99 Cents Gets You the U.S. National Grid on Your iPhone

MilGPS Version 1.1

There are more than a few of these U.S. National Grid (USNG)/Military Gird Reference System (MGRS)applications out there floating around.  Big pluses for this system:

• SIMPLE - straightforward readout of your location in grid coordinates


• Florida USNG Efforts - managed to get the developer to lean forward and anticipate a Next Generation 9-1-1 requirement.  The app allows for the, "easy transfer of coordinate to any other application to include text messaging."  Just think of the possibilities.....no requirement to tell a 911 call center an ADDRESS during the stress of an emergency - instead they could get a text message with precise USNG coordinates.........  All for a mere 99 cents!





Go here to learn more.

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The 9-1-1 Carnage Continues...

To read the article as posted at the Kennebec Journal online, click on the link below:


WATERVILLE
Posted: August 20

Updated: Today at 8:13 PM


Another 911 address mix-up makes need to change obvious
By Scott Monroe mailto:smonroe@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer


Comment: I'm not counting, but there have been at least 10 high profile incidents in the past year where application of  9-1-1 technology has failed our nation (typically, with fatal results).  Dispatchers typing in the wrong address, callers giving the wrong address, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems unable to find an address, CAD systems auto-filling the wrong address, and so on.  And the incidents have not been isolated - indeed they have been spread across the country: Atlanta, Maine, St Louis, Denver, Ohio, Florida, California, Tucson, and Pennsylvania - to name a few.  The irony of the situation is that units of government will spend MILLIONS of dollars to install the latest and greatest CAD system in hopes of shaving seconds off response times, yet the "new" system will inherently have the same basic flaw as the old system - something that can cause errors in minutes - reliance on an ADDRESS driven exchange of information.  There is a better way to communicate location for emergency response situations.  One that is free and endorsed  by FEMA, the National Search and Rescue Committee, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee - the U.S. National Grid (USNG).  Sadly, within the emergency services sector, very few have embraced the approach.  For example, a recent Needs Assessment by the National Fire Protection Association found that less than 2% of the nation's fire departments were using USNG in their operations. 


Hopefully, the light bulb will finally come on for the 9-1-1/emergency services sector before the carnage goes much further.  In that regard, Minnesota has made significant progress but still has a long way to go.


In Minnesota:
• the USNG is an approved state cartographic standard,


• USNG maps are available for the entire state,


• numerous USNG outreach materials have been developed, and


• at least one government services organization has been working to provide a variety of USNG based services.

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The 9-1-1 Carnage Continues...

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ACLU Files In 34 States Over Cell Phone Tracking - Police Targeted

Read the news release from the ACLU.

Comment: As I have been saying, you could smell this coming.  Look for impacts in the law enforcement and NG 9-1-1 communities for starters.  In addition, "to protect location privacy" the ACLU is pushing the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act that has been introduced in the Senate and House by Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Jason Chaffetz.  Hang on to your hats, where this goes from here is anyone's guess. 

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ACLU Files In 34 States Over Cell Phone Tracking - Police Targeted

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Man Questions 911 Dispatch Error

From UpNorthLive.com
by Lauren Amstutz
Posted: 06.08.2011 at 9:46 PM


"BENZIE CO. -- A Benzie County man is looking for answers tonight after an error by 911 dispatch.  His wife died of an asthma attack and he says the ambulance didn't get there fast enough. The mistake was made when the dispatcher relayed the wrong address to EMS. Now family members are left wondering if their loved one would still be alive had crews arrived sooner."   Read more.

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Man Questions 911 Dispatch Error

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Street View Cars Grabbed Locations of Phones and PCs

CNET News
July 25, 2011 12:14 AM PDT
by Declan McCullagh

According to CNET News, Google's Street View cars collected the locations of millions of laptops, cell phones, printers, and other wireless devices around the world.  Read more.

Comment: Google was already in hot water after it was discovered earlier this year that its Street View mapping effort had collected the location of unencrypted wi-fi networks during its world-wide development.  Indeed, several countries have either commenced legal action or are contemplating same, with a BBC News article about the situation: "Google Accused of Criminal Intent Over StreetView Data", being typical.  

While this latest disclosure about cell phones and wireless devices is only certain to add to the controversy, privacy concerns as described above are only one edge of the "geolocation sword".  The other edge is emergency response systems like Next Generation 911 will not work without the ability to determine the geospatial location of Voice Over IP systems (i.e. Vontage, Magic Jack) and cell phones.  

For further insights into the complexities of this issue, go here. 

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Street View Cars Grabbed Locations of Phones and PCs

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Featured Speakers for URISA/NENA Addressing Conference Announced

From the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA):


"URISA and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) are pleased to announce the feature speakers at the 2011 URISA/NENA Addressing Conference taking place next month in New Orleans (August 15-18, 2011 at the Marriott New Orleans). Michelle Thompson, PhD from the University of New Orleans will open the conference and Steven Johnson, representing OpenStreetMap US, will close the conference."


To learn more about the conference, go here.


Comment: Two members of the EPC are on the Conference Committee:


Gordon Chinander, GISP, Metropolitan Emergency Services Board, St Paul, MN, and


2010 Chair - Kathy Liljequist, GISP, GeoComm, St Cloud, MN

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National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines Released

From the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC):

National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines (PDF, 125 Kb) are now available for public comment at the 9-1-1 Resource Center. Comments received will be considered prior to the release of the final guidelines.

