Prepress

FireLocator.net Provides California Residents with Tool that Tracks Locations of Fast-Moving Wildfires

Wednesday 03. December 2008 - Pitney Bowes MapInfo, the leading global provider of location intelligence solutions, today announced FireLocator, a Web site that disseminates data and information on wildfires to government agencies, residents and media outlets.

Currently released in beta, FireLocator provides dynamic, up-to-the-minute information on the situation of current wildfires as well as information on previous instances. Fire perimeters, detailed fire information, community generated imagery, fire-related news and multimedia content are all featured on this site.
Built using Pitney Bowes MapInfo’s Envinsa location intelligence platform, FireLocator enables users to enter a location such as a street address, neighborhood or even area of interest, and visually see that location in relation to a wildfire. With wildfire data from the company’s Insurance Risk Data Suite, FireLocator creates a thematic map that rates areas of California as low, medium or high for potential wildfire risk.
“FireLocator provides government agencies and individuals with the timely location intelligence they need to help safeguard people, property and resources,” said Arthur Berrill, vice president of Advanced Concepts and Technology, Pitney Bowes MapInfo. “By integrating up-to-the-minute data from multiple sources such as GeoMac Multi Agency Coordination and NASA Modis Data, FireLocator provides a comprehensive view of where wildfires are happening now and where they may spread. Armed with this information, agencies and news outlets can help residents prepare for fire threats and accurately monitor the situations in their community.”
“Fire season is moving into its peak months, and the public depends on us to receive the latest intelligence on where wildfires strike in our area,” said Shawna Federoff, research manager Inland Newspaper Division. “Our collaboration with Pitney Bowes MapInfo provides us with an intuitive rich Internet application that allows us to disseminate valuable information during natural disasters.”
The FireLocator user interface utilizes Microsoft Silverlight technology and Microsoft Virtual Earth to deliver a high level of interactivity, integration and ease of use. It enables users to make rapid, well informed decisions about wildfire threats.
“Microsoft is uniquely positioned to enhance the online user experience with interactive services and powerful visualization tools that help bring location-based data to life,” said Eddie Amos, general manager for Worldwide Partner Evangelism at Microsoft. “By working closely with FireLocator, we are providing powerful and informative online experiences to our mutual customers.”