ESRI Announces Support for Virtual USA

<strong></strong>ESRI announces support for Virtual USA, an
initiative designed to improve decision making for local, state,
tribal, and federal homeland security practitioners. Virtual USA
integrates existing resources to provide real-time access to
operational information from multiple sources and jurisdictions. Data
such as weather, traffic, infrastructure, fuel supplies, emergency
shelters, and medical facilities can be fully integrated, analyzed,
mapped, and disseminated for <a href="http://www.esri.com/industries/public_safety/business/disaster.html" target="_blank" >emergency response</a>.
        <br>"ESRI
will work closely with users and other stakeholders to provide
initiative support," says Russ Johnson, Public Safety Industry manager,
ESRI. "The promise of Virtual USA梬here multiple jurisdictions and
disciplines interact and share real-time, actionable information梬ill
enable greater interagency collaboration. It will also deliver a new
level of comprehensive situational awareness."</p>
        <p>Headed
by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology
(S;T) Directorate, Virtual USA currently operates a pilot program
in eight states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Texas, Virginia, and Tennessee. Additional states will join the pilot
program.</p>
        <p>The state of Virginia, through its Department
of Emergency Management (VDEM), has embraced the Virtual USA initiative
and achieved real results. VDEM launched the Virginia Interoperability
Picture for Emergency Response (<a href="http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/fall09articles/viper.html" target="_blank" >VIPER</a>)
using enterprise geographic information system (GIS) software from
ESRI. In addition to providing a Web-based common operating picture and
analysis tools, VIPER integrates with numerous information systems and
links with approximately 250 data feeds. Emergency commanders; first
responders; and police, fire, and government officials can tap into a
single information resource for better decision making. VIPER recently
earned the Virginia governor's IT as Efficiency Driver award during the
Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium. The award
recognizes the innovative use of technology to promote efficiency in
government.</p>
        <p>VIPER is available not only to local,
state, and federal agencies but also to the public. Street, satellite,
and topographic maps provide a diverse set of basemap data. Feeds from
multiple sources supply information related to air incidents, traffic
accidents, civil disturbances, earthquakes, floods, terrorist threats,
hazardous material spills, hurricanes, reported public health concerns
(such as swine flu), power outages, reported suspicious activities,
wildfires, and more.</p>
        <p>"I have seen firsthand how VIPER
has and continues to revolutionize information sharing throughout
public safety and across all levels of government," says Charles L.
Werner, Charlottesville, Virginia, fire chief and Virtual USA GIS
Working Group chair. "Virtual USA has created a momentum that will
enhance this capability exponentially and change the way we see,
understand, and share data."</p>
        <p>As more states participate
in Virtual USA, the amount of data sharing, communication, and
collaboration will improve all aspects of emergency management
including mitigation, planning, response, and recovery.</p>