Spatial Vision provide all of the maps for the Victorian Emergency Services. We use these maps ourselves when out in the bush. The DVD maps are in OziExplorer format and can easily be transferred to a PDA or Hema Navigator.
The Spatial Vision Press release from 2008 states "
Spatial Vision is pleased to release the new Central Region Vicmap Book 2nd Edition. The new book includes the latest State government data and has been extensively reviewed by CFA brigades.
The new Central Vicmap Book is the first of the 2nd edition series and will be available from mid-late August 2008. Spatial Vision has committed to updating all five books in the series every two years with the other 2nd Edition books scheduled for completion over the next 18 months.
Following the completion of the first edition of the Vicmap Book series a comprehensive review of the map books was undertaken. This review was also informed by user feedback from the emergency services and the general public. The outcomes of the review resulted in a comprehensive data improvement program that has been incorporated into the 2nd Edition map books.
Specific improvements have included validation of road information, especially in relation to road class and road seal; updating of strategic water point data (water tanks, stand pipes, drafting locations) and improvements in building and landmark information (sheds, halls, bridge names, radio towers, silos, etc). The validation and updating work was undertaken by Country Fire Authority (CFA) brigade members, government officers of Department of Sustainability & Environment (DSE) and Spatial Vision
"This new series will really benefit from the hard work and partnership of the CFA, DSE and Spatial Vision. We believe this hard work has resulted in a much improved Central Region book that will help the Emergency Services efficiently and effectively continue their great work and also provide a great product to the recreation and business markets", said Glenn Cockerton, Managing Director of Spatial Vision.
A new process in the production of the 2nd Edition has been the introduction of field checking by the CFA which is now underway for the South West Region where 1,300 maps have been sent out to the local CFA brigades. These maps included over 10,000 changes to road seal information and over 1,400 landmarks captured from old CFA map books.
One of the key differences between this process and previous CFA map checking activities is that updates (especially those related to roads) are being made to the State's map base, and are therefore available to all users (including the ESTA 000 Emergency Dispatch System).
One of the findings of the 2003 Victorian Bushfire Inquiry undertaken by the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner (OESC) was concern over the lack of a common topographic map base being used by various emergency services agencies - an issue that has been addressed through the publication of the Vicmap Books' in both hardcopy and digital form.
The 2nd Edition Vicmap Books for the North West and South West Regions will be available later this year followed by the North East and South East books in 2009."
