> you are kidding, right? if there was ever a need for open geospatial > data, this is most definitely not it. much as it would be nice to > have, there's nothing you can 'do' with it to change the state of > affairs. contrast this with access to transit, crime, base map, > environment, etc........
Why wouldn't the residents and businesses along the Gulf Coast value the location data of incoming and recent oil landfall as much as residents of a city value "transit, crime, *environment*, etc." data? What can an urban community group "do" with crime or transit or environmental data that a coastal community group can't "do" with this environmental data? --jim -- Jim Craner, Project Manager MapTogether - http://maptogether.org email: [email protected] skype: jimcraner phone: 773-980-MAPS (-6277) > > > > == > > Ian White :: Urban Mapping Inc > > 690 Fifth Street Suite 200 :: San Francisco CA 94107 > > T.415.946.8170 :: F.866.385.8266 :: urbanmapping.com/blog > > On 15 Jun 2010, at 11:15, gis pundit wrote: > > > > > This is very disturbing. If ever there was a need for open > > geospatial data, this is it. > > > > I wonder what possessed the Federal & State Agencies to agree to > > upload their only copies of the location data their responders are > > collecting in the field to a BP-controlled GIS server? > > > > If it wasn't so illegal, I'd say that BP corporate firewall was just > > begging for a few good hackers to "fix" this problem :) > > > > > > > > >-------- Original Message -------- > > >Subject: FW: Letter on BP Oil Spill GIS Appears, Disappears > > >Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:17:14 -0400 > > >TO: NWCG GIS Task Group > > > > > >FYI > > > > > >http://www.scientificblogging.com/chatter_box/bp_gis_and_mysterious_vanishing_open_letter > > > > > >http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/54563 > > > > > >Introduction: > > > > > >Andrew Stephens and Devon Humphrey, both Geographic Information > > Systems > > >(GIS) professionals with 40 years combined GIS experience, were the > > >primary architects of the GIS Unit and lab at Incident Command Post > > >(ICP) Houma. Mr. Stephens has 20 years GIS experience, teaching GIS > > to > > >organizations worldwide, and is an expert in GIS deployment, > > start-up, > > >training and workflow design. Mr. Humphrey has 20 years background > > in > > >Oil Spill GIS with Texas General Land Office, where he was on the > > >development team of an award-winning oil spill GIS. He has also > > been an > > >instructor since 1994 at the National Spill Control School at Texas > > A&M > > >University, Corpus Christi. The ‘Spill School’ is named in the Oil > > >Pollution Act of 1990. > > > > > >**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** > > >Deepwater Horizon GIS Data Concerns > > >From: Andrew Stephens and Devon Humphrey > > >Date: June 9, 2010 > > >Subject: BP control of GIS data > > > > > >To Whom It May Concern: > > > > > >Executive Summary > > > > > >This letter is being submitted to make it known that several key > > factors > > >of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident > > Command > > >Structure (ICS) are not being met in the Unified Command process of > > the > > >BP Deepwater Horizon Incident. Specifically regarding the treatment > > of > > >Geographic Information System (GIS) data, current configuration and > > >process limit, or exclude completely, the flow of information about > > the > > >extent and status of the disaster to government entities, emergency > > >responders, and the public. > > > > > >GIS is essential to the oil spill response effort and to the > > recovery of > > >public resources. Almost every map and geographic display > > representing > > >the Deepwater Horizon Incident is sourced by GIS data. Current GIS > > >management processes indicate that BP is treating GIS data as > > >proprietary information, and these data are currently being stored > > >behind the BP corporate firewall. It is our understanding that > > public > > >agencies, for example, The US Fish and Wildlife Service and The > > >Louisiana National Guard, are literally submitting the only copy of > > >agency field data, via wireless-enabled mobile GPS devices, > > directly to > > >a BP GIS server behind the corporate firewall in Houston. Examples > > of > > >these data are; dead bird and fish locations with photos, boom > > >placement, engineered construction barriers, including dates, and > > other > > >descriptive information and photos. > > > > > >State Emergency Operation Center (EOC) staff, Parish EOC staff, and > > >other Emergency Responders and Recovery Specialists do not have > > access > > >to these GIS datasets, contrary to all NIMS guidance, protocols and > > >principles. > > > > > >Per NIMS, redundancy of incident information is to be managed > > jointly, > > >and fully accessible by the Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC), > > the > > >State On Scene Coordinator (SOSC), and the Responsible Party. > > Technology > > >allows implementation of this design to occur instantaneously and > > >automatically (see attached diagram). The intent of this letter is > > to > > >inform The President, the National Incident Commander, the FOSC, > > the > > >SOSC, and the public, of the need to establish and enforce NIMS > > >compliant access policies over all Deepwater Horizon oil spill GIS > > data. > > > > > >The Geospatial Intelligence Officer (GIO) and the GIS Unit Leader, > > who > > >proposed NIMS-compliant GIS architecture to Unified Command, and > > >supported access to these GIS data, have been removed from the > > Houma ICP > > >by BP IT department managers. > > > > > <ATT00001..txt> > > _______________________________________________ > Geowanking mailing list > [email protected] > http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org _______________________________________________ Geowanking mailing list [email protected] http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org
