US: The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s Geographic Information Systems group is piloting a digital mapping tool that will provide fire-fighters with geospatial and location based data during crises. The public version of the Meadowlands map contains information on properties within the district, like block and lot number. The map is accessible through the commission's website.
On initial viewing, it shows the Meadowlands district and the borders of the 14 towns within it. But users can overlay information like flood-prone areas, wetlands, soil type and utilities. They can also see block and lot information.
Emergency responders can log in and get more information such as if the building has any hazardous substances. A click reveals which substances responders can expect to find in those buildings and brings up a Department of Environmental Protection fact sheet. The map also shows anything else responders would want to know about a burning building like its height, layout and whether there's a basement. It can also generate incident reports.
The commission has been providing GIS services to the towns in its jurisdiction for 12 years. It created the basic online municipal map about six years ago, adding more data sets each year.
Source: NJ.com
