Press Release

iMapData Helps Department of Homeland Security Validate First Responder Credentials

ALPHARETTA, GA – August 9, 2007 - iMapData played a key role in a recent multi-jurisdictional demonstration to test processes and operations at Emergency Operations Centers nationwide in the event of a terrorist attack or an "all hazards" event. The day-long effort, named Summer Breeze, was conducted at several locations around the U.S. by the Department of Homeland Security Office of National Capital Region Coordination and the Department of Defense Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

iMapData delivered critical infrastructure data, interactive mapping tools and powerful reporting capabilities to provide DHS and other senior government officials with realtime situational awareness throughout the demonstration. Participants were able to quickly access critical information and to generate intuitive maps and reports to enhance decision making and information sharing.

"We were honored to be invited to participate in this crucial demonstration," said Larry DeFranco, iMapData vice president and general manager. "We are confident that our technology and information resources can help our nation’s first responders more effectively and efficiently respond to critical incidents – be they natural disasters, terrorist attacks or technological emergencies."

The demonstration was specifically designed to validate the functionality of the First Responder Authentication Credential (FRAC), a high-tech standards-based identification credential developed in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. FRACs enable incident commanders to electronically verify the identity and professional attributes (skill sets) of emergency personnel in real-time responses to an incident.

During the exercise, officials used iMapData to:

• Visually identify when and where participants entered and exited the demonstration
• Access responders’ contact information
• Ascertain each responder’s Emergency Support Function (ESF), such as law enforcement or search and rescue
• Identify any special skills, such as Hazmat training, which assist in providing an effective response.

Armed with this information, officials could more quickly and effectively dispatch emergency personnel with the required skill sets. They could also grant first responders access to government buildings and secure areas immediately, instead of waiting for their out-of-area credentials to be confirmed.

iMapData also played a critical role in Winter Storm, the predecessor to Summer Breeze. Held on February 15, 2007, Winter Storm involved more than 50 organizations in more than 20 locations across the United States. Future demonstrations are expected to show increased functionality and additional real use case scenarios of the FRAC.

For disaster planning and response, iMapData provides situational awareness and an operating picture of the disaster scene. Emergency managers can quickly view critical facilities and infrastructure within an area of concern and access important details, such as the number of beds in a hospital or contact information for local schools. They can easily generate maps and reports to quickly share critical information internally and with federal, state and local responders.

About iMapData Inc.

For more than 25 years, iMapData has helped government and commercial organizations quickly make intelligent, data-driven decisions. Using iMapData’s web-based applications, clients easily correlate their information with the company’s vast library of cleaned and regularly updated data to clarify complex scenarios and reach actionable conclusions. Each iMapData solution is uniquely tailored to the client’s needs, incorporating the most relevant geospatial data sets and analytical functionality to deliver meaningful results. For more information, call (866) 650-4627 or visit www.iMapData.com.

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