Mapping a more secure future

MANAGING TECHNOLOGY

For years, police, fire, emergency

teams and even the FBI have helped maintain security when the Olympics are held in the United States. But recent events pushed security at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City to a new level, involving not only traditional security forces, but also seemingly unrelated agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Customs Service, and Immigration and Naturalization Service. But perhaps most noteworthy was the critical role played by a federal agency that didn't even exist before 1996.

IMAGE ILLUSTRATION 2

During the Salt Lake City Olympics, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency provided critical geographic information to the FBI and other authorities. The data, which incorporated information from the U.S. Geological Survey as well as military agencies, enabled authorities to analyze the area around the Olympic venues for potential security problems. Although NIMA had supported national security special events in the past, its data became particularly critical because of elevated security concerns as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, says Anita Cohen, director of NIMA's Office of the Americas. Now, the FBI uses NIMA data on all deployments that involve concerns about terrorist activity. Recent examples include last year's Sept. 11 commemoration in New York City and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.