FEMA IS-103: Geospatial Information Systems Specialist Course Summary

Specialist – Course Summary

Section. This course helps trainees prepare to perform the responsibilities of the GIS Specialist

in a FEMA environment in response to an incident.

· Recognize how a GIS Specialist supports a response and recovery operation.

· Identify sources of information and data within FEMA and the emergency management

community

· List the types of products commonly produced by the GIS Unit during an incident

· Identify best practices for establishing and maintaining data flow, creating products, and

meeting timelines during an incident

· Identify how to appropriately handle and protect licensed, sensitive, or personal data

· Recognize how to use remote sensing products

Position Task Book (PTB) and the defined behaviors for the GIS Specialist position.

· Recognize the FEMA Qualification System (FQS) process.

· Recognize the role of the FEMA PTB in the FQS process.

· Identify the behaviors and tasks defined in the FEMA PTB for the GIS Specialist position.

through experience, training, and demonstrated performance. The system was developed to:

· Ensure a qualified workforce based on performance standards,

· Establish minimum, consistent, and fair qualification requirements for all workforce

positions regardless of employment status, and

· Strengthen the training and qualification standards for all workforce positions by

implementing improvements based on analysis.

individual with required FQS experience.

perform all required tasks, he/she is deployable as a Trainee.

designated as “Qualified” by the certifying authority.

previous agency credentialing efforts, such as using previous task books, as the foundation to

develop more robust capabilities within incident management and incident support PTBs.

official validates a candidate’s experience against FWS requirements. With the issuance of the

PTB, the individual becomes a “Trainee” and is eligible for deployment in that position, as a

trainee.

and demonstrating performance of tasks outlined in the PTB at incidents. This is an iterative

process, and will likely involve more than one deployment as a trainee to demonstrate

performance of all position tasks. When the trainee has demonstrated performance of all

position tasks and the PTB is completed, then the individual may begin the certification process.

documents the fact that an individual is qualified for a specific FQS position. The certifying

official considers a number of factors including the variety of incidents (e.g., floods, tornados,

hurricanes. etc.); their size and complexity; and the number of assignments for each individual.

be qualified for the target position and receives a qualification letter indicating that his/her

status has been changed from “trainee” to “qualified.”

become certified as a GIS Specialist. When a trainee successfully demonstrates task

performance for an FQS evaluator at an incident, the Evaluator signs off on those tasks in the

trainee’s PTB. The PTB serves as the official record of successfully completed tasks.

more generic behaviors, such as following established safety and security procedures, are

addressed in other required FEMA training.

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EMI (E190) ArcGIS for Emergency Managers

ESRI – Learning ArcGIS Desktop

ESRI – HAZUS-MH online courses

ESRI – Learning ArcGIS Spatial Analyst

ESRI – Creating, Editing and Managing Geodatabases for ArcGIS Desktop

ESRI – Understanding GIS Queries

ESRI – Using Python in ArcGIS Desktop – Introduction to Python and Integration with

ArcGIS Deskto

ESRI – Basics of the Geodatabase Data Model

· The FQS Process

· The Role of the PTB in the FQS

· FEMA’s GIS Specialist PTB

will follow as a GISP at an incident, and describes how the GIS Unit interacts with and supports

the incident response and recovery operation.

reviews different components of the ICS organization and the GIS unit, identifies key GIS

doctrine, and identifies various GIS systems, tools, and data sources.

· Recognize how GIS supports other components in a JFO

· Identify key GIS doctrine and materials

· Identify FEMA GIS systems and tools

· Recognize authoritative data sources

· Ensure readiness for assignment prior to deployment.

structured and find out who you’ll be working with. This lesson will help you do that.

System (ICS) structure. Under the leadership of the Unified Coordination Group (UCG), a FEMA

Joint Field Office (JFO) includes the following four Sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics, and

Finance & Administration. The Geospatial Information Unit (GIU) is organized within the

Planning Section.

temporary Federal facility established to provide a central point for Federal, State, tribal, and

local governments and private sector and nongovernmental organizations with responsibility

for incident oversight, directions, and/or assistance to effectively coordinate and direct

prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery actions. Typically, the JFO is located at or

near the incident area of operations.

the incident. All other levels of the FEMA Chain of Command support the UCG. The UCG is

comprised, at a minimum, of the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) and State Coordinating

Officer (SCO) and any and all major stakeholders such as Tribal governments, Local jurisdictions,

or the private sector.

the Incident Action Plan (IAP). The Operations Section coordinates operational support with on-

scene incident management efforts and supervises the resources needed to accomplish

incident objectives.

operational information related to the incident, and for the preparation and documentation of

the Incident Action Plan (IAP), functional plans, Advanced Operational Plans (AOPs), strategic

plans, and Situation Reports. The Planning Section also maintains information on the current

and forecasted situation and reports on the status of resources assigned to the incident. The

Planning Section prepares and documents Federal support actions and develops a number of

plans.

geospatial products (such as maps, reports, and GIS data). The GIU works closely with other

units in the Planning Section to develop the products that are needed to support all phases of

the incident (prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery).

a clearer picture of what is occurring at the incident level (i.e., better situational awareness of

the incident).

incident. This section also orders resources and develops the Transportation, Communications,

and Medical Plans.

considerations surrounding an incident, including: financial management, monitoring, and

tracking of all Federal costs relating to the incident and the functioning of the JFO.

responsibilities.

support of emergency management. Geospatial products and information play a key role in

FEMA’s preparation for and response to incidents.

