Avagene Moore: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum! On behalf of Amy Sebring and myself, we are happy to see everyone here today. Avagene Moore: For the benefit of any newcomers today, our speaker will be using one slide with contact information at the end of her formal presentation. When you see a blue hyperlink, please click on it and it should open in another browser window. Avagene Moore: If it covers your chat window you will need to bring your chat window back to the top after viewing. Avagene Moore: We will begin with the presentation by our guest and then invite your questions. I will provide further instructions just before we begin the Q&A section but you may wish to jot your questions down as we go through the presentation. Avagene Moore: Our session today is an overview of "Geospatial Preparedness for Emergency Managers: The Interagency Geospatial Preparedness Team (IGPT)." Avagene Moore: FEMA has established an Interagency Geospatial Preparedness Team (IGPT) to help make geospatial information and technologies more readily available to the national community of emergency managers and responders. Avagene Moore: FEMA has established an Interagency Geospatial Preparedness Team (IGPT) to help make geospatial information and technologies more readily available to the national community of emergency managers and responders. Avagene Moore: The team is coordinating its work with that of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) e-government initiative, Geospatial One-Stop. Avagene Moore: Our guest speaker today is IGPT Chief, Susan Kalweit, who is currently detailed to FEMA from the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), where she has been the Deputy Chief of the North America and Homeland Security division. Avagene Moore: Ms. Kalweit is a 17-year employee of NIMA. She began her career as an imagery analyst addressing national security concerns in the former Soviet Union and China. Avagene Moore: Over the course of her career she has been involved in advanced technology research and development, partnerships with industry, and developing strategies supporting NIMA's transformation in Geospatial Intelligence. Avagene Moore: We are very pleased to host this session today. It is my pleasure to welcome Susan Kalweit to the EIIP Virtual Forum! Susan, I now turn the floor to you. Avagene Moore: Susan, whenever you are ready, please. susan kalweit: Thanks Avagene .. . . susan kalweit: Hello, it is a pleasure to be here today and it is good to see you in the audience. It's exciting for me to be engaging in a dialogue with you, the key stakeholders for our initiative. ... susan kalweit: Today, I plan to review the basic mission of the IGPT and why and how the team got started. I want to start by saying that this effort is about preparedness. It's about how we improve our capability to make better decisions when planning for, mitigating against, responding to, or recovering from any hazard event. ... susan kalweit: The premise of our work is that through the application of remote sensing data, GPS, GIS and mapping technologies ... susan kalweit: we are better able to understand the situation, know where applicable resources and assets are to address the situation, and direct those resources in the most efficient and effective manner possible. .. susan kalweit: This is the premise that drives our vision, our strong desire to ensure that the nation's emergency management capability is underpinned with geospatial knowledge. ... susan kalweit: When something occurs, the first question that someone asks is "Where is it and what does it look like?" ... susan kalweit: The second question might be "Where are my assets necessary to respond and how do I get those assets from where they are to where I need them." And, then next could be "how do I get people safely out of harms reach?" ... susan kalweit: All of these questions depend on having the correct information about the incident, about the area that's affected and the area where resources will come from. ... susan kalweit: The resources may come from the immediate area, but they may also come from other states or jurisdictions. ... susan kalweit: The bottom line is that in each case there's one common denominator-location, location, location. ... susan kalweit: Geospatial information and the technologies that enable us to view and apply geospatial information to the problem at hand is what brings location-in a visual sense and in the sense of connecting disparate data sets- into the decision-making cycle. ... susan kalweit: As critical as location information is, and as widespread as its use across government is, what exists isn't necessarily useable, shareable or readily available. ... susan kalweit: This is in part due to the fact that (1) there hasn't been a consistent application of national standards; (2) licensing, local laws and other factors have hindered open data sharing; ... susan kalweit: and (3) data is tied up in data base silos unknown or inaccessible to a broader audience outside that agency or department. ... susan kalweit: This is simply unacceptable when you have