GIS Planimetrics for Cecil County

Cecil County is requesting quotations from parties interested in updating the geographic information systems based (GIS) planimetric used in the call taking software at the County's E-911 public safety answering point. The planimetric required to be updated include:

1) Accessory structures (i.e. patios, decks, concrete pads, etc. greater than 100 square feet in size)

2) Buildings

3) Driveways

4) Outbuildings

5) Parking Lots

6) Quarries

7) Roads

8) Sidewalks

9) Treeline

The selected response shall be used as the basis for preparing a grant application to the Maryland 911 Board, which funds GIS data readiness for geospatial call routing associated with 911 call taking. Staff from Cecil County plan to present the grant application to the Maryland 911 Board in Spring 2025. Receiving funding for the project is not guaranteed. Should the Maryland 911 Board choose not to fund the grant application, Cecil County may (or may not) use the selected response as part of its internal budget process for the County's fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025. Again, funding for this project is not guaranteed.

Geospatial call routing enables more accurate call routing than traditional E911 systems and can reduce the number of call transfers due to misrouted calls. More accurate call taking results in faster emergency response times, thus enabling (amongst other things) higher probabilities of saved lives and decreased likelihood of property damage.

Planimetrics improve visualization of existing features for call takers, making features such as sheds or sidewalks more distinguishable from underlying aerial photography. Essentially digitized outlines of cautious features, planimetrics improve call routing in geographic statements such as "...On the sidewalk near the part of Red Hill Rd with the trees..." or "...Behind the two sheds near the parking lot..."

Many circumstances demand a closer look, and thus, planimetrics are one of the main ingredients for successful geospatial call routing. GIS data stewardship documents have stated that "The most precise depiction of a geographic area superimposes planimetric details atop aerial imagery to create an accurate framework for 911 call-taking."

The Maryland 911 Board graciously funds the acquisition of new aerial imagery for Cecil County (and the rest of Maryland's eastern shore counties) every few years. The 2024 aerial imagery was delivered in December 2024. The selected respondents shall use the new 2024 imagery as the basis of the updated planimetrics.

Cecil County has planimetrics from past years that may prove useful to respondents wanting to utilize some degree of "change detection" software in their efforts. Specifically, in 2022 the Maryland 911 Board funded the updating of existing planimetrics to match the (then new) 2022 aerial imagery.

A zipped file geodatabase containing the 2022 surface planimetrics is available for download at:

https://www.ccgov.org/home/showpublisheddocument/44087/638393733522830000

A zip file containing the 2022 treeline planimetric is available for download from:

https://www.ccgov.org/home/showpublisheddocument/11945/638393732127030000

The 2024 aerial imagery consists of 2,312 individual tiles flown at three inch pixel resolution. A REST endpoint for the entirety of the 2024 imagery is currently under development, but a sample (eight individual tiles) has been made available for download at: https://ccgov.files.com/f/83f8881f4dfce2ca . the entirety of the 2024 imagery will be made available to the selected respondent.

Interested respondents are encouraged to peruse and investigate all three datasets using their favorite GIS software prior to formulating a response to this RFQ.