GIS technology is a foundational element of much of the work we do at Visual Risk. We design simple, intuitive user interfaces to help users solve pressing problems involving complex modeling, data requirements, and context-specific parameters without the underlying complexity getting in the way. We leverage our long-term business partnership with ESRI to provide cutting-edge solutions.
- GIS Network Dataset Development
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- For Class I railroads, VRT has developed, and continues to enhance, rail carrier-specific routable GIS networks to support risk analysis and regulatory-based data needs. Geometric editing to ensure topological integrity, programmatic determination of operationally feasible movements, development and implementation of risk analysis parameters, and customization of the risk analysis model to utilize carrier-specific data are some of the key activities performed in support of our client.
- Railway Risk and Incident Management System
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- VRT provided software design, development, and consulting services for a Class 1 railroad to evaluate their corporate risk assessment and incident management practices for the shipment of hazardous materials. The project scope included the entire rail network and all fixed facilities. VRT software design incorporated screening-level risk assessment models for identifying high-risk locations as well as incident management tools that the railroad utilizes to improve emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Multiple phases of this effort have been completed and refinements of the software model are ongoing with VRT continuing development and expansion of the system.
- Rail Corridor Risk Management System
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- In response to the freight rail industry’s need for a tool to perform safety and security route risk analyses for security-sensitive chemicals, VRT and its partner ABS Consulting developed the RCRMS. The tool has grown to nationwide use to meet the federal regulatory requirements of HM-232E: Enhancing Rail Transportation Safety and Security for Hazardous Materials Shipments. VRT architected the freight rail industry's technical solution, including web and desktop applications, and completed data integration and enhancement, training, and outreach to the system users. RCRMS allows Rail Operators, as part of their route analysis (including assessment of route alternatives), to consider 27 required criteria, including network infrastructure characteristics, railroad operating characteristics, human factors, and environmental and terrorist-related parameters. The software provides a mechanism for the Rail Operators to maintain their route analyses and document their findings and results for FRA review. VRT also helps to facilitate a group of 30 railroad executives and employees to identify and address industry, system, and user issues. This effort is ongoing and the RCRMS has been adopted by the US DOT as a “key enabling technology for the industry in accomplishing the objectives of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.”
- Evacuation Planning
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- For the National Capital Region, VRT supported a large evacuation modeling initiative through inventory and analysis of critical infrastructure, at-risk populations, response resources, transit assets, and dynamic traffic and population patterns. VRT leveraged its subject matter and GIS data development capabilities to provide pragmatic approaches to this high-profile project.
- Custom Emergency Operations GIS
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- VRT is leading a project team to assess and document the current state of the practice in hazardous materials transportation risk assessment—in both the public and private sectors—and identifying areas where enhancements in the available data, tools, methodologies, and approaches would be beneficial.
- Public Transportation Route Evacuation Analysis
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- VRT analyzed and developed optimal public transit evacuation routes for a nuclear power operator to use during radiological events. Data and detailed evacuation route map packets were developed and provided for the four counties surrounding the power plant to be used in the event of an emergency.
- Critical Facility Response Support
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- A nuclear power operator engaged VRT to develop an analytical framework and methodology to assess sound pressure level coverage areas and population exposure affected by emergency alert sirens. VRT developed solutions to address how variations in topographical features, vegetation, and building density can have significant impacts upon the effectiveness of siren alerts. The analysis was a key element in the development of a siren implementation and positioning plan and lead to the successful approval by FEMA of the emergency siren alert plan for the nuclear power operator.
- Siren Route Alerting
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- Audible sirens are positioned around nuclear facilities to alert residents of radiological events. Employing comprehensive GIS analysis VRT determined areas that would be affected by the failure of pre-positioned sirens and developed optimal route paths for officers to conduct vehicle-based public announcement notification of an event within areas that had degraded or no siren coverage. VRT produced map packets that included instructions and turn-by-turn route directions for the mobile alerts teams.
- Eligible Resident Identification
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- Using spatial analysis to identify residents within emergency planning zones (EPZ ), VRT significantly reduced costs for a nuclear power operator developing community emergency planning brochures. VRT’s GIS-based approach efficiently ensured that only those residents residing in a defined geographic region were mailed the brochures, reducing shipping costs and minimizing the potential for false warning. As a logical extension, VRT identified properties that were eligible to receive tone alert radios and developed a database to track occupancy changes of those properties.
