[StBernard] New geocoding software being used in St. Bernard Parish helps oil spill response activities

[Westley Annis]

New geocoding software being used in St. Bernard Parish helps oil spill
response activities

Monitoring system recognized by two BP evaluation teams as providing a "Best
Practice" service in this oil spill response

 

St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro, Jr. said a new software
system from a company called Pathfinders' Task Force has been in St. Bernard
Parish helping map and track boating activities every day for more than 175
boats.  The system uses cell phones which work without cell towers.

Pathfinders is currently only being used in St. Bernard to assist the parish
in this man-made tragedy, and this geolocation system and support network
was recognized by two BP evaluation teams as providing a "Best Practice"
service in this oil spill response.

Pathfinders' Task Force has been supporting the St. Bernard Unified Command
in Hopedale in its effort to deploy, inspect, and maintain over 65 miles of
hard boom. Numerous reports and custom forms from safety, oil observations,
and wildlife agencies are submitted daily as a result of this system.  About
175 boats including St. Bernard Commercial Fleet vessels, Louisiana Wildlife
& Fisheries and Oil Spill Response Organization boats use this system daily.


Pathfinders provides a mobile geocoding service for automated reporting of
boom locations and conditions. Pathfinders' network is organized on a
modular basis, is easy to copy, and can be scaled up or down to accommodate
the specific needs of other Gulf Coast communities.  

A recently discovered deceased porpoise was documented through this system,
as was recently confirmed patches of oil discovered just off of the
Chandeleur Islands. 

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