vip：分享一个分类google地图地标
http://virtualglobetrotting.com/
vip：再分享一个google地图地标生成工具
https://www.batchgeo.com
vip：一些老外早先收集的相关工具，可能个别过期
Category Name/Website Description How to access
Charts/Graphs RAW Copy/paste a table to create advancded charts (tree mapping, cluster graph, etc) http://app.raw.densitydesign.org/ this is a pretty fun website to try. You can only use certain graphs depending on your data. Try it with something simple to start like just month and call category
Charts/Graphs VIDI project to collect data vizualiation tools that offers many downloads http://www.dataviz.org/
Charts/Graphs ExcelCharts Blog with a bunch of information on charts/data/Excel http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/
Charts/Graphs FF Chartwell Create simple graphs with a clean, modern look https://www.fontfont.com/how-to-use-ff-chartwell while these are beautiful, simple graphs, you could probably accomplish the same in Excel but I wanted to include it just in case someone might be interested
Charts/Graphs Google Charts Simple to use, create interactive or static charts using data tools https://developers.google.com/chart/
Communication Microsoft Word Mail Merge For anybody who needs to contact a bunch of emails with specialized info, Mail Merge is the answer see document "Mail Merge" Spend the time to learn this and you'll save yourself SO MUCH TIME. I can send 1,000 emails in 15 seconds where each FD gets their own information
Communication Email Signature Take advantage of this space! Include a link to your website or social media Signature Settings in your email Always include your email address in the signature. When emails are forwarded, only your name may remain, leaving recipients without your address
Communication LinkedIn Professional networking. This is NOT Facebook. Make connections, share information, get your program/name out there http://www.linkedin.com Add any articles you've written, share status updates like "thanks to FD for hosting training" or share valuable information. Literally reach millions.
Communication Facebook A Facebook Page can be professional. Share pictures, stats, and updates about your department https://www.facebook.com Make sure to create a Page, not a "person" on Facebook. Person profiles must be "friended" while Pages are "Liked" and then followed by the likers.
Communication Twitter Continue your social media presence by short updates and pictures here https://www.twitter.com Pictures get the most interaction (on any social media platform really) but they can save you space here when you can't type everything out.
Communication HootSuite Manage multiple social media accounts and even schedule content https://hootsuite.com/ The link shortener alone can buy you some serious text real estate instead of tying up your entire tweet with a link.
Communication Log Me In Rescue Take over a computer from yours instead of trying to walk someone through a computer process https://www.logmeinrescue.com/ I can't tell you how much time I'd spend on the phone trying to walk someone through fixing a simple computer problem. Instead, now I do it for them in a few minutes.
Communication National League of Cities maintain a list of contacts for the League of Municipalities. Useful for State PMs http://www.nlc.org/ My state League let me write an article on NFIRS presenting the importance to city leaders and explaining how it impacted them, not just the FD
Communication National Association of Counties Good resource to get contact info/listings of your county commissioners http://www.naco.org/Pages/default.aspx If you have district/rural chiefs that refuse to comply with NFIRS, reaching out to the County Commissioners can lead to results.
Communication Email Macro macro sends emails scheduled in the spreadsheet see packet Michelle uses this macro to send email reminders to a staff member on when cigarette manufacterers are coming up on the schedule
Data Analysis Flowing Data Advanced! Serious tools for computer savvy people analyzing and presenting data http://flowingdata.com/
Data Analysis Visualizing.org A community of people making sense of complex issues through data and design http://www.visualizing.org/
Data Analysis Tableau Data analysis through dynamic visualizaton (charts, graphs, maps, tables). Warning: don't use confidential information unless you pay for the Desktop or Server version http://www.tableau.com/ Josh's (South Carolina Fire Marshal Office) presentation showed how he uses Tableau to present "grades" of the FD reporting. This is available online.
Data Analysis Circos Software package (advanced) for circular visualizations great at showing relationships of variables http://circos.ca/
Data Analysis Gapminder Desktop Software package creating graphs. View the iconic TED talk to see it in action: http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen?language=en http://www.gapminder.org/desktop/ This creates advanced graphics that can run on a timeline. Up to 600 indicators can be analyzed and it does best with population data
Data Analysis Wordle Generate "word clouds" based on text. Copy/paste ease with some color/font choices. http://www.wordle.net/ If you need help condensing your ideas, Wordle can analyze your most common words
Data Analysis Spotfire analytics software for data exploration and decisions includes forcasting and R integration http://spotfire.tibco.com/ This appears to be very close to Tableau. Unsure of how they stack up against each other currently.
