In 2001, the Village of Norridge switched from manual water meter readers to an automatic meter reading system that sends usage information through a secure, long range wireless network. Each meter has a module called a Meter Transmission Unit (MTU) that reads each water meter and forwards the meter usage data to the Data Collector Units (DCU). The DCUs receive, process, and store all the information from the MTUs, then forward the information to a Network Control Computer at Village Hall. This allows the Village staff to run reports and create water bills using the information gathered. Eventually, the MTUs have to be replaced and one of the indicators is if the unit had not read for prolonged period of time. The Village of Norridge wanted a way to map out which MTU units had not read for a period longer than five days, so that they could start to keep an eye on them to see if they would eventually re-sync, or would have to be replaced.
A link was created between the water meter database and the database used for the Village’s in-house mapping software, MapOffice™ Advanced. This link allows the mapping software to display data from the water meter system in real time, removing the need to clean up and post the data each time there is an update. Because the data is shown in real time, the water department can use MapOffice™ Advanced to see what meters have not read in the past five days, which allows them to make decisions on replacing the meters. By seeing the locations on the map, the can see if there are any patterns to the outages. By using GIS, the water department is able to monitor MTU readings to make sure they are all working correctly.
Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators (JULIE) is a not-for-profit corporation that provides homeowners and professional excavators with one place to call for safe digging. JULIE serves as a message handling notification service for underground facility owners, taking information about planned excavations and distributing this information to its membership. It is then the responsibility of each facility owner to mark the location of their underground facilities at the excavation site. In Norridge, this means that every time JULIE receives a call, the Public Works department has to go out and do all the locating. JULIE bases the calls (and the facility owner) off of a series of boundaries that are based off of Township Quarter sections. If an underground facility is just barely within a quarter section boundary, the facility owner receives a phone call every time utilities need to be located within that quarter section, even if the location is not near the owned facilities. JULIE allows communities and other facility owners to submit their own boundaries to reduce the amount of calls each facility owner receives.
To create a new JULIE boundary, the GIS department took all the village utility data and created a 300 FT buffer around the utility dataset and the village boundary. This made sure that all the utility information within the village boundaries was included, and allowed for any unaccounted utility information just outside the village limits. The new boundary was then approved by both the Engineering and Public Works Departments, and then uploaded onto the JULIE website. It was then approved by JULIE and implemented into their call system. Now, whenever the Public Works department gets a call to locate utilities, they know that the location will be within or very close to their jurisdiction.
In April 2012, the Village of Norridge decided, in honor of Earth Day, to hold a village wide clean up of all village parkways. The idea was for residents to volunteer their time and pick up trash and garbage along roads in the village and then drop it off at designated locations. The Public Works department would then pick up all the trash left at each drop off. The Village asked the GIS department to put together a series of maps to inform the residents where they could drop off any trash they collected.
All of the volunteers were given a map book to be referenced in the clean up process. The map book consisted of the village streets broken down into specific zones, allowing the volunteers to work in sections rather than just wandering each street at their leisure. This would ensure that all sections of the village were cleaned. Then each previously designated drop off point was added to the maps so that the volunteers could see where they had to drop off the trash collected in their specific zone. By using GIS, the Village was able to provide better information for their volunteers.
The Village of Norridge has a reverse 911 system called Blackboard Connect. The system sends out messages to residents registered in the system about events happening in the village. Registration is optional and the village is trying to persuade residents to complete applications to join the service. To find out which residents are not registered, the Village is using its in-house GIS mapping program, MapOffice™ Advanced to find the addresses of people who do not receive a phone call.
When the Village of Norridge sends out a call, the village receives a report of the addresses that received the call. By using MapOffice™ Advanced, village staff is able to map out those locations, which then allows them to see what addresses are not returning calls. These addresses are then sent letters urging them to register for the system. On average, about a quarter of the residents receiving letters end up signing up for the program. This benefits the Village and the residents because in the event of an emergency, the Village can send out timely notifications to as many residents as possible.
Every year, the Village of Norridge has a set amount of money, based on different sources, which they can use for repaving streets. For 2012, the Village has determined a list of what streets they would like to pave with the option to modify the list based on actual costs. The list was based off of a variety of factors such as age, pavement condition, and location. The Village of Norridge used maps created by the GIS department to help with their decision.
