CalGIS 2025

Welcome to the 2025 CalGIS Annual Conference.

Keynote Address: Watch Duty: Empowering Communities with Real-Time Wildfire Intelligence
In an era of increasingly frequent and intense wildfires, timely, data-driven information can mean the difference between chaos and calm. After real problems really came to light in the wake of the 2017 firestorm and with a vision born after the 2020 Walbridge Fire, Watch Duty officially launched in August 2021.

This keynote will showcase how GIS, citizen-driven reporting, and cutting-edge technology are revolutionizing fire safety, evacuation zone monitoring, and emergency preparedness. Join us to learn how Watch Duty is bridging the gap between first responders, data-driven decision-making, and public safety—ensuring communities stay informed when every second counts. Nick Russell, VP of Operations, will share how Watch Duty’s collaborative approach to wildfire intelligence is empowering communities to act with confidence in moments that matter most.

Special Guest: Nick Russell, Vice President of Operations at Watch Duty
Nick Russell, Vice President of Operations at Watch Duty, as our keynote speaker. With over 15 years of operational management experience and a deep-rooted passion for radio technology to advance real-time wildfire reporting, Nick transitioned from a decade in agriculture and contributing as a dedicated volunteer, and joined Watch Duty full-time in August 2023. Nick’s key initiatives include the development of the Echo hardware radio system, enabling faster, more accurate wildfire information flow to both responders and the public. 

Sharing geographic datasets is a hallmark of the state’s geospatial community. With improved coordination between a dataset’s stewards, clearing houses to consolidate datasets, and those that use the data, our state’s collective efficiency with all location-based efforts should improve.

A moderated panel discussion with geospatial community leaders, along with audience open discussion, can shed light on the challenges the community has publishing, finding, and consuming authoritative datasets.

Discussion topics may include:

• The role of geodata portals in the state, e.g. California Geoportal and Esri’s Living Atlas
• Use of AI tools to gather and process geospatial datasets from disparate sources
• Defining and recognizing authoritative data sources
• More efficient methods to consume published datasets
• Data collaboration and sharing
• Metadata standardization