Public Safety GIS Program

The Public Safety GIS program supports all aspects of law enforcement and criminal justice agency spatial data and analysis needs, by creating and maintaining consistent, standardized GIS data for use in public safety and 9-1-1 dispatching.

As 9-1-1 transitions from its traditional hard-wired networks, Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) will introduce automated call routing using a caller’s real-time location for landline and cellular calls.  This system requires extremely accurate GIS data to provide the system the ability to route a call to the correct Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) for the caller’s location, reducing the chance of a misdirected call and the time for a call taker to dispatch first responders based on closest car.

As a natural extension of the Street and Address Maintenance Program, NYS ITS Geospatial Services has embarked on a project to assemble a consistent, statewide layer of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) and Emergency Service Boundaries (ESB) built to National Emergency Number Association (NENA) standards.

PSAP and ESB boundaries are essential GIS layers to the process of call routing in NG9-1-1.  The project's goal of centralizing the building of these layers will be achieved through state and county cooperation and will result in the best and most efficient data for all.

NYS ITS Geospatial Services will continue to expand coordination efforts with the goal of generating data coverage for the entire state.

This Program coordinates GIS within the New York State Police (NYSP) and other Public Safety agencies.  The NYSP uses GIS in multiple aspects of its operations including search and rescue, environmental disaster response, crime analysis, and support to exhibits for criminal prosecution.  This program also supports GIS data in Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems used in NYSP units hosted by counties throughout New York State.  These CAD deployments use NYS GIS data to display events and public safety assets.

For questions or more information, please contact Jason Baum at 518-242-5175 .