· Generating geospatial products

· Managing geospatial data

· Ensuring compliance with established policies and protocols

· Providing geospatial coordination and customer service

· Operating specialized hardware and software applications

Information Unit Leader (GIUL) who reports directly to the Planning Section Chief. In smaller

disasters, the Unit may be led by a Geospatial Information Manager (GIMG). The GIUL/GIMG is

supported by one or more Geospatial Information System Specialists (GISPs), and, when

needed, Remote Sensing Specialists (RMSPs) as well.

responsibilities which support organizational efficiency as well as unity of command.

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Participates in intra-agency and multi-agency geospatial coordination with State, FEMA

and NRF partners involved in geospatial activities

Responsible for standing up and demobilizing the GIU

Participates in the Incident Action Planning process

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Coordinates GIS requirements and supervises assigned GISP

Prioritizes GIS production and activities within assigned area of responsibility

Works with product requestors to properly define requirements and ensures the timely

preparation and delivery of recurring and ad hoc GIS products

Participates in the Incident Action Planning process

Collects data from internal and external stakeholders to develop and update geospatial

products

Integrate event-specific model output in coordination with authoritative sources

Develop key geospatial products

Participates in the Incident Action Planning process

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team

Operates as task originator and collection manager for assets related to the operation

Works with GIMGs to ensure imagery-derived products are delivered in a timely manner

components within the JFO, such as:

· Unified Coordination Group (UCG)

· Operations Section

· Planning Section

· Logistics Section

· Finance & Administration Section

· Command Staff, including External Affairs

of critical infrastructure or grant programs.

of products related to the grant programs or environmental impacts, response to the impacts of

the incident to households and infrastructure, or other, specialized support, such as to Search

and Rescue teams.

action planning, and may also support resource tracking and provide visualizations.

local commuting area circumference to provide information for disaster administration policies.

staff or to support requests from Congressional staffers. A GISP may also provide support to the

Safety Officer, Chief of Staff or other Command Staff positions.

doctrine is provided in the following documents. Taking the time to become familiar with the

information in these documents will make the transition into a GIU much smoother.

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Identifies and aligns the geospatial resources required to support the Whole

Community, NRF, ESF, and supporting Federal mission partners

Intended to reduce redundancy and confusion and ensure efficient access to geospatial

information for incident management

· Provides an overview of National/Regional Incident Support positions as well as

Incident-level positions during event response/recovery

· Describes how these positions work with each other during an incident

perform your assigned duties. This will include standard GIS tools and software available to

FEMA personnel.

printers (including desk printers and large-format printers) you may need to produce your

products.

Management and Support Guide.

your tasks. You will have a number of different data sources at your disposal as you do so.

infrastructure, boundaries and other information for emergency preparedness, response and

recovery communities.

integrated views of national infrastructure and critical asset information.

and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for

the United States. It provides “…a seamless, continuously maintained set of public domain

geographic base information that will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using

other data easily and consistently”.

services, and applications for use by government agencies and partners.

infrastructure, boundaries and other information produced by State and local government

organizations. Sometimes data produced by State and local organizations is more accurate than

Federally produced data.

data.

their partners, whose primary purpose is to track the status of GIS in use by state and local

governments to aid the planning and building of Spatial Data Infrastructures. This tool is

Ramona (also referred to as the GIS Inventory).

accurate data for the incident, but communication of data can be difficult throughout

organizational levels during response and recovery.

disseminate geographic data provided voluntarily by individuals.

Project Worksheets, Mitigation grant locations); damaged area data, status of declarations and

preliminary damage assessments, Federal teams and resources.

information is valuable for establishing Situational Awareness, it is important to ensure that

information is cross-checked with an authoritative data source.

designated mission statement or source/product to publish reliable and accurate data for

subsequent use.

· Rational Authority

services that they produce or have statutory responsibility for.

· USGS – Streams and river data

· USGS – National Elevation Datasets

· FEMA – FEMA Regional Offices

· FEMA – Hurricane Evacuation Routes

which the standards and methodology for data are created.

· Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) such as imagery and information analysis

· Data and analysis provided by academia

· Studies conducted by recognized think tanks

Internal

Sources within the JFO include: FEMA, Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), State counterparts

national staff, Public/Private Utility providers such as ConEdison, Waste Management, etc.

will need to continuously evaluate your data sources since some will be more credible than

others.

to establish a list of trusted, credible sources from which to obtain data to support geospatial

production. While not considered “authoritative,” this mix of open sources, as well as official

information providers should become a go-to constellation of data resources for geospatial

data collection and exploitation within FEMA.

reporting; however, there will be certain occasions where the only source reporting a specific

piece of data that fulfills an information gap will make its way into a product. Such data should

always be caveated within the product, and, as soon as practical, follow-up research should be

conducted to determine the validity of that specific piece of data.