to be prepared to respond anywhere at any time. ... susan kalweit: This is why our activity is centered upon partnerships, use of a common spatial reference system and the application of open standards as the way to have national interoperability and gain the benefits of cost savings through efficient sharing of resources. ... susan kalweit: Toward that end, we are collaborating with the E-gov initiative Geospatial One-Stop and the Federal Geographic Data Committee, which are responsible for developing many of the national standards that geospatial preparedness will rely upon. ... susan kalweit: In addition, we are collaborating with DisasterManagement.gov on their geospatial and mapping requirements. ... susan kalweit: Another situation that exists today is that in some areas of our country there isn't any geospatial data, or what exists is so limiting that it can't be used for anything other than what it was built for. ... susan kalweit: Our decision support tools and other emergency planning or response applications depend upon having the best available data. When the best available is none at all or poor data, then the best tools and applications are rendered useless. This why we are changing the paradigm to assuring the best data and it's available, nationwide. ... susan kalweit: So, how will the national geospatial preparedness strategy assure the best data .... and it's available? ... susan kalweit: It starts with a needs and capabilities assessment. And, this is where we need your help. ... susan kalweit: We plan to describe the needs in the context of how you conduct your business. ... susan kalweit: For example, the process of developing evacuation routes requires that you know where the roads are, where people live, and where the affected areas are likely to be given the disaster scenario you're planning for. ... susan kalweit: Roads, demographic information,and the geographic extent of disaster affects based on simulations or models are all examples of types of geospatial information. So, we plan to link, for example, evacuation route planning to centerline road data, demographic data, and hazards modeling results. ... susan kalweit: What other business processes do you employ in the course of planning for, mitigating against, responding to, or recovering from any hazard event? ... susan kalweit: We want to learn-from you, and plan to use regional workshops as a mechanism to flesh out your business processes and link them to geospatial needs. ... susan kalweit: During this process, we also plan to gather information about the geospatial capabilities already in use. Some of this information will be gleaned from our partnership with industry, some will come from learning or hearing about what you have. ... susan kalweit: By October this year, we hope to have a comprehensive needs and capabilities assessment from which we will then identify the gaps that have to be filled to complete the geospatial preparedness picture. ... susan kalweit: Filling the gaps will require both financial resources and new or stronger partnerships at all levels of government and with the private sector. ... susan kalweit: Some financial resources will come from federal programs already in place to acquire and distribute geospatial information. Other financial resources may come from a grant program that we will recommend in the strategy. ... susan kalweit: The other critical financial aspect is the issue that money flowing in will seed the foundation for our national spatial preparedness. But over the long haul, it is an expensive proposition to expect the federal government to continue putting money in and to sustaining it. ... susan kalweit: So, we will be looking at potential market mechanisms that will allow this program to become self-sustaining. ... susan kalweit: Market mechanisms such as those similar to what the flood insurance program uses already, whereby if you adhere to certain standards, using flood mapping data, you get a break on your insurance. ... susan kalweit: Why couldn't we have something similar in the case of managing and maintaining your critical infrastructure in a GIS, and thereby "hardening" your city through knowledge of your critical infrastructure? ... susan kalweit: Knowledge that includes how well your structures are maintained. Knowledge that perhaps reduces the risk to the insurance industry. ... susan kalweit: The takeaway is that we need to identify how to create a self- sustaining mechanism for maintaining geospatial preparedness over the long term. ... susan kalweit: Finally, all of the money in the world can't overcome certain barriers to intergovernmental data sharing. .. susan kalweit: We plan to identify and surface these barriers and then make recommendations on national policies that might be able to overcome the obstacles. ... susan kalweit: For example, one barrier to sharing is the need to have legal documentation, like an MOU between sharing parties. ... susan kalweit: Constraints on time available from your legal counsel may stall your ability to get these MOUs in place quickly. What if there was a national template for sharing