LDS maps and emergency preparedness zones

Hello all- I am the EQ President in Kenai, AK and assisting in developing our Ward Emergency Plan. Our Ward boundaries are fairly vast (60+ sq. miles). In an effort to make assignments and coordinate resources, I would like to develop emergency preparedness zones within our Ward.

Are there any features within MLS to group households into a smaller areas within a Ward? I recall there being a local geo code in MLS, but I am not completely familiar with its intended function. Ideally, I would like to see the LDS maps able to assign different color placemarks for each zone (perhaps future versions).

Thanks for any input-

Pete

petecoots wrote:Hello all- I am the EQ President in Kenai, AK and assisting in developing our Ward Emergency Plan. Our Ward boundaries are fairly vast (60+ sq. miles). In an effort to make assignments and coordinate resources, I would like to develop emergency preparedness zones within our Ward.

Are there any features within MLS to group households into a smaller areas within a Ward? I recall there being a local geo code in MLS, but I am not completely familiar with its intended function. Ideally, I would like to see the LDS maps able to assign different color placemarks for each zone (perhaps future versions).

The MLS geocode feature really has little to do with geocoding as it is applied in the mapping community. Its most useful application is in the processes associated with analysing boundary realignments. More information can be found on the LDSTech Clerk Wiki. The wiki article Geo codeprovides information on that feature of MLS. You may also find the wiki article Maps and boundaries a useful place to start. It has links to several forum threads discussing aspects of maps that may be useful in emergency preparedness planning.

jdlessley wrote:The MLS geocode feature really has little to do with geocoding as it is applied in the mapping community. Its most useful application is in the processes associated with analysing boundary realignments. More information can be found on the LDSTech Clerk Wiki. The wiki article Geo codeprovides information on that feature of MLS. You may also find the wiki article Maps and boundaries a useful place to start. It has links to several forum threads discussing aspects of maps that may be useful in emergency preparedness planning.

There was another threadrecently discussing this subject. Basically, you are still on your own to define areas somehow and invent codes for them. Then you can manually enter these codes into the MLS Ward Geo Code field.

You might want to use Census tracts or block groups as your areas. Census draws those county subdivision to be roughly proportional to population, and make sense on the ground. Here is a link to some Census PDF mapsthat you can eyeball. Files for loading into GIS software are also available for free.

BTW, I'm surprised to read you comment that your ward boundaries "are fairly vast (60+ sq. miles)." That's really not very big, certainly nothing like I imagine Alaska to be like. My own urban-suburban ward is 160 square miles. Did you miss a digit?

RossEvans wrote: BTW, I'm surprised to read you comment that your ward boundaries "are fairly vast (60+ sq. miles)." That's really not very big, certainly nothing like I imagine Alaska to be like. My own urban-suburban ward is 160 square miles. Did you miss a digit?

I might have messed up using the borough's GIS drawing feature to roughly block out the boundaries. Wow, 160 sq. miles.... I would imagine some of the remote areas up north (bush Alaska) are much larger. The Ward here is about 100 air miles south of Anchorage on the road system.

Thanks for the input!

petecoots wrote:I might have messed up using the borough's GIS drawing feature to roughly block out the boundaries. Wow, 160 sq. miles.... I would imagine some of the remote areas up north (bush Alaska) are much larger. The Ward here is about 100 air miles south of Anchorage on the road system.

I imported your ward boundaries into a GIS program, and I reckon the area of your ward to be about 437 square miles -- by far the smallest in your stake. Meanwhile, I must correct the area of my own ward. It is only about 62 square miles. (I should learn to trust my tools more than my memory.)

So I have renewed respect for the vastness of Alaska.