· Recognize how GIS supports other components in a JFO

· Identify key GIS doctrine and materials

· Identify FEMA GIS systems and tools

· Recognize authoritative data sources

job. In order to be an effective GIS Specialist, you need to know how to set up in your new

environment and use the tools and resources you will have access to.

overview of the kinds of GIS products you will be expected to produce.

· Recognize how to check in to a Joint Field Office

· Identify how to gather information relevant to an assignment

· Identify the types of GIS products that need to be produced during a disaster

· Ensure readiness for assignment prior to deployment.

· Follow proper check-in procedures upon arrival and obtain job-required equipment and

supplies.

· Obtain an initial briefing from immediate supervisor and gather information relevant to

your assignment.

obtain necessary equipment and supplies and ensure the right procedures are being followed.

Check in procedures include:

· Checking in with your supervisor

· Completing a check in packet

· Obtaining agency identification

· Checking in with the Accountable Property Manager (APM)

· Checking in with the Automated Deployment Database (ADD)

· Filling out a JFO IT Help Desk request form

· Completing security training if applicable

as applicable.

additional job-required supplies or equipment you will need, such as:

· Laptop with the specialized GIS hardware and software you will need

· Cellular or desk phone

· Handheld GPS (if applicable)

· Camera (if applicable)

· Office supplies

· Maps

· Air Card (if applicable)

information:

· Social Security Number

· Disaster Number

· Lodging phone number and address

· Rental car information

· Emergency contact information

the JFO servers, printers, and other electronic equipment you may need to do your work.

obtain an initial briefing. Your immediate supervisor’s briefing should provide you with:

· Administrative documentation and procedures

· Initial direction about your assignment

· Situational information relevant to your tasks

· Information about where/how data is being stored

· Production standards for the operation

During the initial briefing, you should bring up any topics, issues, or concerns you may have

about your assignment.

· Information on how to check into the Automated Deployment Database (ADD)

· Copy of ICS 205A (Communications List), the call-down list for the Unit

· Tour of the key areas and the facility and introduce you to the PSC and Unit Lead

· Establish communication with your assigned FEMA Qualification System Coach and

Evaluator

· Information on product schedule and expected work hours

information.

Following prescribed standards helps minimize confusion and allows for a more efficient

response.

· Symbology – labeling, terms used, etc.

· Product updates – updating progress, marking tasks as completed, etc.

· Product layout– templates, style guides, etc.

work with sources.

data: internal and external partners, news sources, etc.

categories:

· Foundation-Level data

· State and Local Data

· Incident-Specific Data

overall value of the products produced. When collecting data, there are a number of

considerations to keep in mind.

· Make sure data and metadata is accurate and current.

· Follow established data and metadata management standards.

· Properly protect licensed or sensitive data.

· Work closely with internal and external partners.

essential that you ensure that all information that you are collecting is cross-checked with

authoritative data sources. This will ensure that the GIS products that are accurate and reliable.

information.

basic rules and standards, file shares and databases can quickly become an intractable realm of

chaos. GIS offices usually require detailed documentation (metadata) and careful organization

of data, but when deliverables are required twice daily, current to the hour, or when lives may

be on the line, it is easy for disciplined focus on metadata to be lost and duplication of data and

effort increase exponentially.

created, and a brief attribution description.

supervisor to make sure you understand what standards you should follow.

learn more about protecting sensitive data in Lesson 6.

interaction with others. In order to achieve greater situational awareness, you will want to

maintain strong relationships with other agencies and individuals. This will help facilitate

effective data sharing and ensure that everyone has a shared understanding of the incident.

functional area you are working within.

following functional areas:

· Operations Section

· Emergency Services Branch

· External Affairs

· Hazard Mitigation Branch

· Individual Assistance Branch

· Logistics Section

· Long-Term Community Recovery Branch

· Planning Section

· Public Assistance / Infrastructure Branch

· A GISP may provide high level information for decision makers, such as impacted area or

status of critical infrastructure or grant programs.

as public health and medical or search and rescue activities

Congressional Affairs

Outreach products for the public (e.g. data distributions for public release,) will be

coordinated from this team

authoritative data and models to define incident areas

Areas include NFIP, Floodplain, and the development of depth grids, SLOSH, etc.

· A GISP may provide high level information for decision makers, such as impacted area or

status of critical infrastructure or grant programs.

Programs and Voluntary Agencies (VOLAGs)

Main products rely on data from the FEMA reports server for Individual Assistance

registrations

Special emphasis on tracking displaced populations is important for Response

economy sectors

Aims to re-establish a healthy, functioning community that will sustain itself over time

requests, and special geographic reference products

The Planning Section support lead will develop prototype projects for cyclic map

requests used in daily Executive Briefings

The Planning Specialist will integrate web map services for FEMA’s situational

awareness tools

·

Debris mission

Projects from ESF-3 and ESF-12 missions occur most frequently in Response

Subject matter expertise in natural sciences as well as experience in civil engineering

recommended

projects per Operational Period. As you just learned, the specific types of services and products

you will be asked to provide depends on the functional area you work within, the type of

disaster you are supporting, and the operational tempo.

requests:

· Cyclic products at daily or operational period update cycles

· Intermittently updated products

operational activity that require constant shared situational awareness. They are usually

required for every disaster and are often used within Executive Briefings. Cyclic products

are the best candidates for integration with interactive web mapping through FEMA’s

situational awareness tools. They require a large amount of initial coordination to

develop data and templates, and then they are updated regularly with little further

development throughout the disaster. There may be a large number of these projects in

the early stages of Response and Recovery, requiring significant resources to support.

updates involve source data and formats that may be relatively unchanging, but require

intermittent coordination for new revisions and updates. Some examples include the

Declarations status map, and Damage Assessment maps. These projects require more

coordination on the Geospatial unit side, as they are often the most common and can

often ‘evolve’ and change as a mission support area progresses from Response to

Recovery.

or unique issues which will change or be resolved. These are often ‘one-time’ projects

which may involve significant focus for a short amount of time, and often have limited

distribution. Alternatively, they may be reference products based on static information

such as demographic or geographic data that are developed once.

· Recognize how to check in to a Joint Field Office

· Identify how to gather information relevant to an assignment

· Identify the types of GIS products that need to be produced during a disaster

information about the GIS products you will be asked to produce and provides an overview of

the workflow process you will follow as you produce these products. It also provides an

overview of the quality assurance/ quality control process used to ensure the production of

high quality GIS products.

· Identify the GIS products commonly produced during an incident

· Recognize the GIS product workflow process

· Recognize the quality assurance/quality control process used to ensure the quality of

GIS products

· Manage geospatial data

· Generate geospatial products

· Comply with established policy and protocols

· Provide geospatial coordination and customer service

of disaster, the stage of the disaster, and the functional area that you are assigned to. There

are, however, a number of common GIS products you may be asked to produce. These include:

· Incident-specific maps

· Reference maps

· Quantitative/qualitative thematic maps

· Interactive map products

time information that is related to the incident. This could be evacuation data or locations of

responding elements and resources. This real-time information is often integrated with

referential demographic or geographic information to make a product that is more

operationally useful.

road overlays to identify potentially problematic lines of ground transportation that could be of

extreme interest to decision makers when planning field activities. Some of the more common

incident-specific maps include:

· Declaration Status Maps show the counties or municipalities designated by a disaster

declaration.

· Incident Area Maps are used to indicate the levels of damage, hazard specific

information, and the incident area for given jurisdictional areas. This can be used for the

ICS 201 form or Incident Action Plan map.

· Resource Tracking Maps are used to show the location of emergency response teams

and commodities, facilities, Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers (MDRC) etc. and their

current status, whether deployed, available for deployment or on rotation.

· Facility Maps – Facilities such as the location and identification of staging areas can be

an important map, particularly in large scale events where large quantities of materials

and supplies are being brought into the disaster areas.

or information. These could include jurisdictional boundaries, congressional districts,

population demographic breakdowns, locations of residential, commercial, industrial, and

governmental facilities, income and economic information, infrastructure, etc. Community

Relations often requests the development of a visual demographic profile of a particular area

by combining different types of information such as age and number of people living in

different types of housing stock, or income and rental properties.

· Political jurisdiction maps

· Geographic and demographic maps

· Census products

· Common critical facilities

observations of entities or areas within and surrounding the subject.

maps. To make the results more meaningful, the applicant damaged address points may be

weighted based on their grant funding amounts. This dollars-per-square-mile approach quickly

identifies neighborhoods receiving the most FEMA assistance. This generalization of data is also

further in Lesson 6) without identifying individuals.

directly with GIS data. Some interactive map options are available to anyone, while others

require a login. Other options require data and other manipulation by the GIS Unit to be used.

data. These viewers display FEMA’s geospatial data, as well as other agencies’ data, to allow for

the analysis and demonstration of operationally relevant information to be shared among

multiple operation centers and teams. Other similar applications exist at the State and local

level to support their emergency management efforts.

awareness, and facilitate management decision-making.

FEMA GIS production process. At a high level, the FEMA GIS workflow process includes the

following phases:

· Planning & Direction

· Project Assignment

· Exploration

· Production

· Dissemination

incident), or the GIMG (for a smaller incident). The request may be submitted either in

hardcopy format or through a web-based system.

· Determine the feasibility of the project request

· Verify the project request against existing products

· Determine restrictions/security issues related to the project request

request, and assigns the request to a GIS Specialist for completion.

timeline. The GIUL/GIMG has to weigh the feasibility of the project request and decide whether

it should be taken up.

request. If so, it would save resources to modify or copy an existing product than to spend time

creating a new product.

whom to assign as the GISP for the project, ensure security considerations are not breached,

and can produce a product that meets all the necessary requirements.

information. Your manager may also ask you to talk directly to the customer in order to gather

additional information. You should ensure that, at the minimum, you:

· Clearly understand the assignment

· Know when the assignment needs to be completed

understand, and are able to meet, required deadlines. Managing customer expectations along

with establishing time and resource requirements for production is a key step in defining a

project’s scope and effectively supporting the mission.

collection and initial data analysis.

your manager about existing resources and find out where to go to gather additional data. Your

manager may redirect you to another section within FEMA, or ask you to interface directly with

the customer.

cases it is not available and needs to be developed. In all cases, it is important to work with the

customer to ensure that the data used is as accurate and current as possible.

the customer’s request.