In the past, the GIS department has created a series of maps showing which streets in the Village have been paved, and in which year. The map has each year, from 1993 onward, as a different color highlight. This allows any user to quickly determine when a street was last paved. By using this map, in conjunction with field checks, the Village was able to determine a list of the ideal streets to repave. A new map was created showing the previously paved streets, as well as the proposed streets for 2012. This map allows the village board to see what is planned and if any changes need to be made. By using GIS, the Village of Norridge was able to visualize pavement projects from the past and use it to help determine future pavement projects.
During the major snowstorm of February 2011, the Village of Norridge Public Works staff needed to start plowing the alleys so that residents could get their vehicles out of their garages. Unfortunately, the amount of snow prohibited staff from plowing them. The Village wanted to send notices to all residents along the alleys to assure them that they would be cleared of snow as soon as possible. The village did not have a current list of the addresses along the alleys and asked the GIS department to create a list that could be added to the village’s CTY Reverse 911 system.
First, the village staff, using aerial imagery and local knowledge, highlighted all the alleys within the village limits. Then, all the addresses with access to the alleys were added to a specific table. This table was then added to the village’s notification system allowing the village to contact just residents who live on the alleys to let them know of any specific events that only concern them. By using GIS, the village was able to quickly select all the residences that were attached to the alleys and add their addresses as a group, therefore eliminating the need to pick out each individual address anytime a notification had to be sent out.
Whenever a resident of the Village of Norridge decides to have a garage sale, they are required to register for a permit from the village and pay a specific fee. The Village, in turn, keeps a record of all the garage sales for a year, only allowing a resident to hold three sales a year. The Village requested that the garage sale information, (location and dates), be made available to the public on the village website. The GIS department was tasked with creating a map that would show the garage sale information and be easily updated.
First, a table was created that would house all the garage sale information needed for the website map. The table was created using Microsoft Excel and could be easily edited by village staff. Then, by a process called “geocoding”, a series of points were created representing the location of each garage sale from the most up to date table. Finally, the points were converted into a format provided by Google called “KML”. In this format, the points could be loaded into Google Maps added as a link to the village website. When a resident clicks on the link, Google Maps opens with any upcoming garage sale locations. By using GIS, the village was able to create an interactive map on their website providing residents with the most current garage sale information.
The Village of Norridge has a reverse 911 system called Blackboard Connect, that’s purpose is to send out a mass phone call, text or email as long as the village resident is registered. The Village was noticing that not all residents were receiving notifications and wanted to make sure every resident knew about the program and its benefits. The Village determined it wanted to send out a mass letter to any resident not registered in the program and asked the GIS Department for help.
First, a list of all the village addresses currently in the Blackboard Connect system was gathered and then geocoded (a process in which addresses are mapped using an existing address database). This created a list of residents and businesses that had not subscribed to the service. This then allows the village to send letters to the unsubscribed detailing the program and why it is beneficial to be part of the program. The initial plan is to track the unsubscribed addresses whenever a small notification (e.g. water main break) is sent out and then send letters based on a smaller service area. By using GIS, the Village was able to start tracking residents and businesses not part of their Blackboard Connect system, which means that they would no longer be missing out on important village notifications if they elected to be part of the program.
When the Village of Norridge needs to send out a mass mailing to its residents, the Village typically uses the addresses found in the water billing database. After each mailing, the Village typically receives a small amount of letters deemed undeliverable. In an effort to eliminate the undeliverable letters, the Village decided to go through the database and make sure all the addresses in the village were accounted for. They decided to map out the water addresses using a GIS process called geocoding.
Geocoding is a process of taking a list of addresses and then mapping them in GIS using an existing addresses database as the reference data. The list of addresses from the water billing database were first mapped out against the existing GIS address database. This process generated a list of all the addresses from the water billing database that did not match any address in the GIS database. With this list created, the village went out and field verified the addresses in question, as well as any returned mail, to determine the actual addresses. With all the errors corrected, a final master address database was created that could be used for a number of different mailings, such as billings, vehicle sticker notifications, and voting information. By having a master address list, the village is able to send out mass mailings with a minimal amount of returned mail, in turn cutting down on wasted time, envelopes, and postage.
The Village of Norridge is a densely populated community with many residential streets running through each neighborhood. Parking restrictions can vary from street to street, and in some instances, vary on the same street. The village keeps a list of each parking restriction in the municipal code, but it can be difficult to track each restriction based on a list. The village of Norridge requested that a map be created showing every parking restriction, so that if a resident had any questions, a village employee could access the information easily.
