USNG, GIS and Response Training Sessions

Mark your calendars! A final reminder to “save the date” for three great USNG/GIS training sessions. These sessions and the others outlined below will be delivered March 26 thru 29 during the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, FL.

“Tactical GIS Support for Emergency and Disaster Management” will be delivered on Monday, March 26 and this interactive training session will bring together decision makers, first responders, and GIS practitioners to consider lessons learned, socialize best practices, investigate emerging technologies, and understand field requirements for the tactical application of GIS support in emergencies and disaster management.

“United States National Grid for Planning, Operations and Situational Awareness” will be offered on Wednesday, March 28. This training session will teach students to understand and use the United States National Grid (USNG) to support planning, emergency and disaster operations, and build situational awareness using hands-on desktop examples.

“The International Disaster Charter – Providing Imagery and Data for Responders in Disasters” will be offered on Thursday, March 29 and outlines The International Disaster Charter which is a means of obtaining geospatial data from International partners with training and access to the network of remote sensing scientists courtesy of the United States Geological Survey, who is this country's authorized user. The aim of this panel is to offer the emergency response audience an overview of what the charter is, how it can provide useful data and training plus presentation(s) on actual activations and lessons learned for expanding the use of this technology.

Additionally, the Fire/EMS track is offering update sessions from FEMA on NIMS credentialing and resource typing and DHS IMT position specific requirements.

An added bonus is the 2 day Logistics Management in Disasters course, several IAFC sessions and a report from North Carolina on response to the effects of Hurricane Irene.

Details on the conference are at the following link under the Fire/EMS track listings:

http://www.hurricanemeeting.com

FEMA "Think Tank" and the USNG

Folks, if you aren't familiar with it FEMA has a website called "The FEMA Think Tank" which they describe this way:

"FEMA wants to hear your ideas and suggestions on how to improve the emergency management system at all levels. We recognize that the best solutions to the challenges we all face are generated by the people and the communities who are closest to these challenges. That is why we are asking for input on a variety of emergency management issues, such as how as we prepare for, respond to, recover from, or mitigate against all types of disasters".

On this site individuals can post ideas, and then they are voted on by the EM community. A recent idea has been posted imploring FEMA to make the use of the USNG a priority for themselves and the general emergency response community in planning, training and response.

Please use the "Think Tank" link below to go to the site and vote "yes" to support getting FEMA to move on this long overdue initiative. Thanks!

The link: http://fema.ideascale.com/a/dtd/U.S.-National-Grid-as-the-Response-Language-of-Location/320144-14692

USNG and GIS Training Sessions

Mark your calendars! A quick reminder to “save the date” for three great USNG/GIS training sessions. These sessions will be delivered next March during the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, FL.

“Tactical GIS Support for Emergency and Disaster Management” will be delivered on Monday, March 26 and this interactive training session will bring together decision makers, first responders, and GIS practitioners to consider lessons learned, socialize best practices, investigate emerging technologies, and understand field requirements for the tactical application of GIS support in emergencies and disaster management.

“United States National Grid for Planning, Operations and Situational Awareness” will be offered on Wednesday, March 28. This training session will teach students to understand and use the United States National Grid (USNG) to support planning, emergency and disaster operations, and build situational awareness using hands-on desktop examples.

“The International Disaster Charter – Providing Imagery and Data for Responders in Disasters” will be offered on Thursday, March 29 and outlines The International Disaster Charter which is a means of obtaining geospatial data from International partners with training and access to the network of remote sensing scientists courtesy of the United States Geological Survey, who is this country's authorized user. The aim of this panel is to offer the emergency response audience an overview of what the charter is, how it can provide useful data and training plus presentation(s) on actual activations and lessons learned for expanding the use of this technology.

Details on the conference are at the following link, and the full agenda will be posted there soon.

http://www.hurricanemeeting.com