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Subject: Re: USNG-NAD83 - Implementing a Common Operational Picture forEM/ES Through Location Interoperability


Title: Re: USNG-NAD83 - Implementing a Common Operational Pictur
Well, it certainly looks as if we may have a lively discussion tomorrow in the GIS Subcommittee meeting, where I suggest we take this up.

Ciao,
Rex

At 2:52 PM -0700 3/15/04, Carl Reed wrote:
Well, my first response is USNG is too US centric :-) Would be nice if CAP was easily and effectively used by the international community. For example, I have passed CAP references to folks in Europe and Australia.
 
My second response has broader implications - and may be a strong contender for a change proposal for CAP once CAP becomes an OASIS standard. This has to do with a much more generic way of dealing with both units of measurement as well as coordinate reference systems.
 
Below are some thoughts I jotted down last Fall after doing a review of CAP 0.9.
 
Cheers

Carl
 
Units of Measurement
 
The OGC has a document (based on ISO) that provides an XML schema for expressing UoM in a consistent and easily interpretable (processing) manner. One could still have a default value. The CAP group might consider using this OGC recommendation.
The CRS
The OGC has an abstract model as well as an implementation specification (both grounded on corresponding ISO standards) that provides an XML schema for expressing CRS in a consistent and easily interpretable (processing) manner. One could still have a default value, such as WGS 84, for backwards compatibility. The CAP group might consider using this OGC recommendation. We use EPSG as a normative reference.
 
Also, more reference information on EPSG might be helpful:
 
1.      About
The European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) was formed in 1986. It comprises specialist surveyors, geodesists and cartographers from European Oil Companies. Meetings are held twice yearly to discuss survey and positioning topics within those areas of oil industry business where cooperation is generally agreed to be mutually beneficial.
2.      EPSG GEODESY PARAMETERS V 6.3 ( www.epsg.org )
In February 2002, the European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) completed and released the ISO-compliant Version 6.1 data model and data set. The move to the new model was made to encourage standardisation both across the Exploration and Production segment of the oil industry and in the geodetic community at large. Since that release, much new data has come available.
This new Version 6.3 is the current EPSG release, distributed in an MS Access 97 database. It incorporates data received and verified since the release of Version 6.1. There are no changes in the data model from Version 6.1.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Eliot Christian" <echristi@usgs.gov>
To: "Rex Brooks" <rexb@starbourne.com>; "Art Botterel" <acb@incident.com>
Cc: "Carl Reed" <creed@opengis.org>; "Richard Hogan" <rlhogan@usgs.gov>; "Doug Nebert" <ddnebert@usgs.gov>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 2:02 PM
Subject: Re: USNG-NAD83 - Implementing a Common Operational Picture for EM/ES Through Location Interoperability

