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The Geographic Information System Standard Operating Procedures on Incident Project (GSTOP)

Sue McLellan

Florida Division of Forestry

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GSTOP Project Objectives

The project objective was to create standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the use of GIS on wildland fire incidents.

Need for guidelines for GIS specialist expectations.

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GSTOP Team Members

USFS - MT USPS - AKDNR - WA NPS - COUSFS- ORUSFS - COOregon Division of ForestryUSFS - GAUSFS - NIFCUSGS - CONPS - CA

USFW - COBIA- WABIA - NIFCUSFWS - AK (Situations SME)USFWS - TXBLM - AKBLM - COFlorida Division of ForestryBLM- CA FEMA Region X – AK, ID, OR, WA

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Representation

X

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XX

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FEMA Region X

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The Need for Standard Operating Procedures

Provide people with all the safety, health, environmental and operational information necessary to perform a job properly

To ensure that production operations are performed consistently to maintain quality control of processes and products

To ensure that processes continue uninterrupted and are completed on a prescribed schedule

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The Need for Standard Operating Procedures

To serve as a training document for teaching users about the process for which the SOP was written

To serve as an historical record of the how, why and when steps in an existing process so there is a factual basis (not hearsay) for revising those steps when a process or when technology changes.

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Project Scope

Developing and recommending GIS SOPs guidelines for incidents to the NWCG. As a minimum this would include:

Naming conventions and structure (e.g. Folder and file) Standard map product definition Minimum Essential Data Sets Data sharing and archiving procedures Incident team transition procedures Minimum GIS expectations on an incident GIS symbology identified Documentation and metadata procedures

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The Process

Topics Sections developed independently Group discussions Consciences Constraints

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The Process Continued….

Team Work Flow

Define Information Needs (What do we need to gather?)

Perform Information Collection Conduct Analysis Develop Preliminary Business Requirements

Specifications Business Requirements Review and Validation

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Collaboration

DisasterHelp.gov Conference Calls Face to Face Meetings Email FTP.NIFC.GOV

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Areas of Interest

File and Naming Conventions Map Standard Minimum Expectations Symbology What do we cover?

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Final Product

The final product is an 83-page book that can be downloaded at:

http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/GSTOP7.pdf

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GIS Standard OperatingProcedures on Incidents

A Publication of theNational WildfireCoordinating Group

PMS 936

NFES 2809

June 2006

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