The Bodega Bay Fire Protection District (BBFPD) has recently acquired (through a Grant) critical incident visualization software-specifically Geographical Information System (GIS), and a ruggedized, very fast, laptop computer to run it.
To complete the BBFPD EOC visualization capability the District needs a large, smart electronic display of the GIS visualizations to allow problem planning, problem solving and decision making. CERT is asking for funding to complete the EOC visualization picture for BBFPD and the community.
OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE: $8000
There are three related goals.
Enhance situational awareness during disasters through data analysis and visual representations of data. Situational awareness is a state of sufficient understanding of what is happening to support emergency problem solving and decision making.
Crews will exchange data and visualizations (maps with data) with other agencies in the County and State so that we have a Common Operating Picture at all levels. The first responders will be able to collaborate and arrive at more informed decisions and actions for the greater good at all levels.
Provide a vehicle for using this display of visualizations and data to increase our management of operations, planning and logistics. That is, to enhance collaborative efforts for planning, operations and other functions of emergency management through an interactive display of the GIS maps and data.
WILDFIRE DATA & MAPPING
For wildfires we must be prepared for fires spreading from the east as well as starting closer to home. With high winds fire embers can quickly travel a mile or more. In addition, the power distribution system can be impacted by the winds and cause fires. We can expect power shutdowns as preemptive fire start actions. These may last for 4/5 days or more. Some of the expected mapping and data will include:
Overlays of vegetation data with topography and road data to show where fuel is present and identify areas that may be hard to reach.
Suspected fire starts related to PG&E power structures
Fire prevention activities in progress or needed such as
Historical data on fires, lightning strikes, arson activity, and other related events to gauge the likelihood of future fires.
Resources that are required to manage and recover from a fire such as water sources or transportation networks or resources that represent an unacceptable loss such as a hospital must be located.
Data mapping representing hazard, risk, and value factors for the district and adjacent districts
GIS will give us powerful modeling capabilities to let planners model what-if scenarios to test the soundness of strategies and train on those scenarios.
EARTHQUAKE DATA & MAPPING
In the case of a major earthquake, perhaps with Tsunami, we expect to be isolated from the rest of the world for several days and perhaps longer.
We will be on our own.
We will be without power, Internet, cell and land line phone service.
There are only a few roads in and out and they will very likely be closed. We expect to be isolated, perhaps without outside help for an extended period (days or weeks). At the same time we will need to be in touch with our parent firefighting organization, the Sonoma County Office of Emergency Services, and Cal Office of Emergency Services. Some of our expected mapping and data for earthquake related events include:
Maps of expected and actual shaking intensity, liquefaction, landslides, road closures, bridge damage, building structural damage reports.
Overlays of CERT emergency and priority reports requesting help related to life and property.
Overlays of fires, structural damage and other critical incident information reported by our CERT Hams and other local first responders
Overlays of emergency and priority calls for help from our CERT Hams and other members of the community
Overlays from Drone recordings of the above aspects of earthquake hazards for further analysis of situation and updating of current status.
COLLABORATIVE & COMMUNICATIVE VISUAL DISPLAY
Our goal is to use the data, and GIS visualizations of that data, as a means of supporting both collaborative problem solving of emergency situations and then the command of units to execute the resulting plans.
We operate on the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA model and procedures for the national management System. That is, we designate an incident Manager, and the functional units of operations, planning, and logistics in our emergency center. For each of the functions will need to see and either discuss the visual data, as in the case of planning function) or present the displays to assign and execute operations.
We NEED a display specifically designed for collaboration & dynamic presentation.
It has the capability to display the GIS software maps and data that we will collect and control the GIS software through the large display. It can give us a toolbox of displays that we can show, and use analytically, both to entire crews and other agency first responders. It can allow markup on the display, and either save the markups or clear them to start anew. Our first responders can save the maps and data on their cell phones and take them to the field.
Large Smart Electronic Display Functional & Performance Specifications Collaborative Activity Support.
A fairly powerful laptop runs the ArcGIS software but is not adequate for display and manipulation of imagery in group of responders. To do that we want a touch sensitive screen that allows zoom. Scroll, pan, enlarge, and other hand gestures and can act as a mouse function without the user going back to the laptop.
These smart display systems have pen capability (with different colors) so that the user can highlight or direct attention in some way to the maps and data on the maps and can erase what may be written as and when desired.
These systems are capable of integration with a digital camera allowing screenshots to document screen activities (sending the files to the computer). Documentation is a requirement, even in disaster conditions, for the fire, rescue and medical activities even in a “normal” operation no less a disaster.
The display should support an IC, operations or planning chief:
Situational analysis
Planning of incident responses
Briefings of all sorts in a Collaborative firefighting/ rescue environment and promoting a common operating picture.
The leader should be able to display relevant information, specifically GIS visualizations and data, and both control what is shown and use hand and marker gestures to perform functions such as highlighting, calling for more detailed information and notating. Changes to the display should be able to be made by hand erasing and acting as a fully operational touch panel to the computer. The following specifications are required. An incident commander (or ops or planning or logistics section leader) is going to be using the large display to manipulate the maps and data on the maps in front of a group.
1.0
1.1 Have a touch panel responding to hand and marker (pen) gestures for navigation of display through clicks, double clicks, and drags
1.2 Have a touch panel responding to hand and marker drawing and marking on screen
1.3 Be able to write over computer applications displayed.
1.3.1 Preferably with at l4ast two stylus/pens and programmable colors.
1.4 Allow at least two users interacting with the display, via hand or marker, simultaneously
1.5 Allow at least 8 concurrent touch points.
1.6 Be able to write over both still and moving images.
1.7 Be able to activate a keyboard for control and display.
1.8 A front control panel shall allow controls for common functions such as volume, on screen menu display control, and input selection.
2.0 Computer Functions. The display should support common computer functions including:
2.1 Saving any display in a file for retrieval by computer and display later.
2.2 Save audio and data for playback.
2.3 Allow HDMI, USB and other standard display inputs.
2.4 Provide HDMI, USB output.
2.5 Have VESA mounting features.
2.6 It should have Integrated computer functions supporting Windows 10.
3.0 Display Characteristics. The display should have state-of-the-art display characteristics
3.1 The display should have ambient control characteristics to reduce glare and reflection.
3.2 The display should provide 4K display technology.
3.2 Display visual range should be between 72” to 77” diagonal.*
3.3 Display shall be rated for at least 50,000 operation hours.
TOTAL FUNDS NEEDED: $8000
Large Smart Electronic Display
Display as specified in attached--$6,800+Tax and shipping (Est. $1,000)
Stand -- $500+Tax and shipping (est $100)
Total--$$7,300 + Tax and shipping (including tax)
*Note: A few people have asked why a smaller screen (such as a 55”) would not suffice. It is much cheaper. The answer is in the viewing distance anticipated. The Burke room is designed as a medium size meeting room (about 30’ X 50+’) and we expect it possible to have multiple agencies (SO Sheriffs, CHP, Fish and Game Wardens, State Rangers, Local Rangers, Coast Guard, etc.) involved in a destructive earthquake. The Society of Motion Picture and TV Engineers recommendation for screen sizes considers viewing angle with distance and type of image on screen (mixed versus cinema for example).
At a viewing angle of max 30 degrees from direct sight viewing with a mix of images the recommendations are 7.7 ‘ for 55” and 10.5’ for 75”. The mapping data will be relatively small visual items and the visual relationships possibly complex. While an even larger display would be better it probably is not practical. We opt for the largest practical display available to do the job.
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