Case Studies on Geodatabase Design
California ISO GIS and Transmission Information Display System
Challenge
The California ISO manages the transmission of electricity through the State's extensive network of high voltage lines. To manage the electrical grid in response to factors such as wild land fires and extreme weather, the ISO needed a complete and positionally accurate accurate representation of the grid from all of the State's primary electricity generators and transmitters.
Solution
Farallon developed a Unified GIS data model that merged the State's major power generators' GIS data into a single, consistent, validated, and audited database. It offers a broad array of online and offline visualization and mapping capabilities and can easily integrate future external databases. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, GIS/IT Integration, Geodatabase Design, Network GIS
Bay Area Air Quality Management District ESRI-based Enterprise GIS
Challenge
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District assesses the health risks associated with exposure to high concentrations of toxic air contaminants and comes up with a strategies to reduce risk to residents. They needed an efficient means of analyzing large volumes of data and a way to visually explain these results to policymakers and the public.
Solution
Farallon developed and implemented an enterprise-class GIS that provides BAAQMD with a central data repository to store and share data across the organization as well as perform targeted and visual analyses. Read more details...
Categories: Geodatabase Design, Planning & Training, Training & Technology Transfer
MTC SAFE’s Bay Area Freeway Service Patrol fleet management evaluation
Challenge
MTC SAFE's Freeway Service Patrol Program uses an Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) system that allows the California Highway Patrol to verify that tow service trucks are at their designated locations. The FSP needed a comprehensive diagnosis of their existing telecommunications network, especially the AVL system.
Solution
Farallon examined the current software, provided diagnosis, made recommendations for technical and logistical improvements, and to develop and implement a fleet management program, as well as integrate with external incident management systems. Read more details...
Categories: Geodatabase Design, GPS Field Data Collection, Planning & Training, GIS Needs Asssessment
Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Oracle Spatial Transportation Asset Management
Challenge
UDOT maintenance division had developed an Oracle database with tabular reports to track and analyze Utah's 5,900 miles of roads and 250,000+ transportation-related assets. UDOT wanted to integrate this with a web-based map interface to make spatial and business data more accessible and allow for field verification techniques.
Solution
Farallon worked with UDOT to create an enterprise-wide spatial database building on their existing Oracle infrastructure. This allowed UDOT to pilot a spatially enabled transportation asset management system, without having to deploy a new or separate GIS. Read more details...
Categories: Web Applications, GIS/IT Integration, Asset Management Systems, Geodatabase Design, GPS Field Data Collection, Planning & Training, Training & Technology Transfer
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