· Write down what you think the product should shows

· Describe what you are mapping (the data)

· Describe what the data tells you (the distribution)

· Note any special considerations such as outliers, high or low values, or missing values

data, and conducting a review of the final product. This phase within the product development

process is key to adding value to the visualization of geospatially-enabled data.

· Symbology requirements

· Product layout standards

· Fulfillment of all requirements within the project request

structures is the FEMA standard ICS symbol-set as described in the FEMA Incident Action

Planning Guide. This is especially true for Incident Maps that are included within Incident Action

Plans (IAP), and other ICS-200-series forms.

meet. This may include standards for data use, disclaimers to include on maps, and general

layout guidance. Your supervisor should also provide direction about Regional processes for

organizing data, products and graphics. These Regional standards are often contained in

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

and significance. This can be as simple as a few sentences, but should strive to eliminate any

questions the customer might have about the overall story that the product was intended to

convey. This will ensure a more efficient response. Usually, it is your manager’s responsibility to

include this synopsis, but sometimes it can also fall on your shoulders.

message. For products posted to another dissemination platform, this can be included in a

“Description” field about the product.

team review your work. While this does not have to be a formal quality assurance/quality

control process, it is a critical part of the production process, since a fresh set of eyes can often

find errors that may have been inadvertently overlooked during the production process.

your supervisor or another GIS Specialist.

that defects do not arise when the product is being developed. The goal of quality control (QC)

is to identify defects after a product is developed, but before it is released.

quality assurance/quality control reviewer may also provide specific feedback about the

product. This might include feedback as to whether the product:

· Conveys a clear story/the story you want to tell.

· Is based on current data and authoritative datasets.

· Includes data source references.

· Is visually appealing.

Your ability to analyze and communicate data will enable other members of the team to more

quickly and effectively support the disaster effort.

not be responsible for the actual distribution of the products. If you are not, it is your

responsibility to alert your supervisor once the product is completed so that they can then

distribute the product to the customer.

graphical formats (e.g. jpeg, gif, Tiff, png, etc.), and as tabular reports and summaries of data.

· Email

· Shared Drives

· File Transfer Protocols (FTPs)

· Information Sharing Platforms

completion of a production request, hardcopy products are often sent to the customer to close

the loop on the request process.

the following formats before dissemination:

· Large format

· Map books

· Identify the GIS products that need to be produced during a disaster effort

· Recognize the GIS product workflow process

· Recognize the GIS quality assurance/quality control process

this lesson, you will learn how to work within a GIS Unit (GIU). You will learn how geospatial

products are compiled and analyzed and how metadata is used to document GIS data. You will

also learn about dealing with the time constraints you will encounter when working in a GIU.

· Compile geospatial data into geospatial products

· Analyze data to support incident decision making

· Manage geospatial data

· Generate geospatial products

· Practice effective and appropriate interpersonal communication and team behavior

help decision-makers allocate and deploy resources in support of State and local partners and

make the critical decisions needed to support the mission.

Necessary information will come from a variety of sources and will be provided in diverse

formats.

challenged to quickly gather and combine information to create products that can help

emergency planners more effectively support the mission.

so that you can quickly access the information you need. You may even want to develop a

checklist of available data sources that you can refer to as needed.

products you have been asked to produce. Depending on the needs of your customer, you may

be asked to provide products in the form of a map, a spreadsheet, a briefing slide, or even a

written report.

type of incident and the stage of the incident you are in. In some cases, you may need to

compile multiple layers of data to create the product.

areas are located so that disaster facilities can be established. To meet this need, you may need

to create maps showing flood extent layered with information about transportation networks

and available facilities.

relevant geospatial information and products that can be easily interpreted by multiple end

users for a wide range of disaster relief functions.

the data to ensure that the products you create give decision makers the information they need

to make informed decisions.

saved.

Data Analysis and Incident Decision Making

it represents the areas where resources are directed to support the most severely impacted

communities. Defining the incident area relies upon authoritative information from SMEs.

that included Texas City, Beaumont and Galveston as well as the Bolivar peninsula. The evening

prior to landfall, the FCO indicated that we were looking at an estimated 80-billion dollar event

in which 40% of the population had not evacuated, resulting in a heavy ESF-9 US&R footprint.

The need for the GIU to provide comprehensive information to definite the incident area was of

paramount importance.

gradually refine the incident area and determined that certain key areas were not

catastrophically impacted. While the SLOSH model from the NWS was the authoritative source,

it no longer served as the best available information as it began to conflict with other

information sources.

pixel resolution and vertical datum were not adjusted to include the seawalls and other control

structures that were responsible for protecting both Texas City and Beaumont from the Storm

surge.

provide more accurate information for both a briefing for the President of the United States

and for life-saving and life-sustaining operations support.”

metadata record represents the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of a digital resource.

It compiles information into a single record that captures the basic characteristics of your

product and makes your product identifiable.

imagery.