By using the restrictions listed in the municipal code, a map was created highlighting every street that had some sort of parking restriction. The data was then ported over to the in-house mapping software, MapOffice™ Advanced, so that it could be easily accessed on any village computer. The restrictions for each area were stored with the data so that if a village employee wants to see what type of restrictions are on a specific street, all they have to do is click on the section to get the detailed information. By using GIS, the village has taken information already available, and moved it from a cumbersome format to one that is far more accessible.
When a street light is out in the Village of Norridge, staff members at village hall will receive phone calls from residents detailing where the outage is located. The office staff makes a note of the outage and then contacts someone in public works to investigate the issue. In the case of multiple people calling about the same outage, multiple notes would be made due to an insufficient way of tracking which outages have been reported. With the help of the GIS department, the village was able to implement a map using MapOffice™ Advanced that village staff can access that shows live data of the status of each street light outage.
By using the Business Intelligence feature of MapOffice™ Advanced, the GIS department was able to link an Excel database of the street light outages maintained by office staff with the map provided by the program. The Street Light Outage map shows the location of every street light outage reported and whether it has been investigated or not. The office staff can sort the data by numerous fields including date and work order status. By having up to the minute statuses of all the street light outages, the office staff can inform residents that call in whether a particular outage has been reported, eliminating the need to create multiple reports for the same outage. By using GIS, the office staff has removed a level of redundancy and allowed their office staff to communicate more clearly with residents.
The Village of Norridge has 19 bus shelters along various routes that are owned by a private company but our on village property. Each of these bus shelters has space for advertisements which brings in money that is split between the private company and the village. Community Development and Finance asked for a way to show the information in a way that showed potential advertisers the locations they would be purchasing.
A map was created showing the location of each bus shelter where advertising is possible. By showing the locations, instead of intersection descriptions, potential advertisers get a better idea of where there advertisements will be located and what type of bus traffic will go through the area. The map also includes contact information for anybody who decides that they want to advertise by using the shelters. By using GIS, the village gives advertisers a visual representation of data that was normally represented as a description.
The Village of Norridge is currently in the process of creating a series of bike routes throughout its borders showing residents and visitors how to get to important locations within the village and just outside its limits. The village allows bikers to use the sidewalk to avoid car traffic, so the bike routes were designed with that in mind. Even though bikers can go down any sidewalk, the idea is to post signs along sidewalks that will get them to locations such as the forest preserve, Harlem and Irving Plaza shopping center, and the village hall.
By using GIS, the village was able to create a map showing all important locations in the village as well as ones just outside the village limits. They were then able to draw bike routes along streets by using the available aerial imagery, therefore allowing the village to draw routes that were direct and were along streets with sidewalks. Once the proposed routes were completed, a proposed bike route map was created for review.
The Village of Norridge has a street light system that contains lights owned by the village and lights owned and operated by ComEd. H&H Electric, which maintains the village owned lights, provided the village with multiple maps showing the ownership of each light, how they are all connected, and the control boxes for each system.
With this information, the village was able to start building an electrical system model that would be displayed on its in-house mapping software: MapOffice™ Advanced. This allows the village engineer to see the locations of all the street lights and how they connect to their corresponding control boxes. With this information, the village engineer and public works, can easily replace bulbs and determine where malfunctions they may be located on a circuit. Because the information is accessible from any computer on the village server, both departments can access the information without having to share hard copies of the information. By using GIS, the village is able to begin to put together a comprehensive street light/electrical model that will help the village with any incidents that may arise.
The Village of Norridge has begun putting together a village parking inventory for all public and private parking lots. The inventory will allow the village to determine whether each parking lot meets all regulations for such things as size and number of handicapped spaces. The inventory will also allow economic development to help sell properties by providing the prospective buyer with the amount of parking spaces available for customers.
By using the aerial imagery that the Village of Norridge acquired, every space in every parking lot is accounted for. The spaces are then linked to their respective parking lots. By linking the spaces, the village has the opportunity to easily and quickly sort through categories such as handicapped and paid parking spaces. Using GIS has allowed the Village of Norridge to put together a village wide parking inventory to help police village regulations and help spur economic development.
