Fort Smith GIS Program Is First on Board for Map

Fort Smith is the first city in Arkansas to participate in the U.S. Geological Survey’s “National Map” project and the first entity of any kind in America to commit to keeping its information current within a seven-day time frame.

The project uses Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to collect and maintain comprehensive infrastructure data nationwide. It will include, for instance, a map of all roads from interstates to municipal streets.

“This helps dispel the myth that there’s a lack of high-tech use in Arkansas, and in particular this part of the state,” said Russell Gibson, Fort Smith’s GIS coordinator and a member of the Arkansas Land Information Board.

“We’ve been using this for six or seven years, but it’s important to get that recognition at the national level.”

Shelby Johnson, the state geographic information coordinator, and Bill Sneed, a liaison in the U.S. Geological Survey’s mapping partnership office, both recently visited Fort Smith to see Gibson’s work in action.

The system will help with:

• State and federal sex offender registrations — Fort Smith police said the technology could cut their cost of notification from $200 per person in a neighborhood to about $40.

• Savings on initial engineering studies — estimates show developers could save up to $20,000 per job site in time and money to locate such things as underground utilities or flood plains.

• Fire insurance rate classifications — Fort Smith was about to be downgraded to a class IV city, but GIS mapping of things such as fire hydrants proved the city met class II qualifications, saving every property owner and business in the city insurance costs.

• A Central Business Improvement District property database function — online browsers can shop here for office and commercial space based on SF or a variety of other categories.

• Delivery services — United Parcel Service, FedEx Corp., DHL Inc., Sears Co., Home Depot Inc., et al., use onboard GIS technology and being on the GS map will help ensure timely deliveries.

• Information about city zoning and services — Everything from level of commercial zoning to school bus stops and voting sites are available.