Tag Archives: Templates
Public Safety Common Operational Picture Template v. 2.1 Released
The December 10, 2010 release of the Common Operational Picture Template for ArcGIS 10 addresses the following.
New Functionality
1. Added the World Topographic Basemap to the Map Switcher
2. Added several live data feeds provided by the USGS and PDC
3. Added a map legend and coordinate display to the map window
4. Added an information popup for the Incident Point, Incident Line, Incident Area, Shelters, and Resources layers
5. Added the Report by Exception tool to the ERG Widget
6. Added domains to the USNG Grid layers to aid data collection
Resolved Problems
1. Resolved an issue with the projection of the IncidentCommand and EmergencyOperations map documents
2. Resolved an issue with the IncidentCommand.mxd that precluded the proper incident type from being selected
3. Resolved several minor issues in the Getting Started document
4. Updated the MXD documentation and Data Dictionary
5. Resolved several minor issues with the COP tool labels
Known Issues
N/A
ArcGIS 10 Public Safety Templates Released
We’ve been working closely with the Public Safety Industry team this fall to migrate the ArcGIS 9.3 Emergency Management templates to ArcGIS 10 and are pleased to announce the release of the ArcGIS 10 Public Safety templates. In addition to these updates, we’ve also released several new templates that will help you leverage ArcGIS in your public safety agency.
Special Event Planning Template
The Public Safety Special Event Planning template is new at ArcGIS 10. This template is an ArcMap editing map and editor extension for managing special events data. It is an editor that can be used by mapping technicians in a public safety or emergency management agency to streamline the development of special event data and maps. The Special Events Planning template includes an Add-in called the Attribute Assistant. The Add-in is an editor extension that uses a series of pre-defined methods to automatically populate attributes for you when updating and/or adding new features to the geodatabase. For example, one method will automatically populate an Event ID on each item placed on the map. Other methods will help you maintain the integrity of your special event data by populating the last editor and last update date on each feature.
The Public Safety Special Event Planning Editing Map
The configuration of the Attribute Assistant Add-in was adapted from several editing workflows we developed with the Water Utilities Industry Team. You can learn more about the Add-in on the Water Utilities blog. In addition, check out the video we posted on the Local Government Resource Center highlighting the Special Event Planning template.
Damage Assessment Template
The Public Safety Damage Assessment template has been updated for ArcGIS 10 and now uses the out-of-the-box ArcGIS Mobile application. The template is an ArcGIS Mobile project that can be used to collect structural damage assessment during emergency response activities. It supports the collection of initial structural damage, further more detailed structural assessments, and other physical damaged observed from the field. It can be deployed in a connected or disconnected network environment, and on Tablet PCs or other mobile computing devices.
The Damage Assessment template on a mobile device
The Damage Assessment template comes with two basemaps. The first is the Mobile Day basemap, designed for work during day light hours. The second is the Mobile Night basemap, designed for work at night, or in low light conditions. In addition to the multi-scale mobile maps, the template also includes a series of operational layers with simple tools designed for field data collection on a mobile device.
Common Operational Picture Template
The Common Operational Picture (COP) template has also been updated for ArcGIS 10. The template offers a standard overview of an incident, providing incident information that enables the Incident Commander/Unified Command and any supporting agencies and organizations to make effective, consistent, and timely decisions. It is a configuration of the new ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 2.1 application that can be used by emergency management staff in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The new Common Operational Picture application uses an ArcGIS 10 feature service to create and update incident information in the Local Government geodatabase. This new functionality allows the Incident Commander to use the COP to allocate resources during an incident or event, and update the status of response activities in real-time.
The Common Operational Picture supports incident command
Finally, the COP template comes with three local government basemaps. The first is a new Public Safety basemap. This basemap provides context for public safety data (incidents, events, resources, etc.). It includes structures, roads, major facilities and landmarks, water features, parcels, addresses and boundaries. The basemap uses design elements found in the General Purpose basemap but emphasizes critical facilities found in a community. The second basemap is the Imagery Hybrid basemap. This basemap provides high-resolution imagery as an alternative to much of the content contained in the General Purpose basemap. The third basemap is the Topographic basemap. This basemap expands upon the General Purpose basemap by providing topographic contours and other physiographic features.
Citizen Service Request Template
The last template we’ve included in this initial update for public safety agencies is the Citizen Service Request template. This template can be used by customers to submit non-emergency service requests, interact with local government staff and share information with the public. It provides 24×7 access to a public safety or other government organization and typically supplements customer service phone numbers staffed by local governments.
The Service Request template facilitates non-emergency requests for service
The Citizen Service Request template leverages work we’ve done for other agencies within local government and expands the problem types to include non-emergency public safety issues. It can be deployed to support specific public safety needs or more generically to support a larger cross-section of problems reported to a local government. You can learn more about the Citizen Service Request template here.
