US National Grid and the Florida State Emergency Response Team

16R 17R

Richard ButgereitGIS Administrator850-413-9907richard.butgereit@em.myflorida.com

US National Grid• Introduction to the US National Grid

– Why do we need to use the US National Grid?– How is it similar/different from other systems?– How to read USNG coordinates

• Tools for Responders • Tools for GIS Support Staff

Introduction to the USNG Why do we need to use the US

National Grid?

US National Grid• Lessons learned have taught us that

standardized grids are needed for positional reporting.

• As far back as Hurricane Andrew, problems were recognized for emergency managers...

Florida Adopts the USNG• USNG was adopted by the FFCA• FDEM adopted the USNG in the States CEMP• Florida Fire College, Florida Fire Chiefs

Association, FL National Guard developed curriculum and instructor manuals

• Modules incorporated into Firefighter II curriculum

Florida CEMPThe State of Florida has adopted the use of the U.S. National Grid (USNG) during response and recovery efforts which allows for both point and area referencing. The SERT utilizes the Grid for designating ground-based areas of operation and dividing the state into scalable grid squares (100,000, 10,000, and 1,000 meters). The scalable nature of the grid also allows for defining levels of operation, such as strategic, regional, and tactical. 100,000-meter grid cells will be used to designate strategic operational areas; 10,000-meter areas are used for regional operations; and 1,000-meter grid cells are used for tactical missions. Each grid square will identify the types of structures, the years built, known hazardous materials locations, demographics, and other information. This information provides the field response and command elements with valuable pre-incident information to help pre-script missions consistent with this data to deploy the appropriate resources into each search grid. The SERT will utilize the U.S. National Grid System and overlays of Geographical Information System maps during all missions to identify high-density areas and to map priority response areas.

FEMA Adopts the USNG

• Spring 2009 - near term priority approved by Administrator Fugate

• Establish a standard for FEMA operational maps using the National Grid

National Standards

• National Search and Rescue Committee – specifies US National Grid as primary system

• Federal Geographic Data Committee – US National Grid Standard since 2001

Introduction to the USNG How is it similar/differ from

other systems?

What’s wrong with current systems?We already have…

– Latitude/Longitude– Township/Range/Section– Street Address and Zip– “Bingo” Grids

Latitude/LongitudeMultiple formats are confusing

DD -85.990151, 30.272240DM -85 59.409089, 30.16.334386DMS 85 59’24.545”W, 30 16’20.063”N

All the same location!!!

How far is a second anyway?

What is the distance from….85 59’24.545”W, 30 16’20.063”N

To here….85 59’26.292”W, 30 16’14.546”N

Township/Range/Section

Township/Range/Section grid from the Public Lands Survey System is an important and good system…– basis of land ownership records– been in use for over 180 years

Township/Range/Section

• But a perfect section really doesn’t exist

• irregular in coastal areas

• too large to meet needs of ground crews

Street Address and Zip

• Problematic due to…– rural routes– post office boxes– House numbers missing or obscured

What do you do when the SIGNSare gone?

• What do you do when the ROADS are gone?

• Developed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s

• A position on the Earth is referenced in the UTM system by the UTM zone, and the easting and northing coordinate pair.

Abbreviated as “UTM”16R 766000 3364820

Universal Transverse Mercator

• is the geocoordinate standard used by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for locating points on the earth.

• is derived from the UTM grid system, but uses a different labeling convention.

Abbreviated as “MGRS”16R GU 66000 64820

Military Grid Reference System

• Practically identical to MGRS. • Difference is the datum – MGRS uses WGS84,

which USNG uses NAD 83• Coordinates reported identical.

Abbreviated as “USNG”16R GU 66000 64820

United States National Grid

USNG• It has the advantage of being easily plotted on

USGS topographic maps by using a simple "right and then up" method instead of having to plot from right to left when using latitude and longitude in the Western Hemisphere. The coordinates are also easily translated to distance since they are in meters. Thus the distance between two coordinates can quickly be determined in the field.

