Data Management, Sharing, and Dissemination at Drills and Spills

Abstract

ABSTRACT # 2017-234 The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) has drafted a “Data Management and Sharing Plan” document for use in drills and oil spill response in California. Implementation of this plan will help to avoid compartmentalized isolation of information within the ICS units and sections, will facilitate data dissemination throughout the broader response community, and provide continuance throughout staff changes over a prolonged response. The OSPR document is a modified version of a document first created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R)1. In May of 2015 the OR&R document was adapted by OSPR and OR&R for use at the Refugio Pipeline Spill in Santa Barbara, California. This was the first use of such a document at an oil spill response in California. That document version has been subsequently revised by OSPR. The OSPR document retains all of the components of the original OR&R version but has been re-formatted in order to replace technological jargon with plain English to accommodate Incident Commanders and others less familiar with Geographic Information System (GIS) specific technical terms. The document addresses the use of a GIS based Common Operational Picture (COP), specific essential elements of information to be collected, data management, data sharing, requirements for field reporting, data quality control, data file formats, and data archiving. The current OSPR document is designed as a template for regular use by California’s State on Scene Coordinator (SOSC), and can be easily filled out and modified to the specific needs of any oil spill response incident.