arrangements? ... susan kalweit: Perhaps that could break loose one type of obstacle to open sharing. ... susan kalweit: With that overview of what the interagency team will do, let's look at who the interagency team is. ... susan kalweit: First, the Interagency Geospatial Preparedness Team is led and sponsored by FEMA as they were the ones to recognize the need for national preparedness to be underpinned by a geospatial infrastructure. ... susan kalweit: FEMA decided that the way to success for developing a geospatial strategy was to employ geospatial experts. ... susan kalweit: So, they approached two of the leading geospatial agencies in the federal government, that being the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey to ask if they would participate in the effort. ... susan kalweit: I am from NIMA. One of my deputies is from USGS and the other from FEMA. ... susan kalweit: In addition, we have two outstanding officers from the US Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and from the National Ocenaic and Atmospheric Administration and we're talking with other federal agencies as well. ... susan kalweit: We work out of FEMA headquarters giving us the advantage of direct and regular contact with the emergency management community as represented by FEMA's roles and responsibilities. ... susan kalweit: In addition, through outreach efforts like this one and the regional workshops I spoke of earlier we hope to gain knowledge and build support for our effort throughout the emergency management community at state and local levels. ... susan kalweit: The contact information for the team is available at http://www.emforum.org/vforum/igpt.htm. susan kalweit: I appreciate your time and attention to this issue that I feel will make a real difference to our nation and our nation's security. Thank you. ... susan kalweit: That ends my formal presentation, Avagene. I am now available for questions. Avagene Moore: Thank you for that fine overview, Susan. I am sure our audience will have many questions for you. ... Avagene Moore: Our protocol for audience questions is to enter a question mark ? to indicate you wish to ask a question or make a comment. ... Avagene Moore: Then go ahead and compose your question to have it ready, but do NOT hit your Enter key or click on the Send button until you are recognized by name. ... Avagene Moore: We will take questions in the order the question marks are sent to the screen. We are ready to begin now. Please input your ? now if you wish to ask a question. Amy Sebring: (If you got a not found error on the link just now, try http://www.emforum.org/vforum/igpt.htm ) Brenda Fennel: ? David Kruse: ? David Crews: ? Comment Avagene Moore: Brenda, whenever you are ready. Takes a moment to compose the first question. David Kruse: Will the Regional Councils of Governments be involved in the regional forums? Mark Whitney: ? Jon Gottsegen: ? Michael Dueweke: ? Marty Lamberti: ? Shripad Deo: ? Avagene Moore: Wait a minute, David. Susan, do you want to answer David's question and then we will take Brenda's. Brenda Fennel: What mapping software is preferred by FEMA Avagene Moore: Brenda, please compose a complete question and hold it until I call on you again. susan kalweit: David - I am not familiar with the Regional Council of Governments . . . susan kalweit: Coming from DoD many of the associations and such are new to me . . . William Cumming: ? susan kalweit: I would appreciate a URL so I could learn more about them. Radha Krishnan: ? Stanislaw Grzeda: Having a robust data structure in place is one part of the preparedness problem. The other dimension if to have the appropriate GIS applications in place. Is IGPT investigating the concept of a minimal application suite? David Kruse: We are a national group of state sponsored non-profits that work across county lines, there are 24 in Texas (www.aacog.com) Avagene Moore: Hold it folks, wait until you are called by name to input, please. susan kalweit: Thank you David. I will look into this organization. Avagene Moore: Brenda, input your question again, please. Amy Sebring: Let me help. The question was "what mapping software is preferred by FEMA" Avagene Moore: Thanks, Amy. susan kalweit: I will answer Brenda's question . . . susan kalweit: FEMA uses a variety of GIS applications for a variety of business needs . . . susan kalweit: In their response efforts, they currently are standardized on Map Info . . . . Brenda Fennel: Amy, ask the DoE about the COGs, many are active in data gathering for their regions. susan kalweit: That having been said, prior to the stand-up of the new Dept of HLS, FEMA was developing . . . susan kalweit: an enterprise architecture approach, which would also consider the needed GIS applications . . . susan kalweit: Many of you may be aware that there is a significant effort going on in the Dept of HLS under Steve Cooper, CIO . . susan kalweit: to develop an Enterprise ARchitecture for the Dept . . . susan kalweit: All GIS applications are now being reviewed from the perspective of the larger Dept's need . . . susan kalweit: So, the short answer is that today, they use