GIS and E-911 Mapping

The primary goals of Wythe County Geographic Information System (GIS) and Emergency 911 (E-911) Mapping are to provide information, analysis, digital and paper maps to county administration, departments, correspondent professional firms and the general public.  

Accurate E-911 data is mandatory in assisting Emergency Medical Service personnel (EMS), Fire and Rescue personnel, and the Sheriff’s Office in serving our county as effectively as possible.  New buildings and roads are inserted into the GIS, assigned E-911 addresses, and logged into the database daily.   

County GIS and E-911 Mapping staff generate these buildings and other raw data using state of the art technologies such as global positioning satellites (GPS) and accompanying hardware and software, mobile and stationary computer systems, and internet and intranet resources.  When implemented into the GIS, vast amounts of data can be displayed allowing us to analyze and interpret the relationships between the spatial distribution of geographic data and the landscape.

Utilizing specialized software, users outside the department can view data from the GIS on their computers without fear of manipulating the data.  Interaction among county departments encourages feedback to the GIS which is essential in exploiting the benefits of the GIS by keeping data current and accurate. This circulation of information within county agency infrastructure, coupled with cooperation from federal, state and local entities make GIS and E-911 mapping an integral component of effective government.  

Short term goals are to continually add and improve layers in the GIS, particularly update water/waste water layers. We are striving to find new ways to implement GIS technology to better our direction.  E-911 layers are corrected and updated daily, as is the tax parcel layer.  

Long range goals are to print an updated set of tax maps depicting corrected tax parcel information, and to create an avenue for worldwide internet users to view Wythe County GIS data online via the county’s website.  Community students may one day be able to receive training while helping build new layers and learning about Wythe County Administration, GIS, and E-911.