Data Analysis R Statistical computing and analysis. Advanced users only. Take a free online class (Coursera) http://cran.r-project.org/ Seriously, don't play with this out of the blue. This is advanced Data Science and takes time to learn like any other programming language
Data Analysis Google Fusion Tables Work with larger files in a better format than Google spreadsheets https://support.google.com/fusiontables/answer/2571232 I've seen Fusion Tables used to create some pretty cool Heat Maps.
Data Cleaning DataWrangler Interactive tool for data cleaning and transformation http://vis.stanford.edu/wrangler/
Data Cleaning Google-Refine Fast data cleanup, especially useful for condensing all the mispelled/variations https://code.google.com/p/google-refine/ This would be the perfect tool for wrangling all the different variations of streets (like MLK vs Martin Luther King)
Dataset Data.gov Catalog Online catalog of free data made available by the U.S. Government http://catalog.data.gov/dataset#sec-groups
Dataset NumberOf/HowMany Need a quick stat for "how many are there?" Check here. "How many babies" "how many pets" etc. http://www.numberof.net/
Dataset LANDFIRE Data Distribution Site dynamic online map interface to view US Geological Survey datasets http://landfire.cr.usgs.gov/viewer/
Dataset Google Ngram Viewer Type in a phrase and watch the graph react. Spikes indicate a phrase appears more often in literature https://books.google.com/ngrams/ Watch the graph to see spikes in the timeline. Try it with Fire Death and see when people really started talking about deaths in fires.
Dataset Google Public Data Search for datasets specifically. http://www.google.com/publicdata/directory#
EVERYTHING Snipping Tool Already on your computer. Draw a shape around something on your screen. Save the image or copy it. Now you can email it! All Programs>Accessories>Snipping Tool This tool replaces the old Screenshot method that captured your entire monitor(s). Much faster. Use it to show someone directly what you've got.
EVERYTHING Disk Cleanup Computers slow down unless they're cleaned. Run periodically (more with high internet usage). See document "Disk Cleanup" A well maintained computer is going to keep you working faster. Don't waste your time waiting on your computer to catch up!
EVERYTHING Paint Already on your computer. Use it to make a quick simple edit to a picture All Programs>Accessories>Paint yes it's low key but I use it all the time to add text to a photo quickly, draw shapes around areas for emphasis, and even change colors when working on maps.
Inspiration Story Telling with Data Blog about using data in presentations. Lots of inspiration here http://www.storytellingwithdata.com/
Inspiration David McCandless Simply stunning presentations of data. Inspiration only. Watch the TED talk. http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/
Inspiration Junk Charts Looking to improve your data viz? check this blog out for critique http://junkcharts.typepad.com/junk_charts/
Inspiration Infostetics Inspiration: Where form follows data. http://infosthetics.com/
Inspiration Periodic Table of Visualization Method What kind of chart is that?! Hover over for examples. http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html
Inspiration TED talks Ok, so file this one under "I need motivation" or "I need inspiration" or "I need a new outlook" http://www.ted.com/ My favorite TED talk of all time is Simon Sinek: How great leaders insprie action because of his idea of the Golden Circle. It's changed how I present NFIRS. It might change your mind, too.
Inspiration AFG Grant Award Archive State PM's: check this list. Are your non-compliant departments receiving grants? https://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant-awards After checking who was on the list in KS, I sent emails to those departments detailing their award and need to report to NFIRS. I had instant success.
Mapping BatchGeo Copy/Paste a table to create a map. Site will geocode for you. https://en.batchgeo.com/ This did a really good job of geocoding addresses. It will save the map as its own address and you get a link to edit it later if you need
Mapping Mapbox Creating absolutely stunning maps for the advanced user https://www.mapbox.com/
Mapping Excel to KML Get your Excel files into a KML file which can be uploaded to Google Earth http://www.earthpoint.us/ExcelToKml.aspx Midway through the page is a link to creating KML files that will create "routes". I've used this with Investigations but you could use it for Apparatus drives.
