Friday, April 14, 2017

GIS Internship - Press Release

QUALITY CONTROL IN GIS:

Shalimar, FL  When lives and property are at stake, every second counts. Properly posted address numbers can be a vital link to your safety. A missing, incorrect or poorly marked address can delay emergency response when seconds can literally mean the difference between life and death!  Using EDEN, an address verification application developed in-house, multiple departments within Okaloosa County are collaborating to ensure that structures on properties within the county are correctly marked and identified in GIS systems.  The Growth Management, 911 Public Safety, and GIS departments use EDEN to alert each other of an addition or change to a given property in their respective systems.  According to Okaloosa GIS Technician II, Colleen Pardue, “Addressing is the foundation for all who live and work in the county.”  In order to keep addresses up to date, the GIS department acquires a new digital image of the county every three years and reviews the image to update the existing WebGIS map.   Melissa Thrush, an intern with the county’s GIS department for the spring of 2017 is working 10-20 hours per week to identify missing or incorrect marked addresses. 
About Okaloosa County GIS
Okaloosa County’s GIS department is leading the way for GIS use in municipal systems in our county.   The department is planning to increase staff to meet the growing needs of GIS within the county.  Melissa contacted the GIS department directly seeking an internship position to gain experience and further her GIS knowledge.  The department is composed of three workgroups that provide GIS data and services to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) as well as other internal and external organizations within the county, including the Health Department, local Chambers of Commerce, School District, Public Works, Water and Sewer, Property Appraiser, and Tax Collector offices.
About WebGIS and 911 Public Safety
In the interest of public safety, Okaloosa County has passed a Property Numbering System Ordinance, number 91-06.  This ordinance requires that all homes and businesses display a correct, visible street address.  The address numbers must be clearly visible from the public or private right-of-way on which the building fronts.  Likewise, it is vital for GIS systems used by 911 dispatch to accurately locate the driveway and structure where public safety is needed.  GIS Services Coordinator for Okaloosa County, Kimberly Steele, states “without proper addressing, GIS functions would not run as smoothly”.  Scheduled quality control verification ensures that GIS systems are up to date with the most accurate location information.  Additionally, quality control verification can reveal inconsistencies between different GIS systems and procedures can be put in place to safeguard data integrity.

Contact
To learn more about this collaborative effort, please contact
Melissa Thrush, GIS Intern
Kimberly Steele, GIS Services Coordinator
1250 Eglin Pkwy N Suite 303
Office: (850) 651-7570
Fax: (850) 651-7576



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