MapInfo Speeds Aid to Ice Storm Victims.TROY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 1998-- Mapping software expedites rescue efforts and emergency communications in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of State and Canada Around-the-clock relief efforts continue as parts of New York, New England New England, name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. and Canada struggle to recover from the devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. ice storm that has left thousands of rural residents without food, water, heat and shelter. Already, estimates of residential and business losses are at nearly $1 billion in Canada and $200 million in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . As local, state, federal and international agencies strive to restore essential services to the storm's victims, their emergency crews are relying on MapInfo software to lead the way. Mobilized teams from the New York Army National Guard The New York National Guard comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. , the Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal agency responsible for coordinating emergency planning, preparedness, risk reduction, response, and recovery. The agency works closely with state and local governments by funding emergency programs and providing technical (FEMA FEMA, n.pr See Federal Emergency Management Agency. ), New York's State Emergency Management Office (SEMO SEMO Southeast Missouri State University SEMO State Emergency Management Office SEMO Supply and Equipment Management Officer SEMO Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail (US National Park Service) ) and even the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Royal Canadian Mounted Police, constabulary organized (1873) as the Northwest Mounted Police to bring law and order to the Canadian west. In 1920 the name was changed to the present title. are all counting on digital maps and data from MapInfo Corporation to identify and respond to the hardest hit areas. The maps enable the emergency teams to quickly collect data, to allocate resources, and to provide field commanders with essential information. Edward F. Jacoby, Jr., director of SEMO, notes the value of mapping in relief efforts. "During our response, GIS mapping has been invaluable," said Jacoby. "It gives decision makers -- from Governor George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 57th Governor of New York serving from January 1995 until January 1, 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party and was seen as a possible 2000 and 2008 Presidential candidate. to local officials -- vital information at a glance, which assists in mission planning, identifies trouble spots, provides road information and a hundred other items that facilitate our coordinated effort. In my experience, a good map is an essential tool. However, a GIS map augmented by its different databases is the next best thing to being there." At the Army National Guard Center in Latham, N.Y., field commanders have been depending on MapInfo's high-resolution maps of roadways, waterways and topography to plan their emergency response missions in six northern New York counties. In two of those counties, telephone lines are down and cellular networks are clogged. MapInfo has provided the National Guard with three-dimensional maps to help engineers find the best, elevated locations on which to place emergency cellular telephone towers. "When we are involved in emergency operations of this magnitude we need to have a strong sense of place. There's no question that the mapping software has been effective," said J.C. "Pete" Kutschera, director of public affairs Those public information, command information, and community relations activities directed toward both the external and internal publics with interest in the Department of Defense. Also called PA. See also command information; community relations; public information. , Division of Military and Naval Affairs, New York's National Guard. "We have more than 3,000 troops dispersed over an area the size of Vermont. It is important that all our people know the geography, the topography and where they are. In this sense, MapInfo Corporation has made our job easier." On the international front, MapInfo's strategic partner, Northwood Technologies, Inc. of Ottawa, Canada, responded to the crisis by training emergency crews on MapInfo software and donating digital files of hydrolines, powerlines and roadways. The digital maps are enabling emergency crews including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to locate and reach storm victims much faster than otherwise possible. "Once the ice storm hit, we received an immediate demand from local, national and international relief agencies for emergency training sessions in mapping technology," said Derek Finley, vice president of Northwood Technologies, Inc. "We have experienced the devastation first hand and wanted to address the needs of our community. Fortunately, we have been able to contribute to response efforts by training the emergency teams." Both MapInfo Corporation and Northwood Technologies, Inc. provided software, technical expertise and training, free of charge, to the emergency management crews in New York and Canada. About MapInfo MapInfo Corporation, (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :MAPS) the information discovery company, is the worldwide leader in mapping solutions and a preeminent supplier of spatial technologies (company) Spatial Technologies - Distributors of the ACIS solid modelling engine. . More than 200,000 users in virtually every industry use MapInfo(R) solutions to transform location into meaningful decisions. Its data visualization products are deployed on the desktop, on enterprise servers, on the Internet and as embeddable mapping objects in decision support and enterprise-wide applications. Available in 20 languages, MapInfo products are distributed in 58 countries by more than 1,000 partners. Headquartered in Troy, N.Y., MapInfo Corporation is on the World Wide Web at http://www.mapinfo.com . -0- MapInfo, MapInfo Professional, MapInfo logo and SpatialWare are registered trademarks, and MapInfo MapX, MapInfo MapXtreme and StreetPro are trademarks of MapInfo Corporation in the United States. Other products named herein may be trademarks of their respective manufacturers and are hereby recognized. CONTACT: MapInfo Corporation Barbara Pilliod, 518/285-6000 barbara_pilliod@mapinfo.com or Schwartz Communications Doug Russell or Jane Carpenter, 781/684-0770 dougr@schwartz-pr.com janec@schwartz-pr.com |
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