- Emergency Exercise Drill Maps
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- VRT has 10 years of ongoing experience in providing custom GIS maps for use during emergency exercise drills for nuclear power operators. In recent work, VRT integrated MIDAS radiological plume model results to enhance the visualization of potentially impacted areas during the drills.
- Plume Model Visualization System Development
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- For a nuclear power plant operator, VRT worked alongside ABS Consulting (developers of the MIDAS™ commercial atmospheric plume dispersion modeling tool), to build a GIS situational awareness tool for managing and visualizing radiological dose plume data. The work included developing the specification for plume export parameters as well as architecting the system, file sharing, and secure transfer of event data.
- Risk Mapping and Visualization of Marine Security Risk
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- VRT is developing risk mapping tools and support integration of United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) Maritime Security Risk Analysis Model (MSRAM) into the USCG Enterprise Geographic Information System (EGIS). Much of this work involves designing and developing add-ins for the USCG EGIS system, creating data export routines in the MSRAM application, developing geo-processing services on the existing USCG infrastructure, and designing and implementing robust search capabilities and a more sophisticated user interface for exploring query results. Individual targets and specific attack modes/scenarios are each visualized based on risk scores. Work also includes planning and design work needed to move MSRAM from a stand-alone desktop application into a web-based application embedded into the USCG enterprise environment.
- VRiskROUTE™
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- VRiskROUTE™ is a multi-modal hazardous materials decision support tool that enables users to assess route risk, benchmark their transportation risk portfolio, identify high-risk activities and movements, evaluate risk reduction strategies, and meet regulatory route analysis requirements. VRiskRoute is built on a customized geographic information system that provides powerful visualization capabilities, allowing users to easily compare alternatives, provide model inputs, and explore critical relationships between economic, safety, and security factors.
- State Hazmat Route Restriction Development
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- The California Highway Patrol retained VRT to assist with the designation of statewide transport routes for shipping poisonous-by-inhalation materials. VRT’s activities included program design, information dissemination to key stakeholders, technical review of CHP routing studies and policies, and development and application of risk assessment software. The program now covers routing of explosives and radioactive wastes, in addition to PIH materials. Integration of system capabilities to meet information needs at state emergency operation centers was also developed. VRT staff developed GIS routing and risk management methodologies to determine safe transport routes throughout the State with specific emphasis on tunnels. This approach was subsequently used statewide to evaluate each highway tunnel. VRT has proven, resident organizational knowledge of the process and challenges that states confront when attempting to develop routing restrictions. This key project experience enables VRT to design comprehensive systems to support regulatory requirements for route analysis.
- Delaware Electronic Reporting Surveillance System (DERSS)
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- VRT was an integral part of a large system integration effort for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services to develop and implement state-wide disease surveillance and reporting system, aimed specifically at bioterrorism and disease outbreaks. With the system in place, public health officials in Delaware and at the national level are able to relay and search health information in real time to analyze trends in symptom and disease reporting. DERSS provides an early warning capability, allowing State professionals to analyze data streaming from hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare points of contact. VRT provided GIS expertise and integrated automatic, map-based alerting services for telephone voice messaging, fax transmission, and wireless communication; geocoded data. This custom mapping application is available through a web browser for fast collaboration among health professionals located throughout the state and the country.
- Emergency Operations Network – Incident Management System (EON-IMS)
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In the wake of 9/11, the FDA Office of Crisis Management initiated a multi-year
project to develop an incident management system to support response to threats
to the food supply. The project team successfully designed, developed, and implemented
an enterprise incident command and emergency response system (EON-IMS) used to coordinate
all FDA offices and personnel during large-scale incidents.
As a subcontractor, VRT customized and implemented its GIS software program delivered as a server-based application for FDA’s EON-IMS. Heavy software integration work was performed to integrate a Siebel CRM system into existing industry databases and display that data in a map-based environment for emergency managers. VRT designed and implemented test, training, and production environments for managing the iterative life-cycle of the system. Considerable effort was spent developing interfaces and integration between the multiple COTS applications that comprise the EON-IMS. VRT served as subject matter experts and technology consultants on how FDA can best utilize GIS to enhance their business processes before and during a major disaster. During Hurricane Katrina, VRT worked with FDA to determine which regulated food supply firms were located in the areas impacted by hurricane winds and flood waters. More recently, the EON-IMS GIS components were critical in mapping and analyzing the spinach-borne E. coli cases that originated from the Salinas Valley in California.