Introduction to the USNG How to read USNG coordinates

16R GU 66000 64820How to read USNG

100,000 Meter Grid – identification for regional areas

Grid Coordinates – Easting and Northing position

Grid Zone Designation – for a world-wide unique address, identifies the longitude zone number and the latitude band letter

16R GU 66000 6482016R 17RTruncate for locality

• just like you don’t have to dial an area code to make a local call…• all Florida locations will be 16R or 17R

16R GU 66000 64820

16R 17RTruncate for locality

• 100,000 meter zone designation may be dropped when working locally

Truncate for less precision…

Locates within 1000 meters66 64

6600 6482 Locates within 10 meters660 648 Locates within 100 meters

66000 64820 Locates within 1 meter

16R GU 66000 64820

USNG

• Easily scaleable

• Pin-point and cell based locational

reporting

• “Grid within a Grid”

Training

• Online videos• EM Academy• CERT Academy• Comprehensive Train-the-trainer training with

regional workshops

Tools for Responders

• GPS• GeoPDF• Mapping applications and websites

Global Positioning Systems

• I have GPS……..why do I need to care about any of this? – USNG can be used with GPS– GPS supplements USNG– USNG will work when your GPS won’t

USNG and GPS

• Most GPS units explicitly support USNG as an option for units

• If you choose USNG, you must also choose NAD 83 as your datum (or technically, you haven’t chosen USNG)

• You may also choose MGRS with NAD 83 to be the functional equivalent of USNG

Support for USNG• http://www.floridadisaster.org/gis/usng

– tools and instructions for GIS staff• FDEM’s GATOR

– new mapping website with USNG tools• FDEP’s Incident Mapper

– simple Google Maps mashup with USNG tools• GeoPDF’s

– new PDF formats have GIS capabilities, including USNG support

USGS Response Maps• New map series provided by USGS• Based on the 7.5 quadrangle map series• Most are GeoPDF’s• KML index file facilitates download from

FDEM web site

USGS Response Maps• Pre-requisite – KML map viewer

– Google Earth– ArcGIS Explorer

• Obtain KML from FDEM GIS– via email richard.butgereit@em.myflorida.com– or posted in information messages during

activations

County Map Books

http://map.floridadisaster.org/GATOR

Geospatial Assessment Tool for Operations and Response

• web mapping application• real-time data like weather radar, watches, storm

reports• base map and post-event data

GATOR

GATOR

KML for Google Earthhttp://map.floridadisaster.org/ArcGIS/KML

• Critical Facilities – including USNG coordinates for facilities

• USNG layers – statewide 100,000m, 10,000m, and 1,000m

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KML for Google Earth

• Hazardous Material Facilities • For first responders• User names/password provided through Local

Emergency Planning Committee

• https://erplan.net

E-Plan

http://www.floridadisaster.org/gis/kml/viewer.htm

• simple Google Maps mashup with USNG tools• real-time data like weather radar, watches, storm

reports• will be transitioning to GATOR

Incident Mapper

Tools for GIS Support Staff

• USNG and ArcGIS• GeoPDF

USNG in ArcGIS 9.1• USNG National Grid Tools

Repackaging of…– Military Analyst– Product line tool set (PLTS)

• USNG Locational ToolbarAvailable from ArcScripts– Less complicated, easier to use

USNG in ArcGIS 9.2/9.3• Integrated…

– Go to X,Y Tool

– Identify

–Graticules

Military Analyst in ArcGIS 9.2/9.3USNG coordinates may easily be added to a feature class.

NAR-C isproper NAD 83 choice - “North American Reference CONUS”

Military Analyst in ArcGIS 9.2/9.3USNG coordinates added to a feature class.

Map Book Templates• DS Map Book (free extension to ArcMap• Produce 4,000 m x 5,000 8.5” x 11” 1:24,000

scale maps• Style guide, templates and video from Delta

State University linked from http://www.floridadisaster.org/gis/USNG/index.htm#mapbooks

Map Book Templates

Map Books• If you have a county wide map book, please let

us know for inclusion on our website

Questions?FloridaDisaster.org/gis