Understanding Mapping

Introduction to Mapping

By default, when we get an alert from your dispatch, we attempt to generate a latitude and longitude for the alert location by searching Google Maps for the address your dispatch provided us. These are the steps we follow:

1. We check the call data sent by your dispatch for an address. If no address is given, we skip mapping completely.
2. We check for a city name. If your dispatch specifies a city, we will use it. If not, we check to see if you have set a default city. We will usually default to your county’s name if you haven’t. We will use the city from your account address if we don’t have that.
3. We check for a state. We use the one from your account address if no state is given.
4. We search Google Maps for “ADDRESS CITY, STATE”.Remember, if you didn’t give us a city, this will usually be “ADDRESS, COUNTY, STATE”.
5. We make sure the result is reasonable. This means calculating the distance as the crow flies between your main address and the one that Google returns in the search. If the distance is over 20 miles, we discard it and skip mapping. 
6. We can adjust the distance used to discard mapping that is too far away at the request of the agency’s admin. We replaced the city name with the one in the Google search. This is only done if your dispatch did not specify a city and we were forced to use a guess.

How to get the best mapping results with Active911

GPS coordinates from dispatch

Most CAD systems used by dispatch centers only send Active911 the street address and city name for the location of a call. Some CAD systems are capable of sending the GPS coordinates for the location of a call, in addition to sending the street address. GPS coordinates sent by dispatch for mapping in Active911 are the best way to get accurate mapping, AS LONG AS THE COORDINATES PROVIDED BY DISPATCH ARE ACCURATE. If your dispatch is sending us GPS coordinates, click here for more information about how to tell Active911 to use the coordinates for mapping.

Wiz

Wiz is a mapping system built by Active911 to use GIS shapefiles provided by users to improve mapping accuracy. If your department has a GIS shapefile that contains address points for the addresses in your jurisdiction, you can send that file to Active911 to use with Wiz and improve the mapping accuracy of your alerts. For more details about how Wiz works and what is required to use it, click here.

Mapping FAQ

The mapping for my alert took me to the wrong location.

This is one of the most common problems users experience. Many things could contribute to mapping/routing inaccuracies. The only way to determine and potentially fix the root problem is to report the issue directly to our support team (click here for contact information). Provide the following information to our support team for an alert that mapped/routed you incorrectly:

1. The Active911 number for the alert is found in the alert details screen for each individual alert.
2. Provide the full street address and city name for the location where you should have been mapped/routed.

Why did I not see a map?

Usually, no map means your dispatch didn’t specify an address, or the address they sent us didn’t map (it came up more than 20 miles away).

An intersection did not map properly!

Try searching maps.google.com for “INTERSECTION OF a AND b.” You may need to report the problem to Google if it does not map. If the roads do not intersect (an overpass, for example), try searching for “HIGHWAY a AT b.” Please let us know if it maps OK, but we did something wrong.

A mile marker did not map!

Google does not recognize mile markers as addresses and can’t provide routing. Try dispatching the location as an intersection or an address and including the mile marker in the details.

A railroad crossing did not map!

Google does not recognize railroad crossings as addresses and can’t provide routing for them. Try dispatching the location as an intersection or an address and adding the mile marker in the details.

What can I do to improve mapping?

Check with your dispatch to see if they can send us the GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude in decimal degrees) for the locations of your calls.

Make sure your dispatch sends us the city name!

Get set up to use our “Wiz” mapping system.

Let us know when something isn’t right. Please report incorrect mapping to support.