Amy Sebring: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum Tech Arena! Amy Sebring: For the benefit of our first-timers, when you see a blue web address, you can click on it and the referenced web page should appear in a browser window. Amy Sebring: After the first one, the browser window may not automatically come to the top, so you may need to bring it forward by clicking on a button at the status bar at the bottom of your screen. Amy Sebring: We will start with a presentation, and then follow with a Q&A session for your questions and comments. Right before we begin the Q&A portion I will review the procedure. Amy Sebring: Background information for today's session may be found at http://www.emforum.org/varena/990324.htm Amy Sebring: Today we are pleased to welcome Lance McKee, Vice President, Corporate Communications for the Open GIS Consortium. Lance will give us some background on the OGC and it's newly formed ... Amy Sebring: Disaster Management Special Interest Group (DM- SIG). Amy Sebring: Also on hand with us are Louis Hecht, Vice President for Business Development, OGC and Jim Farley from the University of Arkansas' Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies ... Amy Sebring: Please do not send private/direct messages to our guests during the session, as it makes it more difficult to follow the discussion. Please hold your comments and questions until Q&A. Amy Sebring: Welcome gentlemen, and Lance, will you please start us off. Lance McKee: HI. I'm sorry, but the text I prepared doesn't paste in to the dialog box Amy Sebring: One moment please ... Lance McKee: So let me just say that the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) is a Lance McKee: 180 member organization dedicated to Lance McKee: 180 member organization dedicated to Lance McKee: open systems geoprocessing. Lance McKee: Yes, Amy. Sorry. Amy Sebring: Well Louis can you perhaps expand on that a little bit please? Lance McKee: The disaster management community has an opportunity in OGC.. Lance McKee: to participate in developing interoperability technology in Lance McKee: of disaster information network requirements. Lance McKee: We have recently formed a Disaster Management SIG, chaired by .. Lance McKee: Elaine Padovani of USGS, which meets to review these requirements ... Lance McKee: and discuss a range of issues related to how the private sector can.. Lance McKee: work together with agencies to develop technologies.. Lance McKee: that support interoperability among systems used by Lance McKee: the participants in Disaster Management. Lance McKee: Louis, what would you add, for starters? Louis Hecht: Open geoprocessing means access to disaster information over the net with any kind of device Louis Hecht: it also means the ability to get information fast, in a way that supports decision making Louis Hecht: OGC is looking for requirements...this is our top need right now Louis Hecht: we need to know how people and organizations handle and cope with disasters Louis Hecht: we need to know how they would like to use or otherwise impose technology for support Louis Hecht: what kind of technology, how should information be delivered... Louis Hecht: how should it be framed (text, maps, simple query).... Louis Hecht: our white papers, discussion papers are full of these kinds of questions and related discussion Lance McKee: OGC has begun a Web Mapping Technology Testbed, Louis Hecht: which are available at the OGC web site...Jim can you add a few words Jim Farley: sure Louis Jim Farley: As Lance and Louis have indicated the OGC established a Special Interest Group or a SIG to focus on the special problems for sharing data, information and other technology that may be associated with the community of Disaster Management. Jim Farley: This SIG was established in December of 1998 and will meet to discuss a range of issues at each OGC Technical Committee meeting to be held at international locations over the next 12 months. See www.opengis.org for complete information on both OGC and the DM SIG. Jim Farley: What I'd like to try and do is to establish the framework which has been created to address these issues and then provide a little background on the process and some of the initiatives and the technologies that are under consideration and evaluation. Jim Farley: The first set of objectives for the DM-SIG involves capturing needs and requirements of the affected communities in each phase of the DM Life Cycle, expressed in terms of a technology business model and road map as to: Jim Farley: 1. Data requirements Jim Farley: 2. Technology requirements Jim Farley: 3. Communication Infrastructure requirements Jim Farley: 4. Interoperability requirements (information sharing and service) across user communities, across information communities, and between sectors (e.g. public,- private etc.) Jim Farley: 5. Stakeholder acceptance for protocols and expressions for technology, process and information flow within use case scenarios Jim Farley: 6. Functional requirements of the DM community articulated as components in the abstract specification being authored by the Technical Committee of the OGC Jim Farley: 7. Interface requirements to support both the architecture and the assumptions made in regard to the functional capabilities of that architecture Jim Farley: Based on this set of parameters we have begun soliciting input in regard to requirements and have also begun to formulate a workplan for identifying technologies and creating prototype environments and applications Jim Farley: I'd now like to go over some characteristics of a possible architecture and then cover some of the technologies and platforms that we see as being highly relevant. Jim Farley: There are a range of "scenario types that we are postulating, these include: Jim Farley: Client-centric - a single client will engage in "pulling" information from multiple data stores at regular intervals over a period of time to simulate