Denver Regional Data Consortium April 2025 newsletter

The data consortium comprises Denver Regional Council of Governments members and regional partners interested in geospatial data and collaboration. The data consortium newsletter improves communication among local geographic information systems professionals and features updates from all levels of government related to data and geospatial initiatives in the region. This newsletter is published biannually.

Enhanced emergency response through risk-based mapping

Article submitted by Emma Dirolf of Viewpoint Geospatial. Emma can be reached at emma@viewpointgeospatial.com.

Identifying properties that pose serious threats or significant hazards is essential to the safety and well-being of first responders during emergencies. A web-based map highlighting buildings or properties at risk of fire or other incidents that could lead to loss of life, substantial property damage or widespread community effect is essential in improving emergency response.

Viewpoint Geospatial staff developed a building feature symbolized by risk using Esri’s Target Hazard Analysis to address the need. By leveraging various open data sources and inspection records, staff integrated the feature into the South Adams County Fire Department’s mobile response maps.

Staff developed the Target Hazard feature using multiple data sources, including:

• DRCOG’s building roof prints: Provided baseline data for building heights and occupancy descriptions.
• Adams County open data: Contributed building footprints, parcels and address points. Additional structures, addresses and parcel identifiers were identified.
• Adams County Assessor’s Office: Supplied property valuation and improvements data, detailing attributes such as year built, square footage, number of rooms, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, garage type (attached or detached), basement presence and exterior materials.
• South Adams County Fire Department’s inspection data: Validated building details for accuracy.

By combining these datasets, Viewpoint Geospatial staff developed a comprehensive risk-based building feature that enhances the South Adams County Fire Department’s ability to assess hazards and improve emergency response planning. Integrated into a regional mobile app, it provides immediate access to key data.

The Target Hazard feature uses a color-coded risk score, simplifying risk assessment. The score considers the following:

• Occupancy Type: Risk varies by building type.
• Life safety: Identifies buildings with higher occupancy or vulnerable populations.
• Building area and height: Larger or taller buildings may require more resources.
• Fire flow: Refers to water availability and firefighting resources.
• Economic impact: Estimate financial loss from damage.

The Target Hazard feature enhances emergency response with key benefits, including:

• Enhanced preparedness: First responders can identify high-risk properties before arriving.
• Faster response times: Improved situational awareness helps prioritize actions, reducing casualties and losses.
• Community safety: Focusing on high-risk buildings mitigates disaster effects.

The approach leverages data and technology to enhance safety, improve emergency response, and protect responders and civilians. Integrating multiple data sources ensures a comprehensive and reliable risk assessment, providing up-to-date information that strengthens response capabilities.

DRCOG data acquisition updates

Article submitted by Josh Pendleton, geographic information specialist at DRCOG. Josh can be reached at jpendleton@drcog.org.  

Since 2002, the Denver Regional Council of Governments has facilitated Regional Data Acquisition Projects to benefit local and regional partners, including cities, towns and counties. A foundation effort is the biennial Denver Regional Aerial Photography Project, which recently wrapped up its 2024 effort with data deliveries to partners. The most recent vintage is only available to paying partners, but all historical vintages (2002-2022) are available to the public. Now that the 2024 imagery has been delivered to partners, the 2022 data is available via the DRCOG Regional Data Catalog. User can download individual tiles by clicking on the specific tile in the map preview window.

The biennial Regional Planimetrics Project adapts high-resolution imagery captured through the Denver Regional Aerial Photography Project to digitize features of the built environment. The project typically captures nine features, including building roof prints, edge of the pavement, parking lots, sidewalks, trails, pedestrian ramps and driveways. The project to develop 2024 data kicks off this spring. Data will be delivered in seven phases, and paying partners will have the opportunity to ensure the data meets their specifications through a quality assurance/quality control process. Once the process is complete, the full 2024 regional datasets will be publicly available in May 2026. The nine datasets from 2022 are currently available on the Regional Data Catalog.

DRCOG staff are currently engaging with potential partners for the 2026 Denver Regional Aerial Photography Project. An in-person meeting for potential partners will be held at 1:30 p.m. on April 29 at the DRCOG offices at 1001 17th Street in Denver. DRCOG staff will send quotes to potential partners in the early summer. DRCOG staff are seeking commitments from partners by mid-October and to be under contract with the vendor by the beginning of 2026. Flights will commence in the spring and summer of 2026 to capture aerial photography. If you are interested, please contact Josh Pendleton at 303-480-6784 or jpendleton@drcog.org.

Using MediaWiki to support internal documentation

Article submitted by Jenny Wallace, Geographic Information Systems manager at DRCOG. Jenny can be reached at jwallace@drcog.org.   

Have you ever considered how to keep your team’s workflows, data development and other transferable knowledge centralized and organized?  Have you ever tried implementing standard operating procedures documentation and lost momentum and team buy-in?  If so, consider adding MediaWiki to your suite of tools!

A “wiki” is a type of website that can be edited from the web browser. MediaWiki is an open-source wiki engine (similar to Wikipedia). Core features include:

• Easy page editing and version control: Update and track changes effortlessly.
• User management and permissions: Restrict access to specific users or teams.
• Categorization and tags: Organize content for quick retrieval.
• Full-text search and custom navigation: Find information fast.
• Flexible deployment options: Install on-premises or in the cloud (pre-built images available on Azure and Amazon web services.

The DRCOG Geographic Information Systems team has leveraged MediaWiki for over a decade to document workflows, technical infrastructure and standard operating procedures. Here’s how MediaWiki has transformed DRCOG Geographic Information Systems team operations:

• Efficient knowledge transfer: The DRCOG internal wiki is the first stop for new team members and serves as a continuous knowledge-sharing platform.
• Comprehensive documentation: Staff use it to record data development workflows, analyses and mapping processes.
• Enhanced cross-training and peer review: Ensures documentation is complete, repeatable and up-to-date.
• Easy access and low cost: Accessible through a web browser with minimal implementation and maintenance costs.
• Customizable and expandable: Supports extensions like embedded video tutorials for richer documentation.

If you’re struggling with fragmented documentation or outdated standard operating procedures, an in-house wiki could be the game-changer you need. With a centralized, flexible and fully searchable platform, you can keep your team’s knowledge organized, accessible and updated.

(OpenAI, 2025; ChatGPT, April 3 version, large language model)

Denver Regional Data Consortium Activities

Newsletters are published twice per year, in April and October. Please submit your content for publication using the submission form. Remember, writing an article = GISP points!  Visit the DRCOG website for past newsletter issues.

Meetings occur twice per year, in January and July. If your organization would like to host a meeting, please contact DRCOG Geographic Information Systems manager Jenny Wallace at jwallace@drcog.org. Please submit your presentation or training ideas via the survey.

If you need digital accessibility assistance, submit a request at drcog.org/access or call 303-455-1000. Please expect a response within 72 hours (three business days).