Map Info a lot, but that may change over the coming year or so. Avagene Moore: David Crews, your comment, please. David Crews: I just returned from the Space Shuttle Disaster DFO. I work in Info and Planning for FEMA. We had one of the largest interagency GIS operations ever put together for a disaster. One problem that always arises in sharing of GIS data at all levels. The other is that public law and ownership is the greatest barrier to using GIS technology. Avagene Moore: Suan, would you like to say anything about David's comment/ susan kalweit: David, you are so right on track . . . steve sawyer: In Rhode Island, Agencies are standardized on ESRI across the board...... susan kalweit: As I stated in my comments, all the money in the world can't overcome barriers to data sharing . . . Brenda Fennel: Ther need to look at ESRI applications if they want to be serious about serving data to different users. ESRI applications can use just about any filetype and that is what was used in the Debris recovery efforts. susan kalweit: Often the barriers have to do with licensing arrangements, proprietary aspects of the data or FOIA concerns. . . Eric Kant: ? susan kalweit: Our aim is to try to surface all these issues and propose, where possible, solutions or ways to overcome them. . . steve sawyer: ? susan kalweit: Data sharing is imperative not only for geospatial preparedness but for homeland security as a mission at large. Avagene Moore: Mark Whitney, you are next, please. Anyone wishing to ask a question or make a comment, please input your ? at any point of the discussion. Mark Whitney: First, thanks for your efforts re. IGPT! Question, have you been getting good vibes from the private sector as an indication they will robustly support IGPT recommendations and (?) existing FGDC standards such as US National Grid (USNG) / Geoaddressing? Amy Sebring: ? susan kalweit: Hi Mark. Thanks for your question . . . . Mark Whitney: Sorry Pat dropped off from ESRI for this one! Marty Lamberti: ? susan kalweit: First, we have been getting extremely positive vibes from the spatial technology industry aout supporting our recommendations . . . Marty Lamberti: We are a water utility, we have used GIS software for mapping our infrastructure but for security reasons do not want anyone having access to our data or data base. So what are you folks thinking is needed for geospatial coordination in emergencies? susan kalweit: We haven't yet gotten involved with the private sector, E.g. the owners and operators of critical infrastructure . . . susan kalweit: An initial quest into that venue suggestst that these private sector folks would agree in principle to the IGPT . . . susan kalweit: recommendations, but have real concerns about data protection. . . Mark Whitney: meant really GIS vendors, sorry! susan kalweit: REgarding your second questions, we will point to all the relevant standards to make geospatial preparednes a reality . . . Mark Whitney: And GPS!! Brenda Fennel: ? susan kalweit: When you're talking about data related standards, FGDC is where we're focused . . . Mark Whitney: Thanks! David Crews: ? Comment Joe Sukaskas: ? susan kalweit: So, yes, we do plan to recommend USNG, that being said I also understand there may be concerns about that particular standard . . . susan kalweit: I'm interested in hearing from anybody who has such concerns so we can address those concerns in the most appropriate way. Avagene Moore: Jon, you are next, please. If you have plugged in a ? mark, we will get to you. Please compose your question and hold until you are called upon by name. Be patient, please. Jon Gottsegen: Two questions: 1) This one has been touched on already since i typed it out, so you can ignore it if you want. i think you mentioned proprietary data as one obstacle to data sharing. Will the team address issues like the balance between security of infrastructure data, say from utilities, and need to disseminate it? 2) any thoughts about "standardizing" risk assessment or evacuation models, which obviously impacts data need? Thanks. susan kalweit: Mark - the spatial technology industry includes GIS, GPS, data acquirers, system integrators, spatial dbms vendors, etc. susan kalweit: Jon Hi, thanks for your questions . . . . susan kalweit: On the first, balancing security. The good news is that this is not a geospatial unique question but in fact impacts all of homeland security . . . susan kalweit: To that end, we will leverage whatever work is being done in the security area by the Office of the CIO . . . . Todd Bacastow: ? susan kalweit: However, we are also getting smarter about geospatial unique problems and solutions . . . susan kalweit: One example yesterday was a discussion about digital watermarking technology for raster products . . . . Nancy Boss: hi how is everyone? susan kalweit: This holds some potential for dealing with proprietary, and other security issues for some data types, but not all. . . ron langhelm: One basic issue revolves around firewalls and inter-agency connectivity susan kalweit: I hope that answered your question, if not please restate. ON the second question--we're