All of the Public Safety templates leverage the work we’ve been doing on the Local Government Information Model. This information model demonstrates how ArcGIS can be configured to support public safety business needs in your organization. In doing so, it incorporates specific application requirements and the cartographic design elements necessary to produce rich, multi-scale basemaps and operational layers; like the ones you see in the Public Safety templates. You can download the Local Government Information Model from ArcGIS.com and migrate your content into this geodatabase design. When you do, you can quickly take advantage of the public safety maps and apps published on the Resource Center. You
can also begin to see how your public safety data can be integrated with, and take advantage of, other thematic layers found in a local government.
When you download the new Public Safety templates, you’ll notice we’re providing sample data from Naperville, Illinois and not Louisville, Kentucky. At ArcGIS 10, we’ve standardized on one geography (or community) for all of the Local Government templates and are providing a single sample data set. In doing so, users can see how an integrated information model can be leveraged throughout a local government, and more specifically in this case, how data collected for diverse purposes can be used by public safety officials. For example, ownership and value information maintained by the assessor can be used when conducting damage assessment inspections.
One final note, we’ve started working on a series of templates for the Fire Service community that will be released in early 2011. These templates will help you configure ArcGIS to conduct pre-fire plans, manage on-scene incident command, provide response information to elected officials and the general public, and produce good maps for firefighters in your community. You’ll hear more about these templates in future blog posts.
We’ve enjoyed working with the Public Safety Industry team on these updates and the new templates for this community. We look forward to you feedback and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the Public Safety templates for ArcGIS 10.
How the Citizen Service Request template can be configured and used in your local government
Local governments strive to respond effectively when citizens need assistance but many times struggle because citizens must know which department is responsible for fixing the problem and what contact number, or web site, to use when inquiring. Many times, the citizen becomes confused and frustrated by this experience and instead calls 911 — which is never a good thing for a public safety agency providing police and fire services.
City or county contacts typically found in a phone book
In response to these challenges, local governments across the country have implemented 311 call centers or centralized service request numbers to organize non-emergency requests for service. Typically, these centralized numbers are complimented by web applications that allow citizens to submit their requests online as well. Unfortunately, many of these systems fail to use a map in the request process and instead require the citizen to describe the location by address or some other form. This shortcoming delays the response and makes it difficult to determine which agency is responsible for responding to the request.
A city or county customer service request web application
The Citizen Service Request template helps governments overcome these shortcomings and leverage the power of location to improve their response to non-emergency service requests. It includes a simple ArcGIS Server JavaScript application, called Service Request, that allows the general public or other interested parties to communicate requests for service to their Local Government. It can be configured and deployed by water utilities, public works agencies, public safety, planning and zoning, or other local government organizations looking to deliver a web-based service request application.
In this blog post we’ll take a closer look at the template and how you can configure if for your organization. We also encourage you to watch the video found in the Local Government Video Gallery and to Try it Live before you download and configure it in your own organization.
The Citizen Service Request template
The template comes with three local government basemaps that can be authored from your authoritative local government data. Once you’ve authored these multi-scale maps, citizens can use them to provide context when submitting a new service request, contributing to an existing request, or even checking the status of their request.
- The Parcel Public Access basemap – a consumer representation of parcel information that includes structures, roads, major facilities and landmarks, water features, and boundaries.
- The Imagery Hybrid basemap - high-resolution imagery with road names, hydrography and facility site labels that provide context for the features visible on the imagery.
- The Topographic basemap – topographic contours and other physiographic features along with boundaries, water features, physiographic features, parks, landmarks, transportation, and structures.
Note: If you have already created a series of basemaps for your local government using the web mercator projection, you can certainly use your basemaps with Service Request application.
The Service Request application uses a simple ArcGIS Server feature service to collect request information. When users click on the map, or search for a specific address to locate a request for service, the ArcGIS 10 feature service will insert the request information in to two geodatabase features found in the Local Government information model. The first, is the ServiceRequest feature class which can be found in the CitizenService feature data set. This feature class stores the problem type, contact information and any comments included with the request. You’ll also notice that the Service Request application allows citizens to attach photos, videos and other related documents to their request. This information is stored as an Attachment (which is new at ArcGIS 10) that is related to the ServiceRequest feature class.
Note: The problem type drop-down list users see in the Service Request application uses a domain in the Local Government geodatabase to present this information to the user. Currently, the template has a domain of values that supports problems types typically routed to public works, water utilities, planning and building, and public safety agencies. If the problem types provided in the template are not relevant to your organization, or do not address the problems you’d like to receive from citizens, you can simply modify the domain before publishing your feature service.