The Village of Norridge has begun mapping out traffic accident information in an effort to try and limit the amount of accidents in high traffic areas and understand why accidents occur in low traffic areas. A map was created using data provided by the police department detailing the locations of traffic accidents by month. Accident locations were added to the map and categorized by type (property damage, personal injury, village property, fatality). Eventually, as data from previous months is added to the database, patterns will begin to emerge.
By mapping the location of each accident from month to month, patterns can begin to emerge and provide the police department and engineering with a visual representation of the accidents. The locations can then be analyzed to see if there is as abnormal amount of accidents in low traffic areas. The village engineering department can then analyze these locations against village data, such as the sign inventory, to determine if there is a specific cause for those accidents. By using GIS to map out traffic accident locations, the Village of Norridge can have a better understanding on where the accidents occur in the village and give them a first step in determining why they are happening.
The Village of Norridge requires that every residential property within the Village limits to have at least 65% green space on the property. This means that the homeowner can only have 35% of the property consist of impervious surface areas such as the building, garage, driveway, and patios. Any resident in violation of this policy can face fines and may be forced to make changes to their property. In the past, the Village would calculate the green space percentage by measuring the area of the parcels and the features using a ruler and a pencil. The Village asked the GIS department to come up with something that would aid in their analysis.
A map was created showing the percentage of green space for each parcel in the community. The percentage was calculated by combining all the building foot prints, driveways, garages, and sidewalks into one feature then dividing the area of impervious surface in a parcel by the area of the parcel itself. Even though the number is not necessarily exact due to some of the features, like patios, not being collected in the data, it provides a good starting point for any calculations and allows the village to see what properties may be in violation of the ordinance and then act accordingly. By using GIS, the village is able to cut down the amount of time calculating the green space area by hand and find properties that may be in violation that they might not have had a reason to check in the past.
The Village of Norridge has a newsletter that they typically mail to all addresses in the village. In addition to going to all houses, the newsletters are sent to every unit in every apartment or condo building. Because of the natural turnover in apartment renting, many times the newsletters come back to the village because there is no one currently living at the address. This costs the village money in returned and wasted postage. The village asked the GIS department to come up with a map that would present a solution to the problem.
To create the map, the buildings in the village were first sorted out by the zoning code to determine which ones were multi-unit. Then a count was taken for each building to determine how many units were in each one. Labels were then created to display the number of units in each builidng allowing an employee to physically drop off the appropriate amount of flyers and not have any returned in the mail.
By creating and displaying the units on the map, a simple solution presented itself allowing the village to save some money in a time when money is tight. Without GIS, the village would have had to sort through water billing records to determine the amount of units, which would be far more time consuming then the GIS solution.
Since 1994, the Estelle Sieb Center in Norridge has, among other things, held classes and meetings for local communities in law enforcement, fire protection, etc…Typically, these classes can last all day, requiring the attendees to find a place for lunch. In the past, the center would have a few old maps or a village employee would mention a few places in the area. The village wanted to create an updated map that could be distributed to all attendees that would show the locations of restaurants in the village as well as a few near by in Chicago. The village asked the GIS department to put together a map showing up to date restaurant locations.
By using a current business license list and employee input, an 11” x 17” map was created. The map shows approximately 35 restaurants near the Estelle Sieb Center that would be convenient for lunch. Each restaurant is represented by a number that then corresponds with a restaurant name in the legend. This allows for a large number of points to be displayed in small area without having to worry about squeezing text into the map. Because the map is printed on 11” x 17” paper, it can be easily distributed and carried around.
With the old outdated restaurant map at the Estelle Sieb Center, there were issues with people attempting to go to restaurants that were closed. By having an updated map, the attendees could choose a location and not worry about wasting too much time. Because the map was created in GIS, each time a restaurant opens or closes, the changes can be made to the map quickly, which allows the map to be distributed as quickly as possible. This allows the attendee to enjoy their lunch break before getting back to their class.
In the past few years, the Village of Norridge has contracted a company to come out and take an inventory of all the trees within the village limits. In addition to the location of each tree, the company inventoried the species, trunk size, health, and other descriptive information. Although the database that was created from the information has been useful, the village was looking to better utilize the information.
The GIS specialist was asked to map out each tree location using address information from the database and aerial photography. A point was placed for each tree in the right of way in front of the address listed in the database. The point was then moved to the location of the tree by using the aerial photography to narrow down where in front of the lot the tree was located. For areas with multiple trees on the same lot, special location instructions were included in the database. By mapping out each location, the village was able to get a visual representation of the tree dispersion.