just starting to investigate modeling and sim tools . . . Brenda Fennel: Does FEMA work with the USGS and the Census Bureau? Those agencies developed TIGER files which cover the entire USA and can be used along with USGS quad maps for basemaps where no local data is available. and Ron is correct on the connectivity issue. Nancy Boss: does anyone in her have a loved one in the service right now? Avagene Moore: (Please input a ? if you wish to ask a question or make a comment. Thanks.) Eric Kant: ? susan kalweit: So, I don't have a solid answer yet for you, other than we need to understand what the data needs are for these tools. Nancy Boss: here* Jon Gottsegen: ? Avagene Moore: Michael D, you are next, sir. Nancy Boss: ask Michael Dueweke: Institute for Geospatial Research & Education - Eastern Michigan University --- selfish question - are there any guidelines for disaster preparedness for universities Beverly Cigler: ? Beverly Cigler: How are you coordinating with state and especially local governments? susan kalweit: Hi Michael D. I suggest you check the FEMA web site as a resource to find your answer. David Kruse: ? Michael Dueweke: thank you Avagene Moore: Any newcomers to the session, please input a question mark to the screen (?) if you wish to speak. Thanks. Now Marty Lambert, please, your question. susan kalweit: You're welcome Michael. Avagene Moore: Think we have lost Marty. How about your question, Shripad? Shripad Deo: The usefulness of geospatial information system is as good as the spatial data used. To make this a tool people can trust how do you plan support the data needs? With local, state and regional efforts going on, how do you plan to bring order to this apparently chaotic situation? Janette Walker: Michael, Use a search engine. Type University Emergency Plans or join the Emergency Management yahoo group. susan kalweit: Hi Shripad. Thanks for asking your question. You're right on, the tools are only as good as the data they are using . . . susan kalweit: garbage in is garbage out, which is why what we're striving toward is the BEST DATA . . . and it's available . . . susan kalweit: You ask a good question, however, how do I (the user) know it's the BEST data . . . susan kalweit: One way will be through the metadata, but we may also need to consider a broader issue of assuring that the data is the best . . . Jeremy Williams: ? susan kalweit: as not everyone who will use the data will understand the metadata. You have raised an issue we haven't yet . . susan kalweit: thought about, so thank you. As far as order in chaos, if you subscribe to the chaos theory, then. . . . Brenda Fennel: ? susan kalweit: there is order in chaos. The vision in me says that once the data is out there, the users will figure out what data they should use and what data is garbage . . . Radha Krishnan: I am a Faculty member in the Emergency Preparedness Center at UTD and would love to collaborate and cooperate with your organization to help shape events for the future, how do I go about it? :-) (Sorry for not waiting to be called on, but I have to leaving the chat and terminal now, since I have to teach class, but will pick up the response from the transcript) susan kalweit: this certainly won't happen overnight, but that's as far as my thinking has gone on the issue you raise. Shripad Deo: Thanks. Avagene Moore: Susan, please take Radha's question. Brenda Fennel: A good place to begin at the local level is to join a user group and build relationships with other users. susan kalweit: Thanks Radha. Contact me by e-mail susan.kalweit@fema. gov to discuss. Avagene Moore: William Cumming, you are next please. William Cumming: What efforts are being made to incorporate satellite imagery in the project? Brenda Fennel: Radha try the SCAUG (South Central Arc Users Group website) susan kalweit: Hi William, thanks for your question. Satellite imagery from our perspective is one collection means for imagery data . . . susan kalweit: We will identify the use case or business uses in emergency management that use imagery with some explanation of resolution requirements . . . susan kalweit: Those responsible for acquiring can determine what source is best. Christopher Effgen: ? Ed CowsarofDetigo: ? Avagene Moore: Stanislaw, do you have your question ready, please? Avagene Moore: We may have lost him. Eric Kant, how about your question? Eric Kant: Hello Susan, 1.) Will you be conducting or participating in exercises to evaluate the quality of the information provided? And 2.) Will you be making recommendations on geospatial modeling algorithms, such as the CATS product from DTRA that does chemical plume models, hurricane models and the like in a GIS environment? 