Naval Facilities Engineering Sytems Command (NAVFAC) Europe Africa Central (EURAFCENT) GeoReadiness Center (GRC) celeberated celebrated GIS Day Nov. 14 to celebrate the innovative applications of geographic information system (GIS) technology in analysis, visualization, gaining insights into geospatial data, and thought leadership in the field of geo-spatial data.
NAVFAC EURAFCENTs GRC is a team of GIS analysts responsible for the GIS data and cartography for the Navy who support installation tenant commands and customers across the NAVFAC EURAFCENT Area of Operation. The team provides detailed installation maps, real property audit mapping, customized analysis of flood inundation areas, rising sea level, explosive and airfield safety while also conducting field surveying and verifications.
“The GIS team recently completed new tri-fold maps of Naples and Sigonella, to include building information, base services, helpful phrases in the local language, and emergency phone numbers,” Mike Volk, NAVFAC EURAFCENT, GRC manager, said. “These maps are distributed to new PCS arrivals in their Area of Orientation class. We are currently expanding this new map product to the remaining Installations.”
The Navy’s GeoReadiness program provides a central repository and distribution system for geo-spatial data and is a powerful tool for executing installation management, analysis, and decision functions that offers multiple “dataviews” of shared information resources.
“Our GIS data is constantly updated as new facilities are constructed, re-purposed, or demolished” Volk said. “Our GIS database is also automatically linked to the real property database, so customers have access to all of that additional information when they click on a GIS record in our online mapping service.”
The founder and president of Esri, Jack Dangermond, envisioned people collaborating and sharing how GIS affects everyone. This led to the establishment of GIS Day, which was first observed in 1999. The explosion of geospatial technology since then has expanded that idea into a global event that shows how geography, and the real-world applications of GIS are making a difference in business, government and society. It's a chance for organizations to share their accomplishments and inspire others to discover and use GIS.
NAVFAC EURAFCENTs GRC team joined hundreds of organizations worldwide by hosting an in-person booth at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy’s. Bella Napoli Food Court to celebrate the impactful work of GIS professionals and serve to ignite the imagination of the future innovators who will further advance global progress using GIS.
"Promoting GIS Day was a great opportunity to share and showcase what we do as the EURAFCENT GeoReadiness Center,” Laurel Davis, GIS Analyst, NAVFAC EURAFCENT GeoReadiness Center, said. “We were able to meet and talk to new customers and coworkers, provide them with Installation Orientation Maps, and share our contact information for any future mapping needs."
About Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe Africa Central
NAVFAC EURAFCENT manages facility project planning and design, including all related acquisition, construction, leasing, environmental, maintenance, and contingency support required by the Navy and Department of Defense commands where the Navy is designated as the lead agent in Europe, Southwest Asia, and the Gulf of Guinea, Africa, and the Horn of Africa. Subordinate Public Works Departments in Bahrain; Devesulu, Romania; Djibouti; Naples, Italy; Redzikowo, Poland; Rota, Spain; Sigonella, Italy; Souda Bay, Greece, provide facilities support service to each installation throughout the area of responsibility, and employs approximately 1,200 military, government civilians, local nationals and contractors.
For more information, contact NAVFAC EURAFCENT public affairs at +39 366.695.8800 or NAVFAC-EAC-PAO@us.navy.mil. Please reference package number at top of press release.