Solutions,
Sewall staff are authorized to develop ESRI Arc and Autodesk software
products, to provide data and application services on Intergraph
platforms, and to develop Smallworld electric solutions in conjunction
with a local utility company. With expertise across platforms, Sewall
can link databases and integrate diverse systems rapidly and effectively
before, during, or after an emergency.
To support homeland security effectively, business and government
must incorporate methods and tools to share information across sectors,
creating a nationwide repository with mapping as its foundation.
Sewall is prepared to assist in every stage of this process, offering
a full suite of GIS services. For more information on GIS for homeland
security, please see Applying
Spatial Technology to Homeland Security, a white paper by Director
of GIT Services John A. Ferketic. For more information on Sewall
services for homeland security, please contact Mr. Ferketic at (207)
827-4456; E-mail: jferketic@jws.com.
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