> Rex, Art
>
> Mark Whitney is fine with WGS-84 as the datum. His issue is
> that we should have specified the reference system not as
> decimal lat/long but as USNG (U.S. National Grid), which
> uses a UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) reference system.
>
> Carl, Richard, Doug
>
> Any opinions on whether the Common Alerting Protocol
> ought to have adopted a UTM system rather than lat/long?
>
> Eliot
>
> At 09:30 AM 3/8/2004 -0800, Rex Brooks wrote:
> >Eliot,
> >
> >Could you give us some guidance on this?
> >
> >Mark,
> >
> >I have forwarded this to Eliot, who is an OASIS EM TC member, as well as
> >an EM-GIS Subcommittee member, too. Because CAP is now in the process of
> >being voted upon, as is, we cannot make changes at this point without
> >withdrawing it from the process, but we can amend it if the TC so decides,
> >afterward, regardless of the outcome of the vote.
> >
> >Art,
> >
> >More work to study.
> >
> >Regards,
> >Rex Brooks
> >
> >
> >At 10:08 AM -0500 3/8/04, Whitney, Mark wrote:
> >>Gentlemen,
> >>I'm taking a break and sending you this email as a "private person." My
> >>views and/or opinions do not necessarily represent those of my parent agency
> >>though they too are referenced at the bottom of this message.
> >>This morning I've learned of your OASIS organization and wanted to pass
> >>along information re. subject standard so that if your EM Notification
> >>Methods and Messages Subcommittee has not finalized it's "rigorous technical
> >>and operational review and refinement of the design" for the CAP message
> >>standard and/or other OASIS standards referencing "location," you can
> >>consider the needs of the entire EM/ES enterprise/lifecycle learned on the
> >>"front lines" in disasters such as Hurricane Andrew and others more recent.
> >>Even if your review of CAP has been completed, I would recommend taking
> >>another look and replacing any current reference to lat/long (version?
> >>datum?) in the CAP with "United States National Grid - North American Datum
> >>1983 (USNG-NAD83)". Of course, this reference system has world-wide
> >>applications as Military Grid Reference System - World Geodetic System 1984
> >>(MGRS-WGS84) which could also be called the Universal Grid Reference System
> >>(UGRS-WGS84). This would, as you might imagine, provide for a much smoother
> >>integration of world disaster response resources, already with maps that
> >>agree with their GPS, trained and practiced plans and commo protocols, into
> >>areas impacted by the more catastrophic flavors of disasters,
> >>India/Turkey/Iran/Taiwan EQs, New Orleans category 5 = 40,000-100,000
> >>fatalities and one huge multi-military Division SAR/relief op... especially
> >>when those relief resources are from any of the military services in NATO
> >>(very often the case) where MGRS was adopted following the lessons learned
> >>by our "greatest generation" WWII. PS> From what I'm seeing in Afganastan,
> >>Iraq..., that same greatest generation name most certainly applies to our
> >>military forces of today who are surrounded with geospatial technologies,
> >>all using the same reference system/datum, so that they can see and
> >>communicate "blue on blue...." paper/digital/voice, a Common Operational
> >>Picture lesson/solution learned from DOD of which we should quickly partake.
> >>Former FEMA Director James Lee Witt in his Feb. 2002 USNG White Paper termed
> >>the Dec. 2001 FGDC Standard as a "must have" in addition to re-stateing the
> >>official FEMA position on the standard submitted to the FGDC almost three
> >>years ago
> >>(
http://www.comcare.org/research/topics/JamesLeeWittArticleUSNG.html).
> >>I have also included a recent memo from USGS's Barbara J. Ryan, Associate
> >>Director for Geography, for your information and a link to a quote in the
> >>Nov, 2003 FEMA-USFA Newsletter with a very explicit statement ("required
> >>nationwide":
> >>http://www.usfa.fema.gov/inside-usfa/newsletter/2003/news110103.shtm#g) re.
> >>USNG included in it's release to the public of the availability to a new GIS
> >>Intro/Tutorial already sent out to thousands of fire departments. Also, here
> >>is a URL to a nice defenition on
www.HazardMaps.gov which has incorporated
> >>some initial support for USNG:
http://www.hazardmaps.gov/guide/usng.
> >>Also be aware that the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) will
> >>be adding USNG as the "Geoaddress" in the basic reporting module and replace
> >>lat/long in the wildland module in Jan. '05. We have also incorporated USNG
> >>information and training materials in some of our key courses here at the
> >>National Emergency Training Center (NETC), EMI and the Fire Academy:
> >>Intergrated Emergency Management Course, Community Master Planning, NFIRS
> >>Program Management....
> >>Here's to hoping we can have all oars pulling the same direction someday.
> >>There are still many pieces to come together but the overall direction is
> >>clear and getting OASIS/CAP to consider USNG would add much in taking "one
> >>of the three most important immediate steps that the Government could take
> >>to improve homeland security." (John Marburger, President Bush's Science
> >>Advisor and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.)
> >>
> >>Thanks very much for any assistance,
> >>
> >>  <<Interoperability Advisory  USNG-NAD83.doc>>
> >> <<NCRImplementation_V5a.doc>>  <<USGSmemo.national.grid030923.pdf>>
> >> <<USNG_HowtoRead_Vprri1.PDF>>
> >>
> >>Mark A. Whitney
> >>Fire Programs Specialist
> >>National Fire Data Center
> >>United States Fire Administration
> >>Federal Emergency Management Agency
> >>Department of Homeland Security
> >>16825 S. Seton Ave.
> >>Emmitsburg, MD 21727
> >>(301) 447-1836
> >>USNG: 18SUJ00539638
> >>
> >>"...the FEMA program offices anticipate that the use of this system (USNG)
> >>for identifying locations among emergency management personnel and agencies
> >>will help save lives, reduce the costs of disaster, and enhance
> >>preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. Particularly
> >>valuable is its compatibility with the system used by the National Guard and
> >>others, the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS)...."
> >>FEMA letter to Federal Geographic Data Committee 06/2001
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>Attachment converted: Enterprise:???#2BDD40.doc (WDBN/MSWD) (002BDD40)
> >>Attachment converted: Enterprise:NCRImplementation_V5a.doc (WDBN/MSWD)
> >>(002BDD41)
> >>Attachment converted: Enterprise:???#2BDD42.pdf (PDF /CARO) (002BDD42)
> >>Attachment converted: Enterprise:USNG_HowtoRead_Vprri1.PDF (PDF /CARO)
> >>(002BDD43)
> >
> >
> >--
> >Rex Brooks
> >GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison, Berkeley, CA, 94702 USA, Earth
> >W3Address:
http://www.starbourne.com
> >Email: rexb@starbourne.com
> >Tel: 510-849-2309
> >Fax: By Request
>


-- 
Rex Brooks
GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison, Berkeley, CA, 94702 USA, Earth
W3Address: http://www.starbourne.com
Email: rexb@starbourne.com
Tel: 510-849-2309
Fax: By Request


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