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Toward a complete SAR base map
Mapping in search and rescue is both a key part of a successful mission and a mess. Truly, it’s an absolute mess. Ideally, everyone would be looking at the same map. The map would be complete — all area trails, roads, former roads, points of interest, etc. Whatever device is used by ground teams to…
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Assessing hydrant coverage within a fire district
For the final project for a class, I took a look at how to delineate the area of a fire district that can reasonably be serviced by existing fire hydrants. The topic came up because firefighters are interested in seeing how far they can stretch an engine’s large-diameter hose from the nearest hydrant. They could…
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Draft fire template with FAA elevation
I spent some time during a fire toward the end of the Pacific Northwest season working on a draft template to replace the standard one used for printed map products on wildland fires. There is certainly precedent for spending more time making the template than on making a good map — just add lots of…
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Spread thin, will GIS specialization diminish?
GIS professionals may have both deserved and unreasonable protective attitudes regarding their earned training, skills and status as the keepers of geographical data, its analysis and its cartographic output. How would the industry get beyond these barriers?
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Noise Pollution in Bishop City Park
While this small, little used neighborhood park provides some visual respite from the surrounding streets, its benefit on the ears is limited.
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Increasing ethics awareness in GIS
As a technical field wherein one can obtain skill, training and qualification through various routes other than a undergraduate or graduate degree, there is a high potential for GIS professionals to enter the industry never having considered or even learned to recognize the ethical and privacy challenges they will face.