Metadata developed by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). Whenever possible,

full metadata for all new or event-specific data, GIS files or earth imagery should be created in

compliance with these standards.

metadata.

create fully compliant metadata records. For those times, metadata records must be created

with the following minimum elements:

· Abstract

· Title

· Originator

· Publication Date

· Process Description

· Geographic Coordinate System Name

· Horizontal Datum Name

· Security Classification

· Time Period (Currency, Date and time)

time, you could be providing information about shelter or housing, responding to a request for

information about urgently needed medical supplies, and gathering data about the location of

logistics facilities.

groups

very tight timeline. To accomplish this, keep the following considerations in mind:

· Prioritize geospatial product requests

· Negotiate timelines for production

· Communicate realistic expectations

· Ask for additional resources if needed

supervisor (GIMG, GIUL, SITL or others) to determine which geospatial products are required

most urgently, and begin working on those first.

required to create a geospatial product. Do not hesitate to express your concerns about a

deadline for a product with your customer and/or your supervisor when necessary.

quality of the product. Make sure you communicate this clearly with your supervisor and/or

customer. Remember, having products created in a timely manner is sometimes more

important than making them visually appealing with the best colors, symbology, etc. In general,

if you have any issues that would prevent you from accomplishing the objective in a timely

manner, you should communicate these issues as early in the process as possible.

assigned to you, you should feel comfortable going to your supervisor to ask for additional

resources. If other GISPs are not available, your supervisor may have suggestions for another

solution.

· Compile geospatial data into map and data products

· Analyze data to support incident decision making

· Identify how to document data

· Identify strategies for working within time constraints

compile data into maps and data products, how to analyze geospatial data to provide answers

to diverse questions, how to document data and how to work within tight time constraints.

encounter as part of your work. You will learn about requirements to adhere to copyright,

disclaimer, licensing, and other sensitive product and data distribution protocols.

· Recognize how to work with sensitive data

· Comply with established policy and protocols

personal information that needs to be protected. This lesson will introduce you to the common

disclaimers used at FEMA to avoid the inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information.

· Privacy Act Disclaimers

· For Official Use Only Disclaimers

· Disclaimers Requiring Coordination and Approval

· Commercial Imagery Markings

(documents, papers, charts, graphics, maps, etc.) which contain a person’s name or other

Personally-Identifiable Information (PII).

program is protected under the Privacy Act, specifically when an individual applicant could be

identified from the map.

§552a (2000). Neither this document nor the material contained therein may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior

permission of FEMA.

products developed at this scale will not require the disclaimer presented on the previous

screen, though this should be verified with the appropriate authorities including the IA Branch

Director (IABD), and the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) representative.

include, for example creating a product that generalizes IA applicant data using the U.S.

National Grid (USNG) at 1 kilometer intervals.

are handled appropriately, your manager will:

· Ensure that all PII are properly secured

· Ensure that any and all sensitive materials are destroyed using a cross-cut shredder

emails; printed copies may be stored in a locked file cabinet.

information of a sensitive nature. While not classified, FOUO materials need to be protected in

accordance with appropriate security policy.

Planning Section Chief and FCO. All maps, geospatial products, charts, and other graphics that

meet this threshold are prominently marked in the upper right and lower left corners with the

following caveat:

· Unclassified // For Official Use Only

sensitive nature, not otherwise categorized by statute or regulation. To further meet this

definition, the unauthorized disclosure of such information must have the potential to

adversely impact a person’s privacy or welfare, the conduct of Federal programs, or other

programs or operations essential to the national interest.

phone number and so on) are all examples of FOUO information.

FOUO materials require special handling. They should always be covered and marked

appropriately. They cannot be shared or left out, and they cannot be downgraded. Unless

approval is granted, FOUO materials should stay within the JFO at all times.

operating procedures. These are coordinated with your supervisor and program personnel who

are involved with the final products. These are approved by the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC)

representative. This often involves restrictions on distribution of map products to only

authorized parties, or written designation on the geospatial product.

restrictions. Neither this document nor the material contained herein may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior

written permission of the FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer.

copyrighted. When working with commercial imagery, you must convey the data license terms

and conditions as appropriate.

image products. The format for marking products should adhere to the following template:

Licensed under ”Contract Name”

© 2007 ”Vendor’s Name”. For display purposes (such as when creating PowerPoint® slides,

posters, etc.), you must maintain the “Copyright: © 2007 “Vendor’s Name” marking.

news media, but through emergent social media platforms as well. This is also true for

geospatial data and products.

approved for release by your supervisor.

· Recognize how to work with sensitive data

GIS.

· Identify remote sensing capabilities

· Recognize the steps of the remote sensing workflow process

· Use FEMA damage classification system to convey the severity of an incident

· Manage geospatial data

aerial, or satellite sensors.

provide critical information about an event, which can then be integrated into geographic

information systems to produce maps or analytic databases.

the response structure.

situational awareness for a wide area in a very short timeframe.

· Assess levels/patterns of damage within disaster areas.

· Assess impacts to populations and critical infrastructure.

· Monitor and assess the extent of flood inundation and storm surge extents.

· Assess scope and extent of debris fields within an area of impact (AOI).

· Support Situation Awareness in inaccessible areas.

· Quickly assess the order of magnitude of an incident.

· Enhance communication with survivors about the status of property and infrastructure.

