BIRD’S EYE VIEW – Responders in a nine-county region will soon have access to a GIS program that allows them to have aerial imagery of a region to assist in emergencies. The Weakley County 911 office will serve as the host site for the District 9 regi | | | BIRD’S EYE VIEW – Responders in a nine-county region will soon have access to a GIS program that allows them to have aerial imagery of a region to assist in emergencies. The Weakley County 911 office will serve as the host site for the District 9 region. In February, the Weakley County 9-1-1 Board of Directors entered into an agreement with Pictometry International to become a host for Pictometry Online (POL), a web-enabled GIS solution that provides 9-1-1 Centers and responders with ortho and oblique imagery of the region. As an added bonus, Weakley County has agreed to host the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Imagery data for TN District 9 Homeland Security, and provide this service to every responder within the area. District 9 encompasses the counties of Benton, Carroll, Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Henry, Lake, Obion and Weakley. Jamison Peevyhouse, Director of Weakley County 9-1-1, said, “This opportunity provides Weakley County with an invaluable resource to assist our callers and responders in the years to come. It is no longer just a map, but a visualized repository of information. “ In 2006, District 9 Homeland Security received a federal grant for the Pictometry International to provide aerial imagery of all nine counties. “Disasters are rarely contained to one county,” Peevyhouse continued. “With POL, responders will be able to access live call data and mapping information from their smart phones. They will be able to see which roadways are blocked, overlay floor plans and pull up any Hazardous Materials Data Sheets associated with the structure.” Pictometry Online assists multi-county response. Following a report of a missing person near the Paris Landing area, Henry County Emergency Management Director Ron Watkins used POL to define search areas on land and in the water. “Having access to aerial photography on the scene is a great resource for our responders. We were able to quickly define search areas, a task that is compounded out on the lake. Search teams from multiple counties were able to get a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the scene, referred to as a Common Operational Picture.” John Bucy, Chairman of the Weakley County 9-1-1 Board of Directors added, “Today, more than ever, response agencies must work together. With POL, we are able to provide a higher level of service to each emergency… not just locally, but for the quarter of a million people residing in Northwest Tennessee. When life is at its worst, we must be at our best. Pictometry Online is helping us meet that goal.” The system launch date has been set for March 15. For more information visit www.pictometry.com. wcp 3/1/11 | 