3.) How do we join ? susan kalweit: Hi Eric thanks for your questions, good to "see" you again . . . Stanislaw Grzeda: Haven't lost me, I'm listening susan kalweit: I don't have plans in this year to participate in exercises that would evaluate the quality of information provided--good idea, however, , , , susan kalweit: I hope to at least gather a listing of modeling and simulation tools that are relevant to geo preparedness and link those to the data needs . . . susan kalweit: We don't plan to conduct any evaluations of those tools . . . susan kalweit: As a vendor, I encourage you to help us develop the national strategy through the STIA Defense and Security Geo Initiative . . . . susan kalweit: STIA has a web site with contact info if you wanted to follow-up. Avagene Moore: Amy, your question, please. Amy Sebring: I think you are absolutely correct in seeking to identify obstacles. My concern is that more and more data needed for planning etc. will become harder to get with concerns about security (which has been touched on). And that hoops for each separate agency will be required. Any thoughts about a 'clearing house' approach such as hazardmaps.gov ? or thru Geospatial One Stop perhaps? Eric Kant: Thanks susan kalweit: Hi Amy. Thanks for your question . . . . susan kalweit: There already is a lot of discussion in the community about what geo data to protect or not . . . susan kalweit: we are aware of this discussion and participate in it as appropriate . . . . susan kalweit: as for a clearinghouse approach, we are working closely with Geo One-Stop, as we are also with DisasterManagemen.gov . . . susan kalweit: The bottom line from my perspective is being able to assure that those who need the data can have access to it . . . susan kalweit: when they need it, and that doesn't mean every day access. Again this is an issue bigger than just geo, we will lookto the larger CIO efforts for reccos. Avagene Moore: Brenda, your name is next. Do you have a question or comment for Susan? Isabel McCurdy: ? Avagene Moore: David Crews, you had a comment? David Crews: The most successful we have been with GIS in disaster recovery has been when we were allowed to match a local data base from a community to the storm track provided by FEMA and NWS. That allowed us to match damaged areas to teleregistration and send Community Teams to people who had storm damage but had not registered for assistance. Avagene Moore: Susan, do you wish to comment? susan kalweit: Yes, thanks. . . . Stanislaw Grzeda: ? susan kalweit: Hi David. This makes perfect sense to me. From a business process standpoint I'm interested in learning more, how can we follow-up? David Crews: dtcrewscem@aol.com Avagene Moore: For those who are watching the clock, Susan will give us a few more minutes to answer your questions. However we have 10 or more questions in the queue. Thanks David. Todd, you are next, please. susan kalweit: Thanks. ron langhelm: I don't think that is the pinical of FEMA GIS Success Avagene Moore: Todd, your question, please. Todd Bacastow: Does the National Guard have a potential coordinating role in identifying needs based on state/local contingency plans and likely operational scenarios. susan kalweit: Hi Todd... . susan kalweit: If you are asking does the NGB have a role in the overall strategy we're developing, yes. . . susan kalweit: Do I yet fully understand or can I adequately express what the role is yet, no. . . . Todd Bacastow: OK- Thanks. susan kalweit: I am working on getting a POC from the Guard so we can begin to engage them as both a contributor and user of national geo preparedness. . . . susan kalweit: Did that answer your question? Todd Bacastow: Yes --- thanks! Avagene Moore: Jon Gottsegen, your turn, sir. Jon Gottsegen: Just was going to clarify of my previous question. i suppose i should have entered it at the time. When i said data security, i wan't thinking about proctecting the data from inappropriate changes (an interesting problem though) as much as state, regional or local agencies getting data that serves a public good but is not being distributed for valid security reasons (e.g., utility infrastructure). Since this has been touched on already, perhaps you could direct me to how to get involved about th Jon Gottsegen: that should be involved with the discussions on this issue. Mark Whitney: Sue, MJ Pajack/Scott/Paul in FIMA have a good NG contact. susan kalweit: I'm not sure at this moment I have a good answer. But would like to follow-up with you, as I suspect you might have some good insight into the issue . . . . susan kalweit: If you don't mind e-mailing me so we can continue the discussion a little more and maybe then we can figure out where to plug you in. Avagene Moore: Beverly, your question, please. Beverly Cigler: Susan, can you provide some specifics on how your activities are being coordinated with state and especially local governments, who do all kinds of mapping? Jon Gottsegen: Sure. Thanks. susan kalweit: Hi Beverly - thanks for asking this question, I've also been asked it from the standpoint of how does your activity fit in . . . susan kalweit: with the other fed geo initiatives that state and local govt's are being asked to support . . . . susan kalweit: Short answer is we're leveraging state and local gov't association to the greatest extent possible and practical and doing tht in . . . susan kalweit: coorindation with Geo One-Stop. Second part to the answer is the workshops I mentioned, however I plan to get help from the associations in . . . susan kalweit: drawing the right folks to the workshops. Hope that helps answer your question. Avagene Moore: Jeremy Williams, you are next, please. Jeremy Williams: Two Questions: 1) How are IGPT efforts linked/coordinated with JTF-CS and NorthCom? 