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AUSTIN - The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Operations Technology team was awarded the 2022 Award for Excellence in Public Safety GIS in the state category by the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS (NAPSG) Foundation.
The award was presented at the NAPSG Foundation’s Innovation Summit for Preparedness & Resilience (InSPIRE) event on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. TDEM’s Operations Technology personnel were recognized for contributions to public safety geographic information system (GIS), with the foundation’s Board leadership noting that TDEM has long been at the forefront of utilizing geospatial technologies in support of public safety.
TDEM Operations Technology Unit Chief Michael Ouimet, GIS Developer Melissa Ruiz, and GIS Developer Katelynn Whittington were on hand to accept the award on October 25.
“It is terrific to see NAPSG recognize TDEM’s team of specialists who develop and implement advanced digital applications,” said Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. “I am immensely proud of the hard work done by the exemplary professionals at TDEM to benefit Texans every day.”
The TDEM Operations Technology team was honored for efforts to support operationalization of Pin2Flood, a mobile GIS map currently under development, which will allow on-scene first responders to update flood maps on demand by allowing responders to virtually drop a map pin to determine flood water boundaries and share that information with other responders/emergency operations centers.
The Board commended TDEM for developing a new damage assessment application technology by creating the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) Damage Surveys and the Public Assistance State of Texas Assessment Tool (pSTAT).
The Board recognized TDEM's tireless work to support deployment of the state of Texas Search and Rescue Common Operating Platform (SARCOP), which was integral to the formation of the National Search and Rescue Geospatial Coordination Group (NSARGC). The Board also acknowledged Operations Technology personnel for implementing geospatial tracking of field responders and urban search and rescue personnel.
The NAPSG Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was formed in 2005 to overcome the challenges faced by Federal, tribal, state, and local public safety agencies in the adoption and use of GIS as a tool to protect their citizens.