The National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines will serve as a comprehensive benchmark for statewide 9-1-1 systems to measure their progress as a unique and important entity, and will help to facilitate a coordinated effort to advance 9-1-1 across the country. The guidelines represent high level functions that should exist within a statewide 9-1-1 system. They are intended to be used as the basis for statewide system assessments to assist states in achieving their best level of 9-1-1 service.

Interested personnel can provide comments using the comment form found at the 9-1-1 Resource Center. The comment form should be submitted by e-mail to this specific Resource Center electronic address. The comment period will remain open until 26 September 2011. 

More information about the guidelines can be seen at 9-1-1 Magazine.com.

Comment: In a related development, in late June the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) endorsed the United States Thoroughfare, Landmark and Postal Address Data Standard.   More here. 

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Confusing Dispatches Delay Responses in Ohio

The recent integration of Dayton fire into the dispatch center boosted the fire call load by more than double from 28,000 annually to an expected 60,000




By Doug Page
The Dayton Daily News


DAYTON, Ohio — Since moving to the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center last year, Dayton police, firefighters and medics complain they are sometimes sent to the wrong address, the wrong equipment is dispatched and updates on the dispatches are confusing.

In one instance, it took police 48 minutes to get to a man assaulted with a bat. He eventually walked to the medics who were standing by, waiting for police to secure the scene. 

Read more.  Don't miss the very last two sentences.

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Confusing Dispatches Delay Responses in Ohio

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Maine Cops Probe Response Delay in Murder-suicide

From Boston.com:
Maine cops probe response delay in murder-suicide
Date: June 14, 2011

"Police in Maine say they don't know if a six-minute delay in responding to a plea for help from a threatened Winslow woman contributed to her death.  Police say the dispatcher who answered the 911 call on June 6 from 30-year-old Sarah Gordon mistook "Marie Street" for "Murray Street" and sent officers to the wrong address."  Read more.

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Maine Cops Probe Response Delay in Murder-suicide

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Klobuchar Announces Committee Passage of Bipartisan Public Safety Communications Bill

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that bipartisan legislation to strengthen the public safety network for first responders passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee today. The SPECTRUM Act would provide emergency responders with a nationwide interoperable wireless broadband network and includes a Klobuchar amendment that would commission two studies that would help implement Next Generation 9-1-1 technology.

Read more: http://klobuchar.senate.gov/newsreleases_detail.cfm?id=333126&

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Klobuchar Announces Committee Passage of Bipartisan Public Safety Communications Bill

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From Dispatch Magazine On-Line:

"Wrong Street Suffix, Woman Dies
June 3, 2011 at 8:14 pm



Quite simply, the difference between “Daniel Street” and “Daniel Avenue” in Atlanta (Geo.) may have proved fatal to a woman who was accidentally crushed in the demolition of a house. The 51 year-old homeless woman was inside a home slated for demolition when the work crew showed up and began work. When workers discovered the woman had been injured, they dialed 911 and correctly gave the street address of 68 Daniel Street. The unnamed male Atlanta 911 calltaker repeated the correct address. However, when emergency units were dispatched, they were sent to 68 Daniel Avenue, about five miles away. A second 911 caller nine minutes later said no emergency units had arrived, but both the 911 dispatcher and an EMS dispatcher assured the caller that units were enroute. Apparently neither re-confirmed the address with the caller. A few minutes later the 911 and EMS dispatchers conferred on the telephone and discovered the location mistake. An ambulance arrived 18 minutes after the first 911 call. The patient was transported but did not survive. Read more and listen to the 911 calls here."

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Wrong Street Suffix, Woman Dies

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Trainee Mistakes Address, Fire Destroys Homes

From Dispatch Magazine On-Line

"Trainee Mistakes Address, Fire Destroys Homes

May 11, 2011 at 2:19 pm





A miscommunication between a 911 caller and a York County (Penn.) dispatcher in training led to an eight-minute response delay, and resulted in three row homes being destroyed by fire. Fire officials believe the fire could have been confined to the kitchen of the original caller if her call had been promptly handled, and if the calltaker had correctly verified the woman’s address. Instead, Gloria Diaz properly gave her address as “622 Wallace Street” in York. But the unnamed dispatcher believed she said, “622 Water St.,” which is in Wrightsville. The calltaker asked Diaz if she lived in York City or York Township, and Diaz only answered only, “Yes.” After other questions, the calltaker asked Diaz if she lived in Wrightsville, and she said, “Yes.” Fire units were then dispatched to the Wrightsville location. Within two minutes neighbors pulled a fire alarm box outside the actual location of the fire, and fire units were then dispatched to the correct Wallace St. address. County officials said Diaz was using an older cellular phone, so there was no location information displayed to the calltaker. Read more about the mix-up here."

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Trainee Mistakes Address, Fire Destroys Homes

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Error Caused Delayed Response to Texas Fire

Error Caused Delayed Response to Texas Fire

Katrina Webber, KSAT 12 News Reporter - Story by KSAT.com Posted: Tue, 12/07/2010 - 05:09am
Updated: Tue, 12/07/2010 - 05:12am

SAN ANTONIO --
A fire department mix-up delayed the arrival of firefighters at an early morning house fire on San Antonio's southeast side Monday, according to a fire department spokeswoman.

Melissa Sparks said dispatchers received the first 911 call about the fire shortly before 5 a.m.

However, she said a computer system that displays the addresses where calls are originating simply showed it was in the 100 block of Day. She said it did not distinguish whether that meant Day Road or Day Street.

Read more in Firehouse.

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Error Caused Delayed Response to Texas Fire

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