With each tree now visible on a map, the village was able to determine what areas were lacking trees and should be the focus of any future plantings. The village was also able to see a visual representation of any tree that are susceptible to diseases i.e. elms and ash trees, allowing them to see what areas of the village would be most affected. By using GIS, the Village of Norridge was able to get a different perspective on already existing information. This new information has allowed them to make informed decisions on the future of the village’s trees.
The village of Norridge sent a survey to its residents, attached to the water bill, requesting information about their experience with flooding in or near their residence. The survey consisted of a few questions relating to if the resident’s street or house had flooded in the past year. The resident’s were to answer “yes” or “no”, and then mail the surveys back to the village. The responses would help the village determine where flooding in the village is a major concern and help plan where they may need to replace existing storm sewer infrastructure. The village asked the GIS department to map out the responses by address to get a visualization of the flooding within the village.
Multiple maps were created to show the responses of the sewer survey. An initial map was created showing which households had responded to the survey, and which ones chose not to participate. Subsequent maps were for each survey question showing which households had answered ”yes” for the correspoding question. These maps were then presented to the trustees to give them an idea of the flooding situation in the village.
Plotting the survey responses on the map gave the village trustees a visual representation of the flooding issues residents were having in the past year. The maps created in GIS will allow the trustees to make future decisions on how to best tackle resident flooding issues.
Every year the Village of Norridge requires its resident’s to purchase a sticker (permit) for each owned vehicle. This sticker allows the resident to park on village streets without receiving a fine. The village keeps track of each sticker purchased each year and requested that the GIS department map out each address and find which households had not purchased a sticker for 2009.
Using GIS, each address corresponding to a vehicle sticker was mapped out showing which households had not purchased a sticker. The data was then filtered by displaying which households had purchased a sticker the previous year but had failed to purchase any stickers for 2009. This gave the village a potential list of residents who had either gotten rid of their vehicle or had failed to purchase a new sticker. Using the address list created by GIS, the village was then able to create a mailing list to send a letter to each resident informing them that the village had no record of them purchasing a village sticker.
Using GIS, the village was able to determine who had failed to purchase a vehicle sticker for 2009. By sending each resident a letter, the village would be able to save the offenders from needless parking violations and make sure they recoup a majority of their cost in printing the stickers.
Although many of the Village of Norridge employees choose to live within the village limits, only the department heads are required to live in Norridge. There was concern about some employees living far outside the village. Therefore, a study was done to determine if a village residency requirement was needed for all village employees. The Public Works Department employees were of special concern as they are required to be on call for both water breaks and snow plowing. If a public works employee lives too far away, they may not be able to respond to an emergency and burden the rest of the department. The village asked the Geographic Information System (GIS) department to create a map showing the distances from Norridge to the surrounding city and suburbs.
A map was created showing The Village of Norridge in relation to the City of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. A set of concentric rings was created starting at the village boundary and radiating outward at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, and 20-mile intervals. The communities that had their center fall within these intervals were then coded and colored based on distance from the boundary of the Village of Norridge. The map that easily showed how far in miles each community was from Norridge. If this map were to be created by hand, a significant amount time would be spent using a ruler, compass, and paper map drawing out the mile intervals.
Although the village decided not to implement a residency requirement, the map was integral in the decision process. The map will allow the village in the future to decide if a prospective employee in the public works department lives too far away to respond to an emergency.
The Village of Norridge is unusual in the fact that street parking is allowed on nearly every street within the village. Any person can park their car on a village street except for certain sections being designated “Resident Parking Only,” meaning that a village sticker is required to park a vehicle on that section of a street. The village created these restrictions based on a few factors. For example, many of the residential streets near the Harlem and Irving Park Shopping Center are marked as resident only to stop overflow shoppers from the mall taking spots needed by the residents. Streets near Norridge Park are deemed “resident only” to allow residents to park on their streets when there are popular events held at the park creating an overflow from the parking lot located within Norridge Park. The village requested a map to show all “Resident Only” parking so that village employees would no longer have to sort through the ordinances to determine the specific locations and restrictions.