Service Request problem types can be optimized for your organization
Collaboration and community dialog is also a key part of the Service Request application. Users can select an existing unassigned service request and provide additional comments or increase the perceived importance of the specific request. When they do, this information is stored in a geodatabase table (ServiceRequestComment) and related to the ServiceRequest feature. The comments and ranking can be used by local governments to prioritize their response to specific requests or organize planned work activities.
Citizens can comment on, or rank the importance of, existing service requests
So that’s a quick overview of the Citizen Service Request template and how you can configure it to meet your organizations needs. It’s a very simple application that leverages the power of location to provide 24×7 access to your organization and to supplement customer service phone numbers staffed in your local government. If your local government has deployed an automated system (CRM/ CMMS systems) to track service requests and work activities, the service requests can be routed to staff responsible for its resolution. If an automated is not present in your local government, a manual service ticket can be created and routed to appropriate staff.
In the future, we’ll be expanding the Citizen Service template to include other organizations within local government and additional ways to engage your constituency. We’re also wrapping up a template that runs on iOS devices to compliment the Service Request web application – look for that later this year.
As always, we encourage you to download the Service Request template and give it a try. When you do, let us know what you think.
Configuring the Esri Social Media / VGI Application
Last week, you may have read about lessons learned developing a web map for volunteered geographic information (VGI) and social media on the ArcGIS Server Blog. This is an application that has evolved this year and has been used to support many disasters including the Gulf Oil Spill, hurricanes, flooding in Pakistan and wildfires This work has been featured in stories by Computerworld, Emergency Management Magazine, CNN and Fox News. This web application is built with the ArcGIS API for JavaScript and combines ArcGIS Online basemaps, dynamic information from sources like the USGS and Pacific Disaster Center, Social Media and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) via an ArcGIS 10 feature service.
The source code for this application is available for download from ArcGIS.com. You can download and configure this application for use within your organization. To get started there are a couple of steps that should be fairly straight forward for most web programmers. These steps are outlined in the documentation that is included with the download. First, set your extent. Next, pick you map layers (either rendered as graphics or via dynamic map services). Then, pick your social media filters, and finally, set up and configure your feature service.
Here’s an example of the application configured to convey information to the public regarding a train derailment scenario that we’ve used in many of our demonstrations.
In this case the Social Media filters have been changed to “Louisville” to pick up Tweets, YouTube, and Flickr photos with that tag.
For more details about the application and configuring it check out the documentation that comes in the download package.
Citizen Service Request Template v. 1.1 Released
The November 1, 2010 release of the Citizen Service Request for ArcGIS 10 template addresses the following issues.
New Functionality
1. Added problem types to support non-emergency public safety service requests
2. Added problem types to support land use planning code violation service requests
3. Added ArcMap MXD and Data Dictionary documentation
4. Replaced the GeneralPurpose basemap with the ParcelPublicAccess basemap
5. Added ArcMap map service definitions and updated caching instructions
Resolved Problems
1. Resolved issue with new service request information popup when using Internet Explorer
Known Issues
N/A
New Local Government Resource Center Gallery Released
This week we launched a new Local Government Gallery that makes it easier for you to find maps and apps you can download and configure in your organization. The new gallery provides local government users a comprehesive list of maps and apps and allows you to filter content in several meaningful ways. So let’s take a look at the new Local Government Template Gallery and highlight several ways you can find content that matters to your organization.
When you first visit the gallery, you’ll see a series of filters along the left hand side of the gallery that will help you find maps and apps that interest you. The pre-defined filters allow you to sort content in the gallery by User Community, ArcGIS Platform (Desktop, Server, Mobile), ArcGIS Version (9.3.1, 10), GIS Function, Date, or by Number of Downloads.
Local Government Gallery with Content Filters Highlighted
As you select one or more filters along the left hand side, content in the gallery will update accordingly. You can clear your filters and explore the entire gallery again by clicking on the “Clear All” link. We think you’ll find the pre-defined filters to be the quickest way to find content in the gallery but lets look at a few other ways you can interact with the content.
Using the predefined filters to find content in the gallery
The new gallery also allows users to search for a map or app using a keyword. For example, if you were looking for content that would help you manage public infrastructure, you could enter “infrastructure” in the search box. You’ll then notice that as you type in the keyword, content we’ve published for water utilities, public works and other agencies that manage water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure is being highlighted.
Using a keyword to find content in the gallery
More visual users can click on a thumbnail in the gallery and step their way through each thumbnail until they find what they are looking for in the gallery. As you flip through the thumbnails, you can use your mouse to increase or reduce the size of the individual thumbnail and navigate from one thumbnail to the next. We’ve tried to include thumbnails that encapsulate the items you’ll discover when you download a map or app and will continue to improve these over time.
