Case Studies on Geodatabase Design
King County, WA: Homeland Security Public Safety Portal Development
Challenge
King County, Washington needed to improve coordination of local emergency responders in the event of natural or man-made disasters using a Public Safety Portal. A critical requirement was for the portal to integrate large volumes of both spatial and non-spatial data.
Solution
As part of the team, Farallon designed and implemented a data model using Oracle Spatial to allow for quick cross-referencing between non-spatial data such as contingency plans with geographic location. This combined information could then be rapidly visualized in online or printed maps for pre-incident planning. .NET web services made it easy for County programmers to incorporate revisions. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, Geodatabase Design
Oakland uses orthophotography & enterprise GIS for parcel management and economic analysis
Challenge
The City of Oakland wanted to improve the usefulness and accuracy of its existing parcel data and integrate it with an enterprise geodatabase to expand city services across multiple departments.
Solution
Farallon and its team built an enterprise-scale parcel database using spatially accurate orthophotographs and integrated it with a new master address database, which was created in just six months. That high level of integration meant that any City information with a spatial or property component could be spatially enhanced, including property review, permit tracking, land-use planning and notification, and E-911 dispatch. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, Notification, Property Review, GIS/IT Integration, Master Address Database, Geodatabase Design
San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District Brings Enterprise GIS to the Fire Truck
Challenge
The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District provides fire and ambulance service to a rapidly growing population from two cities. New land development meant that the District's GIS maps, CAD system, and records management system had to be integrated to allow fire fighters to quickly find homes in new subdivisions and confirm that nearby fire hydrants were connected to functional pressure zones.
Solution
Farallon helped the district implement a web-based system that links GIS with CAD and records management databases, providing dispatchers and fire fighters with a consolidated and near real-time view of dispatch, hydrant, and logistics (best access to remote rescue areas). The geodata can be forwarded directly to the responding units via the onboard mobile data computers in the vehicles. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, GIS/IT Integration, Asset Management Systems, Geodatabase Design, GPS Field Data Collection
Davis County, Utah Enterprise Parcel Database and Web Application Development
Challenge
Davis County wanted to transform their existing GIS system by developing an enterprise geodatabase and website capable of delivering dynamic spatial information for property review.
Solution
Farallon designed a Land Information System (LIS) database and web portal that supports the county's property management workflows and converts the county's legacy file-based data to a SQL Server geodatabase. The web-based property review application consolidates property ownership, taxation, and jurisdiction information from several county databases. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, Property Review, GIS/IT Integration, Geodatabase Design
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Oracle Spatial Technical Support
Challenge
PG&E needed to develop robust GIS applications and tools for identifying and analyzing its power pole transmission line data. They also wanted training for their internal staff in how to develop custom GIS applications while still maintaining data validation and business rules.
Solution
Farallon worked with the PG&E team using Oracle Spatial 9i with PL/SQL database programming to develop several custom applications, including a Java JSP-based map viewer for analyzing transmission line data. Technology transfer and training was an integral aspect of the project. Read more details...
Categories: Geodatabase Design, Network GIS, Planning & Training, GIS Needs Asssessment, Training & Technology Transfer
Parsons-UXB Joint Venture on Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Demilitarization GIS
Challenge
Farallon worked with Parsons-UXB to develop an online mapping system that managed the cleanup of unexploded ordnance (UXO) on the small Hawaiian island of Kaho'olawe.
Solution
Using a web interface, users who click on a grid square get a summary of information at a glance, while those who click on a piece of UXO get information and photographs about that item including GPS coordinates and images depicting everything from vegetation to the destruction date, as well as proximity to historically signficant Hawaiian sites and artifacts. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, Geodatabase Design, Planning & Training, GIS Needs Asssessment
Fairfield Suisun Sewer District Water Utility Enterprise GIS and RDBMS
Challenge
Fairfield Suisun Sewer District (FSSD) needed to expand their existing GIS for utility pipeline management, to integrate with and be of use to other departments.
Solution
Farallon developed a business case for a complete enterprise GIS, including the development of technology, geodata, workflows, a web portal, and staffing plans. Implementation included a water utility data model, a populated geodatabase (using ArcSDE and ArcGIS), and specific GIS workflows designed to ensure that FSSD's network administrators and GIS staff were comfortable managing the enterprise GIS. A geospatial web portal integrated other District business units, consolidating specific GIS applications (such as property review and notification), metadata, workflows, and standards into a single, web-based environment, available to all staff. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, Notification, Property Review, Geodatabase Design, Utility System Data Modeling, Planning & Training, GIS Needs Asssessment
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for Emergency Response
Challenge
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) is the first responder for incidents within California's wild lands, as well as for many rural counties and cities within California. Yet CDF did not have a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system.
Solution
Farallon implemented a statewide GIS data model for CDF to manage streets, response zones, and other important emergency response information. Farallon worked with CDF and their CAD vendor to create the accurate and valid GIS data necessary to power the e911 CAD system. Read more details...
Categories: Geodatabase Design, Transportation & Linear Networks, Planning & Training, GIS Needs Asssessment
City of Fairfield Enterprise Geodatabase and Master Address Development
Challenge
The City of Fairfield (Fairfield) faced several challenges in building a functional Enterprise GIS. Fairfield had fragmented, disparate technologies and limited communication with potential external GIS partners. Fairfield needed an enterprise-wide strategic GIS designed to meet the needs of all its stakeholders.
Solution
Farallon recommended that Fairfield develop an enterprise geodatabase using ESRI's ArcSDE software and Microsoft's SQL Server database. From this, Farallon built a variety of GIS applications that support business functions of the city and it various departments, including a geospatial portal that allows all city staff to quickly create notification lists and summary reports for any property within the city. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, Notification, Property Review, GIS/IT Integration, Master Address Database, Geodatabase Design, Planning & Training, GIS Needs Asssessment
Caltrans - Linear Referencing System (LRS) Data Model
Challenge
The California Department of Transportation, (Caltrans) is a large agency that supports numerous departments, business processes, projects and personnel. A subset of Caltrans tasked with the maintenance and analysis of road data, was working to develop map-based asset management and analysis. It needed a way to leverage existing transportation asset data and create a system with the flexibility to withstand future changes in technology and data collection.
Solution
Farallon developed a new data model based on Caltrans' existing linear referencing system (LRS). The new model allows for a multitude of highway system data (road conditions, terrain specifics, surrounding properties) that were measured in disparate methods to be used geospatially for location referencing needs. Read more details...
Categories: GIS/IT Integration, Asset Management Systems, Geodatabase Design, Transportation & Linear Networks