2) How is IGPT linked to the 133 Urban Areas work? Beverly Cigler: When you say state and local associations, do you mean the federal reps or those at the state level? Thanks. susan kalweit: Hi Jeremy, thanks fo ryour questions . . . susan kalweit: We're working the linkage with JTF-CS and NORTHCOM as we speak, it's in part an outgrowth of the last HIFLD meeting, if you're familiar with that . . . Jeremy Williams: yes susan kalweit: My deputy and I keep close contact with our respective USGS and NIMA colleagues working the 133 city effort . . . . susan kalweit: Our work is a long term strategy, the 133 city effort is a near- term contribution to the geo capacity that we hope will be . . . susan kalweit: developed to meet the needs of geo preparedness--feds, states, local gov't, tribal gov't, private sector orgs are all contributorrs . . . susan kalweit: to this national capacity. Don't have to wait for our strategy to start contributing! Avagene Moore: Christopher, please. Christopher Effgen: Amy asked my question and Susan answered it. Thank you. I hope we hear more about the project as it develops. Jeremy Williams: thanks' Avagene Moore: Ed, you are next. Ed CowsarofDetigo: 1) Are you aware of the results yet of those utilizing the Hazmat2000 GIS application (or a similiar GeoSpatial Emergency Preparadness Application) for Emergency Planning? I have local govm't clients interested in further information on this particular Emergency situation and modeling GeoSpatial application....feedback is appreciated. 2) Are you aware of any organizations integrating live digital video data (view of grassy knolls, pipeline leak recognition, border crossing lookouts etc. fro Mark Whitney: Gotta run, thanks Sue and EIIP!! Great presentation!!! susan kalweit: Hi Ed. Thanks for your questions--these are all new to me! Avagene Moore: OK. In the sake of time, we will move on. Isabel, please. Isabel McCurdy: Will Canada have access to the data? susan kalweit: Hi Isabel. Good question. I don't have an answer to that. My guess is that issue will be worked in part by the smart border initiatives groups in place. . . . susan kalweit: But that's just a guess. Avagene Moore: Last question: Stanislaw, thanks for your patience. Please input your question for Susan. Stanislaw Grzeda: While it may not be popular .... why not investigate "eminent information domain" over geospatial data during a declared disaster or emergency? After all do firemen or police worry about trespass while responding to a call? Why should officials responding to a GIS need have to worry about proprietary data issues? Avagene Moore: Sorry I missed one. There will be one more question, Susan. susan kalweit: Hi Stanislaw--thanks for your input. You have expressed to some extent what I had in mind when I said everyone doesn't need access everyday . . . susan kalweit: When they need it, the need it and we should have mechanisms in place to allow for just in time . . . susan kalweit: I'm not familiar with "eminent domain info" if there's more info on this I'd like to read it. Avagene Moore: This really is our last question: Joe Sukaskas, thanks for your patience. Please ask your question. Joe Sukaskas: Re: data security, . Maine law authorizes the PUC to collect critical utility infrastructure data from private and public utilities and issue an order that protects security-sensitive data, but allows it to share such data with state law enforcement and emergency managers without FOIA exposure. Susan, do you think DHS might employ a similar model on a national scale to enable emergency management to access private security-related data? susan kalweit: Joe--thanks so much for jumping in with your comment . . . . susan kalweit: In fact, normally I hold up Maine as the example of what can ge done to overcome barriers to sharing, especially for FOIA concerns . . . susan kalweit: I do think that we can build off of what Maine has done, and plan to go down that path, with the help and expertise from the folks in Maine! Avagene Moore: We are out of time. Susan, we appreciate you giving us a few extra minutes. I would like to take a moment and welcome new EIIP Partners at this time. ... Avagene Moore: Scientific and Environmental Associates, Inc., http://www.seaconsulting.com ... Avagene Moore: SAS, http://www.sas.com ... Shripad Deo: Thanks Susan for detailed answers. They were very helpful. Thanks, Avagene and Amy for organizing it. Avagene Moore: If interested in partnering with the EIIP, please see http://www.emforum.org/partners/criteria.htm . Avagene Moore: We will have a transcript posted later this afternoon. Please look for it then. Avagene Moore: Thanks to everyone for participating today - you have been a great audience - and ... Avagene Moore: Please help us thank Susan for her fine presentation. Susan, you did a great job! Most informative - thank you! Avagene Moore: The EIIP Virtual Forum is adjourned!