[Excerpts from Mar. 3 FEMA News Release]
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has established an Interagency Geospatial Preparedness Team (IGPT) to help make geospatial information and technologies more readily available to the national community of emergency managers and responders. Geospatial experts from FEMA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service lead the interagency team.

The IGPT will identify geospatial activities, policies and products that will increase the effectiveness of emergency preparedness and response activities on a national scale. Specifically, the team will assess the need for geospatial resources to support all hazards emergency management and the availability of geospatial information, systems and expertise. The IGPT's work involves:

- Developing a strategy for establishing and maintaining geospatial preparedness that includes data, standards, systems, and expertise;
- Leveraging existing intergovernmental and public/private partnerships; and
- Linking to relevant existing federal programs and initiatives.

The team is coordinating its work with that of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) e-government initiative, Geospatial One-Stop.

Full Release

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