(IRSCC) was established.

which in turn helps decision makers make better and faster decisions by providing them with a

more thorough understanding of the environment in which they operate.

training, and processes.

sensor capabilities attached to platforms (e.g., satellites, planes and ground vehicles) that can

observe areas of interest (AOI).

of different capabilities may be used.

· Panchromatic Imagery

· Multispectral Imagery (MSI)

· Hyperspectral Imagery (HSI)

· Oblique Imagery

· Infrared Radiation (IR)

· RADAR

· LiDAR

reflected visible light by means of a panchromatic system. Unlike photography it does not use

chemically processed film and therefore may be available on a Near Real-Time (NRT) basis.

Panchromatic imagery can be obtained from satellites, aircraft, or unmanned aerial systems

(UAS).

Projected uses for panchromatic imagery include:

· Assessing levels and patterns of damage within disaster areas

· Assessing scope and extent of debris fields within disaster areas

· Monitoring and assessing the extent of flooding

energy across a variety of relatively narrow spectral bands, ranging from ultraviolet to the

thermal-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

· Analyzing changes to an area before and after an event (also known as ‘change

detection’)

· Detecting pollution in or toxic contamination of water and soil

· Assessing the impact of drought on agriculture

· Providing a broad indication of flood inundation

electromagnetic spectrum. To create an image the eye can see, the energy levels of a target are

color-coded and then mapped in layers. This set of images provides specific information about

the way an object transmits, reflects, or absorbs energy in various wavelengths. Using this

procedure, the unique signature can reveal valuable information otherwise undetectable by the

human eye, such as fingerprints or contamination of groundwater or food.

· Detecting pollution in or toxic contamination of water and soil

· Assessing the impact of drought on agriculture

camera system – that is captured at approximately a 45 degree with the ground. This allows

viewers to see and measure the sides of objects, in addition to the tops. Oblique imagery more

closely resembles how people typically view their landscape as opposed to orthogonal images,

measure water marks of each point it photographs.

· For major events, oblique imagery provides additional details about damaged areas and

may help to identify damage to buildings.

· Post-event oblique imagery can help identify collapsed and damaged buildings where

traditional “top-down” imagery will only show rooftops.

remote sensing instruments function by sensing infrared radiation (IR) that is naturally emitted

or reflected by the Earth’s surface or from the atmosphere, or by sensing signals transmitted

from, and reflected back to, a satellite or aircraft. Since thermal IR data are based on

temperatures rather than visible radiation, the data may be obtained day or night.

· Determining forest fire or wildfire boundaries, or spot fire flare-ups

· Assessing damage to vegetation from various hazards

· Assisting in non-urban search and rescue activities

electromagnetic waves to determine the range of remote objects through measurement of the

returned signals. Radar imaging provides the ability to detect objects at distances where sound

or visible light emissions would be weak or non-existent.

· Determination of flood extents

· Identifying changes to terrain and land surface

· Identification of oil spills on water.

· This data is especially useful in combination with comparable pre-event data of this

type.

radio waves, LiDAR transmits laser light pulses. The light bounces off objects and scatters. A

telescope receives the backscattered light and a detector measures the intensity. Using the

data, a computer produces a precise 3D image.

as a ranging device to determine altitudes (topography mapping) and depths (in water).

objects and features on the ground more accurately than with radar technology.

· Detecting small changes in land surface

· Detailed 3D modeling of land and structures

· Detecting near shore changes in bathymetry

no longer the only tools available. Smartphones can also be used to access geospatial data.

With the increased availability of “smartphones” and GPS enabled digital cameras, emergency

management personal can now provide critical information on developing situations in near-

real time.

additional perspective on the “where and when” of developing situations.

longitude) that indicate the location of the image. These photos can be collected easily and

displayed immediately in situational awareness viewers to provide information about specific

events.

photographs together to provide the end user with a unique virtual experience. Many users are

now familiar with this process, in part thanks to Google’s Street View© or Microsoft’s Street

Side©.

and processed immediately following collection. Processed imagery can be posted and available

for use in most mapping applications shortly following acquisition.

the ability to view motion imagery dynamically in real-time (RT) or near-real time (NRT).

time to the same target area. In addition, FMV can be simultaneously broadcast to multiple

consumers, allowing all echelons (HQ, Regional, Field, State, etc.) to view the same picture at

the same time.

requirements. For Stafford Act events, RS efforts are coordinated by FEMA through the JFO,

RRCC, and NRCC RS Coordinators.

Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other

Federal departments and agencies. Imagery is acquired, analyzed, and disseminated using a

systematic process referred to as TCPED that includes five phases: tasking, collection,

processing, exploitation, and dissemination.

This request is received directly by the GIUL for large incidents or the GIMG for smaller

incidents. The request may be submitted in either hardcopy or electronic format.

available and the expenditures have been approved and justified through the chain of

command; however, most large and medium scale disasters will require extensive coordination

with the Region and the HQ Remote Sensing Coordinator.

identified through the Joint Incident Objectives and Priorities set by the Unified Coordination

Group. While it is safe to assume that adjacent areas will be included, requests for imagery

should be very specific in coverage area and identify specific targets.

acquisition of “raw” imagery. Because the post-event environment is dynamic, tasking and

collection are closely linked; the combined tasks are reliant on continuous feedback.

image registration, rectification, color balancing, and others. Once complete, the imagery is

available for exploitation and dissemination.

process within the remote sensing lifecycle. Therefore, users in the Field are urged to rely on

organizations with higher end workstations, broader bandwidth network infrastructure, and

dedicated staff with reach back capabilities.

