Disasters Prompt City to Revamp 911 GIS

January 25, 2012 -- The City of Dunn, North Carolina has a population of just over 10,000 and is known by many more people as a convenient stop while travelling along Interstate 95. In the spring of 2011, the City and surrounding area were hit by a series of deadly tornadoes.  Immediately following the disaster, the City’s public safety staff was made acutely aware of the need for rapid response to emergencies and the importance of highly accurate GIS data. 

The City’s public safety staff has been utilizing GIS products for a number of years, but as is often the case they were experiencing limitations commonly shared by many public safety organizations. They were not truly leveraging all the technology had to offer.  Their E-911 system utilized street centerlines for call location which resulted in unfound calls or calls that were incorrectly geo-located.  Charlie Callahan, Communication Director, knew there was a better way.  “I had seen what a fully implemented GIS could accomplish and we were not there. We had recently been hit by a series of tornadoes and it became very
apparent that we needed a more sophisticated way of tracking information,” stated Callahan.

Click here to read the full case study on the City of Dunn, NC 911 GIS project.

About Geographic Technologies Group, Inc. (GTG):
GTG is a full-service local government GIS consulting company offering specialized experience in the planning, design, implementation, and procurement of geo-technologies.  GTG has unmatched technical GIS capabilities, demonstrated successes, international experience, and a reputation for successfully implementing the right solutions. GTG develops GIS products that spatially enable various enterprise solutions and integrates an organization's IT investment via a common interface. GTG also offers stand alone products for land management, public safety, public access, touch screen technology, and utilities.

GTG has more than 700 clients located throughout North America and Europe and serves all levels of government as well as the private sector. To support our clients, GTG maintains four offices located across the United States: Headquarters in North Carolina, and regional offices in Texas, Florida,and Ohio.

Additional information may be obtained by contacting Geographic Technologies Group, Inc. at 888-757-4222 or you can access our website at www.geotg.com.