A resident only street parking layer was created and then broken down according to the village ordinance. Each area was then categorized based off specific restrictions such as Memorial Day – Labor Day and Monday – Friday, detailed in the ordinance. The map was then printed and posted at the front desk in the village hall so that it could be referenced whenever a resident calls or stops in. The map was also posted as a PDF on the village website, so that anyone could access the map and print it at their convenience.
Although the information for “Resident Only” street parking existed already, GIS allowed the information to be more accessible. Instead of wasting time sorting through ordinances, village employees and residents can reference a simple map.
Although less than two square miles in size, the Village of Norridge contains numerous restaurants and eating establishments that reflect the diversity of the area. The village website keeps a list of these establishments, but never has had a map indicating the location of each restaurant. Using the ability of a Geographic Information System (GIS) program to create location points within Google Maps, a map was created showing the location of each restaurant within the village as well as address information and a link to the restaurants website. This interactive map located on the village website allows the user to find restaurants within the village based on location.
Clicking on the Restaurant Location link at the bottom of the Food Establishments section of the village website takes you to a Google Map showing the village of Norridge. A red dot represents each restaurant within the village. Clicking on the restaurant name in the table of contents on the left or on the red dot on the map brings up an information box for that location. Each information box contains the name of the restaurant, address, phone number, and website link if available. When new restaurants open up or old restaurants close down, the interactive map can be easily modified to reflect those changes.
Providing the information in a format that people are familiar with, such as Google Maps, allows the user to access the information without having to learn new software. Providing the location of each restaurant on a map allows someone visiting the village or a resident to locate a restaurant or eating establishment more easily.
Due to its close proximity to the City of Chicago, the Village of Norridge has an extensive bus route system containing routes from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Pace and its own publically funded internal system. These routes travel on every major street within the village and in most cases overlap each other creating a vast network of routes and stops. If a village resident wanted to know what routes traveled through the village, the resident would have to access the individual websites for the CTA, Pace and the Village of Norridge to get information about their respective routes.
The Village of Norridge requested that a map be put together containing all bus routes within the village. This map would allow a village resident to view all bus routes in a single source instead of accessing multiple sources. The challenge would be to make every bus route visible because in some cases there are four or five different bus routes running on the same street. The solution was to remove detail on either side of the road in order to leave room for stacking the bus routes next to each other when needed. Although the routes would not be to scale, the resident would be able to distinguish the routes from each other and still know which roads the bus routes travel on.
The final product consists of a map of the village road network with colored lines representing the different bus routes. For each route that leaves the village, the major stop is listed in the direction of the route so a village resident can make an informed decision on which bus is the best to take when traveling to a destination outside the village limits. The map is accessible via the Geographic Information System (GIS) section of the Village of Norridge website and a pamphlet was created that can be obtained from the front counter at village hall.
With a desire to promote the village’s technology profile, the IT Department went forward and created a section of the village website dedicated to the Geographic Information System (GIS) program. This would allow village residents to access information from their own computers as well as at their own convenience rather than having to acquire information from a person in village hall such as they had done previously done in the past.
The GIS section of the village website consists of two pages. The first page explains the village’s involvement with the GIS Consortium and gives a detailed description of GIS aimed at anyone not familiar with the technology or program. Within this description are a few examples of how GIS may affect a resident or the community.
The second page gives a list of all available maps in the community as well as relevant links to outside sources for anyone who wants to further their understanding of the GIS technology. Each map consists of a title, date last updated, map size and a link to a PDF to print out each map. A few examples of some of the maps available are: Bus Routes, School Districts and Zoning. The inclusion of these maps provides the village residents with information that wasn’t readily available in the past. Because the maps are provided in an electronic format, they can be updated on a regular basis and can be passed on to the resident with minimal effort.
The maps provided on the website are just a small portion of what can be created using GIS and information provided by the village.
Link: Visit the Village of Norridge's GIS web page.
The recent collection of planimetric data or improved features such as buildings, roadways, parking lots, driveways, etc. in Elk Grove Village has provided for some new analysis possibilities through its GIS (Geographic Information System). One of the evaluations conducted was the distance between primary building structures and also a count of the number of addresses that exist within each building structure.
The results of this assessment will be shared with the village’s Fire Department and used to update such information in their database that inventories the businesses throughout the community. There is additional potential for use in dispatch to residential buildings for example that are not currently tracked to understand the number of families affected in a multiunit event or to realize the close proximity of adjacent homes on all sides of a building in the event of a house fire.