FEMA personnel with the rapid receipt and processing of geospatial data, imagery, and other

media.

be automated or interpreted visually by imagery analysts to derive vector data from the

imagery source data. This derived data can then be attributed with key pieces of information to

add value.

delivered and available to the end users and products. This may be accomplished through a

person-to-person exchange of physical media, embedded into a map viewer, or passed through

email or web-based tools.

classification system guidelines developed by FEMA.

damage. Trained image analysts, including staff from NGA, delineate the damaged areas

according to FEMA’s criteria and provide this information to responders in both map and data

product formats.

· Remote sensing capabilities

· The remote sensing workflow process

· FEMA Damage classification system

learn how to transition duties to a replacement and how to check out of an incident.

· Recognize how to transition responsibilities to incoming/replacement GIS staff

· Recognize how to check out of an incident

· Ensure continuity of operations during the transition of duties to a replacement

· Properly check out of the incident

both expand and contract as required. The goal is to ensure that the number of personnel

available matches the needs of the mission.

· Transition to a replacement

· Incident closeout

When this happens, you must pass on your duties to a replacement staff member.

happens, you are responsible for ensuring that all assigned GISP tasks are completed.

·

Update products to ensure they are:

o Useable

o Accurate

o Professional

Archive all files

Brief replacement staff

·

tasks, as well as specialized work processes and tools that may have been developed to

streamline analysis. You should also document data workflows and GISP responsibilities for the

replacement GISP. This will allow the replacement GISP to get up-to-speed quickly and ensure a

smooth transition.

conventions.

replacement GISP takes over responsibilities.

critical that there is some time overlap between incoming personnel and personnel who are

transitioning out. To ensure that duties are handed over smoothly, this time overlap should

ideally be one to two days.

JFO, staff members will need to check out. As a GISP, you have responsibilities for completing

the check out process. Some of your major responsibilities include:

· Complete the Demobilization Checkout Form

· Obtain a performance appraisal

· Return all equipment

· Check out of the Automated Deployment Database

· Submit final documents

document your performance for an assignment.

job-related equipment such as:

· Laptop and specialized GIS hardware and software

· Cellular phone (if applicable)

·

·

Camera (if applicable)

Air Card (if applicable)

information:

· Date of checkout

· Releasing official

· Timesheet

· Appraisal form

· Travel voucher

· Recognize how to transition responsibilities to incoming/replacement GIS staff

· Recognize how to check out of an incident

course.

you will receive instructions for taking the course post-test.

reviewed the different components of the ICS organization and the GIS Unit, identified key

geospatial doctrine, and identified various geospatial systems, tools, and data sources.

· Recognize how GIS supports other components in a JFO

· Identify key geospatial doctrine and materials

·

Recognize authoritative data sources

the Joint Field Office. It also provided an overview of the kinds of geospatial products you will

be expected to produce.

· Recognize how to check in to a Joint Field Office

· Identify how to gather information relevant to an assignment

· Identify the types of geospatial products that need to be produced during a disaster

overview of the workflow process you will follow as you produce these products. It also

provided an overview of the quality assurance/quality control process used to ensure the

production of high quality geospatial products.

· Identify the geospatial products commonly produced during an incident

· Recognize the geospatial product workflow process

· Recognize the quality assurance/quality control process used to ensure the quality of

geospatial products

are compiled and analyzed and how metadata is used to document geospatial data. You also

learned about dealing with the time constraints that you will encounter when working in a GIU.

· Compile geospatial data into map and data products

· Analyze data to support incident decision making

· Identify how to document data

· Identify strategies for working within time constraints

what markings and disclaimers are used, and how to correctly work with, share, and store

associated with the use of copyright and licensed data.

· Recognize how to work with sensitive data

· Identify remote sensing capabilities

· Recognize the steps of the remote sensing workflow process

· Use FEMA Damage Classifications to convey the severity of an incident

incident.

· Recognize how to transition responsibilities to incoming/replacement GIS staff

· Recognize how to check out of an incident

independent study courses such as:

Introduction to GIS courses (provided by many external sources)

· EMI (E190) ArcGIS for Emergency Managers

· ESRI – Learning ArcGIS Desktop

· ESRI – HAZUS-MH online courses

· ESRI – Learning ArcGIS Spatial Analyst

· ESRI – Creating, Editing and Managing Geodatabases for ArcGIS Desktop

· ESRI – Understanding GIS Queries

· ESRI – Using Python in ArcGIS Desktop – Introduction to Python and Integration with

ArcGIS Desktop

· ESRI – Basics of the Geodatabase Data Model

· FEMA Doctrine: https://www.fema.gov/policies

· Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata:

http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/csdgm/

· GIS Dictionary: http://support.esri.com/en/knowledgebase/GISDictionary/browse/

completing the course test.