situation monitoring, analysis and decision support. This scenario tests the capacity for domain experts (e.g. utilities, national weather service, emergency response personnel etc.) to "publish" their data in a way that supports consumption by other groups. This scenario also exercises data integration in preparation for building the enterprise Jim Farley: Data-centric (push)- multiple, heterogeneous clients and devices will feed data and information to a single corporate repository of information designed to maintain information that the community of disaster managers, decision makers and public service officials needs under the Disaster Management Life Cycle. This scenario tests for the ability to compile and maintain crucial near real time "enterprise" data that drives strategic decision making and is the basis for public announcements. Jim Farley: Data-centric (pull) - multiple, heterogeneous clients and devices will access a single corporate repository of information designed to maintain information that the community of disaster managers, decision makers and public service officials needs under the Disaster Management Life Cycle. Jim Farley: his scenario tests for the ability to maintain and disseminate crucial near real time "enterprise" data that drives strategic decision making and is the basis for public announcements, logistic decisions and early warning. Jim Farley: Server-centric - server side interfaces that support access to and delivery of data and services to light weight handheld and mobile devices will be demonstrated. This scenario tests the capabilities of server-side technologies and applications to complementary client devices and applications in support of locating, evaluating and accessing geospatial information and related services for decision support. Jim Farley: Scenarios like these four and others that will emerge from discussions in the SIG will then be framed in a series of possible system architectures that could support the delivery of technology Jim Farley: Two of the first that have been postulated to characterize some of the DM requirements use a database centric model to explain the nature of the interactions. Jim Farley: The first, Jim Farley: The "disaster cartridge" Jim Farley: The disaster community may well want to leverage itself using architectural concepts that are flourishing in other areas and technology domains. For instance, the database communities notion of a cartridge or a blade which "bolts" special purpose capabilities onto a pre-existing engine that supports general purpose functionality may be very useful as we try and manage the complexity inherent in disaster management. Jim Farley: In this architecture uniform front and back ends are developed that support data access/distribution and user interfaces etc. In the DM community this might be used to mange the communications and the modeling/analysis which are effectively (e.g. coordination across the hierarchy, lead agencies in coordination, identification of support roles, emergency broadcasting etc.). Jim Farley: To manage other, idiosyncratic aspects of a disaster event (or those that are or unique to that event type itself) disaster cartridges or blades might be developed. These cartridges could be used to absorb specialized data (e.g. GOES satellite, NextRad etc.), to produce customized reports (e.g. DOPPLER, coastal inundation forecasts) and to "push" these data into the diverse information communities packaging it in ways that are appropriate for the device configurations across the community in question. Jim Farley: A schematic of a cartridge based architecture in support of DM applications is available (Amy..) Amy Sebring: http://www.emforum.org/varena/ogc1.htm Jim Farley: A second perspective on this architecture uses the notion of domain special objects or "business objects" to meet specific needs. Jim Farley: Disaster "Business Objects" Jim Farley: Once the idiosyncratic or unique aspects of individual disaster events are accommodated by implementations of interoperable technology there will still be work to do. A range of middleware that captures the domain rules and business model for individual actors in the disaster scenario will need to be developed as well. These too will come in two flavors. Jim Farley: Constants for the aspects of the disaster event that are ubiquitous across disaster types and variable or special case components that are customized to a specific type of event (e.g. hurricane, flood etc.). Jim Farley: One can also imagine disaster objects that come with "hurricane methods" or possibly hurricane objects that come with methods for the wireless display of DOPPLER images for emergency response officials in the field. Louis Hecht: Jim, these objects will also have to address privacy, legal and liability issues, right? Lance McKee: Hello, again. Jim Farley: Absolutely, what we have done to this point is set the stage and create a framework. We now need for domain experts to come and give us the benefit of their expertise in a range of areas. Jim Farley: There might also be DOPPLER objects that come with methods that let them display themselves using an appropriate "depth of information" across a range of wire base and wireless devices likely to be in use during an event. Producing an exhaustive set of these objects an creating plausible descriptions and viable interfaces for them is part of the work of the DM SIG. Jim Farley: schematic of an component architecture built using disaster based business objects is provided (Amy...) Amy Sebring: http://www.emforum.org/varena/ogc2.htm Jim Farley: Amy, that's about all I've got for now .... Amy Sebring: Thanks so much Jim ... Amy Sebring: and both Lance and Louis for the intro ... Amy Sebring: we will now get to Q&A .... Amy Sebring: Audience please enter a question mark (?) to indicate you wish to be recognized, go ahead and compose your comment or question, but wait for recognition before