Download Implementation of MapVision, a Geospatial Data Management

Implementation of MapVision, a Geospatial Data Management System, and Entrance into the
Information Age
David E. Heft & Monica Patterson
Turlock Mosquito Abatement District, 4412 N. Washington Road, Turlock, CA 95380
[email protected]; [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Efficient data collection and utilization has become critical in today’s mosquito and vector control
workplace. Traditional practices in the mosquito control industry typically included paper-and-pencil
data entry and storage. As data base systems became more user friendly, data may have been entered
into a computer database such as Microsoft Access or iisual ooPrro. hhile storing the data in a digital
fashion may have made storage more efficient, effective reporting and utilization of the data were often
absent. hithin the past decade, geospatial data management systems have improved dramatically due
to the increased effectiveness of GrS measurements, GIS digital mapping systems and high-speed
internet access. Correspondingly, as these systems have been implemented and used more-and-more in
government, the public’s ePpectations concerning transparency and data access have increased. In
today’s world; public agencies who don’t have a significant presence on the internet are increasingly
viewed in a negative fashion.
rolicy issues affecting mosquito and vector control agencies have changed over the last decade. hest
Nile virus is now found throughout the state of California and many counties are battling invasive species
that are on the move, such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. These invasive species transmit new
diseases of their own, such as Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya viruses. In addition, adult mosquitoes in
California are showing significant amounts of resistance to pyrethroids which pose a direct threat to the
effectiveness of mosquito control programs in the state. oinally, districts face mounting regulatory and
legal pressures requiring ePtensive reporting and detailed logging of all chemical applications. To be
frank, districts are being asked to do more than ever before, with less and less resources. In response,
many districts, such as the Turlock Mosquito Abatement District (“District”), have turned to geospatial
data management systems, such as Mapiision, to help them overcome these additional commitments
and constraints and to meet growing public ePpectations.
In 2015, the District purchased the Mapiision data management system with the following goals in
mind:
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Meet public ePpectations
Assist with regulatory requirements
Improve communication and efficiency
Assist supervision and enable timely decisions
Reduce costs
Using the Mapiision system, the District significantly improved transparency to the public. hest Nile
virus positive dead birds and mosquito pools are mapped online providing the public the opportunity to
view where disease transmission is taking place in their communities. In addition, colored polygons are
overlaid onto the map representing the areas where the District will be conducting aerial and/or ground
adulticide spraying missions. This allows the public to reconcile District control activities directly with
disease transmission events reinforcing the District’s message that where, when and why we spray is
directly correlated with surveillance data. All control activities are directly entered into Mapiision from
the field eliminating time and errors by not requiring data entered multiple times by multiple employees.
Reporting requirements, such as monthly resticide Use Reports and annual NrDES reports, have been
automated and continue to be improved. In addition, the process of tracking and sending out billing has
been significantly simplified. Considering that personnel costs are the largest part of the District’s
budget, anything that improves efficiency and allows staff to take on additional projects without
increasing staff size is a considerable cost savings.
Control staff get immediate access to surveillance data in their zones allowing for much more timely
decision making. Questions or complaints by the public can be immediately handled since all control
activities are logged and mapped for easy retrieval. This immediacy conveys a level of confidence to the
public which often diminishes any complaints since it portrays to the public that the district is well
managed and in control of their activities.
In terms of future development, the District and Leading Edge plan to design dashboards for control
technicians in which chemical use and costs are tracked in real-time and compared against assigned
budgets. Employees will be ePpected to make choices based on sound control strategies, resistance
rotations, and cost effectiveness. In addition, sources will be linked to ArN numbers and control costs at
individual properties will be tracked. Using “cost” as a data indicator, the District will be able to identify
those properties that are having significant breeding issues immediately and take steps to eliminate
these sources avoiding long-term control costs. This not only allows the District to significantly reduce
costs but allows for quick identification and elimination of noteworthy breeding sources. By embracing
the use of GIS and data management, the District has increased public confidence in what we do,
improved our service to the public and reduced current in future costs by continuing to do more, with
less.