YARMOUTH, ME - DeLorme, a leading developer of accessible geospatial software and data solutions, today announced the successful introduction of XMap/GIS Editor training to the curriculum at FEMA's National Fire Academy.

 
Firefighters and Emergency Planners from around the nation recently gathered for a training program that covered the development and creation of a workable Geographic Information System (GIS) using XMap/GIS Editor, DeLorme's easy-to-use and affordable GIS tool.

This hands-on training program offered emergency service personnel an opportunity to take a first step down the path towards the implementation of a sustainable GIS. Thanks to the straightforward interface and intuitive tools in XMap/GIS Editor, attendees quickly developed an understanding of GIS principles. Using real life scenarios, they also discovered how those GIS principles apply to emergency management.

Colleen Heilig, Planning and Information Management Curriculum Training Specialist, said, "Students were very excited about the GIS technology and this approach to community preparedness and response planning." 
 
The program included:

* Importing existing data in a variety of formats
* Collecting spatial data using GPS and other technologies
* Working with incident management database systems
* Displaying, analyzing, and querying data
* Sharing data through XMap Web

Since its release in February 2004, XMap/GIS Editor has played a vital role in countless emergency situations from the local to federal levels. Applications have included risk assessment and analysis, emergency preparedness, incident response and recovery operations.

Public safety officials recognize that, in order to be fully operational, a spatial information system must be accessible to those whose mission depends on it. XMap/GIS Editor provides such a platform by putting the GIS tools in the hands of those on the ground. With its included GPS and routing functions, XMap/GIS Editor is equally useful in the office or in the field where the real work of emergency management takes place.

About FEMA: FEMA is an independent agency of the federal government, reporting to the President. Since its founding in 1979, FEMA's mission has been to reduce loss of life and property and protect the United States' critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

About XMap: XMap is DeLorme's powerful geographic software platform synthesizing the latest in available data sources into interoperable GIS and GPS applications for industries and application around the world. For more information, go to www.delorme.com/professional.

About DeLorme: Located in Yarmouth, Maine, DeLorme has over 25 years of cartographic and software experience and over 125 employees dedicated to creating the best in mapping, GIS and GPS products with. DeLorme digital products are rooted in the DeLorme XMap development platform, which is scalable for future growth and endorsed by millions of dedicated digital mapping software users worldwide. The DeLorme business model transforms innovative technologies into affordable and easy-to-use navigation and mapping products.