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Power MAP is a dedicated public safety map viewer providing automatic display and management of calls, incidents, responses and resources. Power MAP's blend of sophisticated engineering and simplified operation allows agency personnel to locate callers and direct emergency responses quickly and accurately. Power MAP provides enhanced support of Wireless E911 calls and can configure each wireless provider's class of service to automatically search different data sources and display information that the operator needs - such as when to perform a repeat ALI.

Power MAP reads the E9-1-1 caller address or location data that accompanies the call (ALI) and performs an automatic "address find" within the GIS Map Data.

For any GIS mapping software to be able to find an address, it must have map data loaded into or linked to it. The degree to which this GIS mapping data is accurate, complete and matches the naming conventions of the roadways as reflected in the PSAP's ALI record format, as well as the degree to which the GIS mapping data accurately reflects the street address ranging in the PSAP's jurisdiction is what determines the degree to which such a function will work.

To locate an emergency call on a map, the GIS and mapping software designed for use in the public safety environment uses different address matching methods. These methods use two address layer types: Single House (point file) and Address Range (centerline). Within the Single House layer, each house is represented by a unique point or polygon (e.g., parcels) with the exact address attached to it. Within the Address Range layer, each road is represented by a line or line segments with a start address and an end address range attached to each segment.

For the road centerline, Power MAP takes a submitted address and interpolates where, on a roadway of that name within the city boundary area it should plot a house number. For example, a house number of 1234 on a roadway with an address range of 1200 - 1299, 1234 would be interpolated to be 34% of the way between 1200 and 1299, and plotted as such.

For a Single House, a point must have been created and entered for every conceivable address in the jurisdiction before they will all be able to be plotted.

To geocode the address in the ALI, the address must be in a standard format. This format can vary from very simple (e.g., 100 Main Street), to complex (e.g., 100b MAIN RD NO 48.75), to very complex (e.g., W100 N12100 MAIN RD NO 48.75).
Power MAP's Address Matching engine has been enhanced to support any complex address style and format. Many counties in the state of Wisconsin, for example, have a very complex address style as shown in the figure below.

With its enhanced address matching engine, Power MAP can successfully locate received calls with these address styles, as well as those in a standard style. The engine allows Power MAP to support any address style by simply adding new rules to the configuration, giving PSAPs more Power to Respond™.

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