Tarrant County 9-1-1 District has currently integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to the E9-1-1 system at the 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAPs).  With GIS, a visual map display associated with powerful relational database information has the capability to pinpoint the location of 9-1-1 emergency calls for the calltaker from both wireline and wireless.  As a result, the appropriate emergency personnel can respond quickly to assist and save lives in critical situations.  Additionally, the District has developed several GIS data layers available for emergency management planning.  Staffers have also assisted public safety personnel in smaller member cities by generating various types of map including "working" and wall maps, if they have no map production capabilities.

The 9-1-1 map display is dependent on the availability of high quality GIS data which includes accuracy, completeness and currentness.  The street and address spatial data are the most important data for Public Safety since other data layers are built upon the street data.  Both spatial and database accuracy of the GIS data are critical to 9-1-1 operations.  The digital orthophotography (1-foot accuracy) and Pictometry are used as a backdrop for reference, visual analysis and used for heads-up digitizing for spatial accuracy.  Also, Global Positioning System (GPS) allows us to collect new data and verify the concealed-areas in the field.   To validate database accuracy, the process involves the comparison of the GIS database, Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) database and telco's Automatic Location Information (ALI) records for the street names and addresses.  This comparison is used to synchronize these three databases so that the location of an address with a correct Emergency Service Number (ESN) can be displayed correctly for the dispatcher at the PSAPs.  The comparative process is repeated to ensure a consistently high match ratio.  The GIS database maintenance is an on-going process that must be continually updated, modified and verified. 

As a final note, the District's GIS data has also been shared with other organizations including the member cities within our District.

Staff Contact: Yui Skulpoonkitti

                       817-820-1186