Technology Work Group and members of the Former GIS Work Group:

As mentioned at our last UASI Tech Workgroup meeting (and at the May RCC meeting), there is interest in restarting the GIS Work Group. The goal would be to improve inter-jurisdictional GIS coordination during large incidents to avoid duplication of effort, as well as to better socialize the products that GIS techs can produce for emergency managers using existing technology in the region. We would like to submit this for RCC’s consideration at their July meeting. For those who are unfamiliar, RCC requires that items for the Committee’s consideration be submitted as Action Items, and they ask for a Policy Statement to help inform the voting members about the reasoning for the action item.

As promised, I am sending out the draft action items and policy statement. In addition, I drafted a potential work group scope, structure, and membership. These are based on how the Technology Work group operates, and would provide temporary guidance until the work group drafted its own governance document and had it approved by RCC.

Please review the draft document (linked at the bottom of this email) and be prepared to provide feedback at our next meeting (Thursday 28 June 2018, 1300-1530, HEC 2081). I would also encourage you to invite any GIS people in your office or that your office works with, especially if you see them participating in this work group. You may also feel free to forward this document to GIS staff for them to review as well. We are not limiting this workgroup to just people who work for OEMs; GIS staff from other departments in your jurisdiction will be welcome to participate in the review process for this document and the work group itself.

If you have any questions, or wish to submit comments or edits via email instead of attending in person, please reach out to myself (ian.feldman@houstontx.gov) and Lach Mullen (lach.mullen@fortbendcountytx.gov).

Thanks!

Ian

Attachment: gis workgroup letter

PS: I also sent this to other email groups on the UASI website that were GIS-related, so if you do not normally receive Tech WG emails but received this one, that’s why.