When you find a map or app in the gallery you’re interested in, you can click on the thumbnail to learn more about the specific item. You’ll notice the summary for each item includes a detailed description of the map or app and links to download the item. When you discover a web application in the gallery, there will also be a link to a hosted version of the application so you can try it live before downloading it from the Resource Center.
Detailed information about each map and app in the gallery
In the coming weeks and months we’ll be adding a series of maps and apps for the emergency management and fire service communities to the gallery. They will build on the work we did at 9.3 for the emergency management community and leverage the work we’ve done for other local government user communities.
So, we invite you to download the maps and apps from the gallery and deploy them in your organization. And as always, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the new gallery or one of the items you have downloaded from it.
Patrol Data Capture template available for download
The ArcGIS Defense & Intelligence team and Helyx SIS Ltd. have posted the new Patrol Data Capture template for immediate download from Arcgis.com. This desktop application template is designed to help you import and clean patrol tracks from a GPS into ArcGIS. This template assists in separating patrol tracks, removing duplicate points, and detecting and removing error spikes. It includes a sample GPX file and a toolbox with geoprocessing tools to help you work with the imported track data. The template also includes a “Getting Started with the Patrol Data Capture Template” guide to help you set up the template and a “Using the Patrol Data Capture Template” guide to walk you through exercises using the template.
New map comparison template for ArcGIS Online maps
In a previous post we described the newly added application template gallery, a feature of the ArcGIS.com viewer that’s available when you share your map. A very nice new template (authored by John Grayson of Esri’s Applications Prototype Lab) was just added that enables you to compare three ArcGIS Online maps side-by-side. This comparison template has been featured at several recent conferences and at other events, and now it’s available for anyone to implement. Let’s take a closer look.
Using the ArcGIS.com viewer, you’ll find the template when you open your map or other maps shared via ArcGIS Online. Click share:
And choose Make a Web Application:
You’ll find the comparison template along with many others you can choose from:
You can choose Preview for a quick look, but download the template to implement it from your own website. After unzipping the download, take a look at the readme.html file to learn how the template is organized and how you can customize it with your own maps. It’s very simple – just edit the layout.js file (shown below) and insert IDs for three maps of your choosing.
The map ID is unique, and is found in the URL when you open any map. For example, the URL below is the link to one of the maps currently featured at the ArcGIS.com Gallery:
http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=12dccf99d82749aeb864259ee0854c7b
The unique ID appears after webmap= . Just insert the map IDs in the layout.js file as shown below:
They can be maps that you’ve created, or any other publicly shared ArcGIS Online map. Here’s an example that compares maps showing USA diabetes, obesity, and poverty rates:
One of the features of this template is that you can synchronize all three maps together, so they zoom and pan to the same location and scale. Just check the boxes shown below:
You can also choose the map information that you would like to display for all three maps:
And use the Identify tool to display information about features at the same location in each:
Here’s another example comparing current and recent fires from GeoMAC, social vulnerability, and daytime population:
You can also modify the source JavaScript to tweak the look and feel of the template, add your own tools, and more. The possibilities are as endless as there are ArcGIS Online maps!
Update Your Esri Water Utility Resource Center Bookmarks
As many of you have noticed, with the release of ArcGIS 10
we’ve been transitioning the Water Utility Resource Center and its content to
the ArcGIS 10 Resource Center. That
transition is now complete and the “old” Water Utility Resource Center has been taken offline. So if you bookmarked
the “old” Water Utility Resource Center you should update your bookmarks to our
new URL – http://resources.arcgis.com/content/water-utilities.
Two other notable changes with the “new” Water Utility
Resource Center:
Downloadable Content on ArcGIS.com
- Our downloadable content is now housed on ArcGIS.com. We heard from many of you that the method of downloading templates on the old resource center was
very clunky. So now we are taking
advantage of ArcGIS.com to house our templates. Beyond the templates we can also post a
number of other things to ArcGIS.com such as layer packages and or the URL of services you can access. So we can deliver more types of content than just the templates through ArcGIS.com.
Videos – We also heard from many of you that the way find and access the videos from the the old Water Utility Resource Center was
clumsy. So the new Resource Center now has
a video gallery - http://resources.arcgis.com/gallery/video/water-utilities.
Infrastructure Mobile Map Template For ArcGIS 10 Release Notes
The September 30, 2010 release of the Infrastructure Mobile Map template for ArcGIS 10 addresses the following:
New Functionality
1. Added street layer to cache and ArcMap Document (mxd)
Resolved Problems
1. Resolved a bug with address geocoder
2. Resolved several bugs with workorders, only highlighted when workorder tab is open
Known Issues
There are no known issues at this time.