hitting the enter key or clicking on Send. Amy Sebring: Please indicate to whom your question is addressed, and we are now ready to begin with your questions or comments. Amy Sebring: And audience I warn you, if you don't have questions for these gentlemen ... Amy Sebring: they may have some questions for YOU! J Mesite: ? - anyone Amy Sebring: Go ahead J pls. Amy Sebring: (Remember to break it up J!) J Mesite: Are you also looking at existing systems to see what they can already do, rather than reinventing the proverbial wheel? Ex: EIS, Softrisk, etc. Jim Farley: Louis .... Louis Hecht: Yes, absolutely. We need to know who these groups are that we may not know yet Amy Sebring: ? Amy Sebring: Louis, can you tell us about where you are in the process now, and what timeline you have developed for future activities? Louis Hecht: Your help in identifying them is always welcome Jim Farley: That's right Lou, The DM SIG is an open forum and we hope to draw in any and all interested representatives from the community and industry Louis Hecht: We are in requirements discover stage now..... Louis Hecht: we will remain in this stage for most of this year.... Louis Hecht: we are preparing a testbed project which will be unveiled in April.... Louis Hecht: hopefully this will stimulate additional participation.... Avagene Moore: ? Terry Birkenstock: ? Louis Hecht: we expect this testbed to be approved at year end and we look for funding between now and then Avagene Moore: How is the OGC and the DM SIG working with international interests? Jim Farley: This will be a draft document that will be shaped by the SIG over the next 6-9 months and initiated as a funded projected in early 2000 if all goes well. Avagene Moore: (sorry for hitting the button too soon) Louis Hecht: Jim will you hand AM ? Jim Farley: OGC will be holding meetings of the SIG in Enschede, Netherlands, the UK and Tokyo over the next six months in addition to meetings in the US jspinney: ? Jim Farley: We hope to garner significant input from around the globe... Amy Sebring: Terry please. Amy Sebring: Oops sorry, Amy Sebring: Jim please finish. Jim Farley: so that the testbed and the work of the SIG reflect international ... Jim Farley: concerns and the international flavor of this community. Amy Sebring: Ok, NOW Terry please. Terry Birkenstock: Hi Jim, Louis, and Lance - This is addressed to any or all of you. Terry Birkenstock: The scenarios types you mention are very interesting - are you going to focus eventually on just one or two of these or attempt to address all that are relevant based on input from the DM community? Jim Farley: Yes .... Jim Farley: However, we are keeping all options open at this time... Jim Farley: Again, we hope to get input and direction from the community... Jim Farley: Remember, we are technologists and facilitators, not the domain specialists... Jim Farley: Over the next year we can assess both cost and relative priority/level of effort... Jim Farley: The most important thing is that whatever we set out to do is scoped in a way that ensures it can be accomplished Amy Sebring: jspinney please Amy Sebring: While we are waiting for J ... Amy Sebring: I would like to ask if you are working with some of the agencies you mentioned? Amy Sebring: Either Jim or Louis please jspinney: Jim, I would like to recommend a group I know of in Houston, who is doing some interesting videography delta analyses of Hurricane hit area's. Please see www.visidata.com for further info on the group. Jim Farley: Louis ... Louis Hecht: DoD, NASA, USGS, TEC, are all working with us.... Louis Hecht: we have 182 members, all are involved in various ways both in US and elsewhere LarryC: ? Amy Sebring: Time for the last one. Amy Sebring: Go ahead please Larry. LarryC: Is there a single agency which has the lead operational role in DM in the US? Amy Sebring: Louis do you want to take a shot at that? Louis Hecht: FEMA is the designated lead agency for Disaster in the US.... LarryC: ? Louis Hecht: USGS, NSF, DoD, NASA, NOAA all play participatory roles from a data standpoint Amy Sebring: Larry quickly? LarryC: Is FEMA expected to be the funding agency for development, too? Amy Sebring: (We will have some open discussion after this if your question did not get answered.) jspinney: ? Louis Hecht: This is a question that we do not know the answer to at this time..... Louis Hecht: Politics is at play Amy Sebring: We need to wrap up ... Amy Sebring: but I would like you to tell folks how they can participate ... Amy Sebring: is there an email to send comments? jspinney: Does USAID and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance participate? Avagene Moore: Yes, thank you, Amy. Next week, Tuesday's Round Table will be led by .... Louis Hecht: yes visit our DM SIG or send to me or Jim Avagene Moore: (forgive me again) Amy Sebring: Ok, Ava has a trigger finger today .. Amy Sebring: Thank you very much for being with us today gentlemen and we are very hopeful you will be successful in your efforts. Louis Hecht: No these groups are not yet active Amy Sebring: Ok, now Ava Avagene Moore: Yes, thank you, Amy. Next week, Tuesday's Round Table will be led by the State and Local Emergency Management Data Users Group (SALEMDUG). Preston Cook, SALEMDUG President, will lead the discussion on March 30 at 1: 00 PM EST. ... Louis Hecht: thanks very much Jim Farley: thanks much to all., Avagene Moore: Wednesday, March 31, 12: 00 Noon EST, we are proud to announce Student Day!. This unique presentation is an opportunity to bring emergency management students together with emergency management practitioners for dynamic exchange. ... Avagene Moore: The session should prove to be not only useful but fun. Plan to be present for both the Round Table and Student Day in the Virtual Forum next week! Back to you, Amy. Amy Sebring: Thank you audience. We will adjourn for now, but you are invited to return now to the Virtual Forum room for open discussion.