Mapping Google Earth Pro Pro is free now! Use code GEPFREE to upgrade to the Pro version of Google Earth. http://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html If you need your data in Google Earth, you can use the KML generator to get your spreadsheet formatted correctly
Mapping Earth Point Convert coordinates. Useful especially in locating Hydrants if the wrong conversion is used http://www.earthpoint.us/Convert.aspx
Mapping Microsoft MapPoint Sadly, Microsoft stopped selling this but if you have it (or access) it is a fast, easy to use software for mapping NA I realize that Google Maps has better "pinpoint" mapping but I like using MapPoint for heat or density maps and created them quickly for my annual report.
Mapping Esri pretty much the flagship of GIS software technology. Well supported, well established company http://www.esri.com/ Esri offers many products from the light Explorer to the heavy duty ArcGIS Server. There's a level for everybody. Be careful not to use confidential information for the free Explorer
Mapping qGIS open source GIS software with a big community of developers. Advanced users. http://www.qgis.org/en/site/ Open source means no company support. Don't use this one unless you have considerable experience in GIS
Mapping Google Maps import data into My Maps. Requires sign in. Google Maps handles vague addresses better than others https://www.google.com/maps/mm Josh does amazing maps with color coding here
Publication Canva online design tool for making non-watermarked images/publications www.canva.com There are premium elements that cost $1 apiece but you can do without them just fine
Publication Unsplash High resolution photos under creative commons license. These photos do not require attribution www.unsplash.com This is the only site I know of where you don't have to give attribution to the author. ALWAYS CHECK THE LICENSE when downloading pictures
Publication FreeImages Images under creative commons license but may require attribution http://www.freeimages.com/ Always check the license to see if you can use it commercially
Publication Duke's Intro to Data Visualization Quick article on data visualation do's and don'ts http://guides.library.duke.edu/topten
Publication Online Article 200 Best Graphic, App, and Web Design Tools http://dailytekk.com/2012/07/31/200-graphic-app-web-design-tools-resources/?reading=continue
Publication Online Article 100 Incredible Infographic Tools/Resources http://dailytekk.com/2012/02/27/over-100-incredible-infographic-tools-and-resources/?reading=continue
Publication Online Article 22 free tools for data visualization and analysis http://www.computerworld.com/article/2507728/enterprise-applications-22-free-tools-for-data-visualization-and-analysis.html
Publication Microsoft Publisher Create nice, quality publications especially useful for newsletters and annual reports NA The learning curve can be a bit steep if you've only used Word but the freedom in formatting (moving text exactly where you want it) pays off. Same with the ability to arrange pages
Quality Google Maps Area Calculator Speculate no more on acres burned! Draw a shape around the area burned and get a total http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-area-calculator-tool.htm For real, this was so fast I learned how to use it in seconds at the Workshop (as I was showing it)
Quality Dollar Loss Estimation tool created for Cedar Rapids, IA. Sheet goes to the county appraiser for pre-incident value and then uses a calculation to provide estimation of loss based on damage see packet If you want to use this, you'll need to make sure to find out what your square footage calculations should be. The formulas here use property valuation for Cedar Rapids
Quality Specialized Cheat Sheets Developed by looking at local codes used most often and using real world language see packet This is just an example of a cheat sheet format that works well by removing unused codes and looking right at what the FD needs
Quality Property Loss Estimation Tool Works to look at zip codes with building valuation data for loss estimates under development
Quality App for NFIRS on one screen App designed to show all the screens for NFIRS compacted into one view under development
Training AccessForums.net Have a problem while working in Access? Participate in the forums here for advanced help http://www.accessforums.net/ I personally used this when I got stuck creating a better query. Responses were fast, clear, and professional. For Free!
Training Ustream webcasting platform with a bunch of features http://www.ustream.tv/
Training OmniJoin webcasting platform that was used during the workshop (don't blame it for our poor audio quality, that was hardware related) http://www.brothercloud.com/omnijoin/
Training Udutu Create online training courses that include quizes along the way http://www.udutu.com/ I have not used this yet but plan to.
Training Microsoft Access Tutorials This is a good playlist of Access tutorials starting with beginner (absolute beginner even) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhKFRV3-UgpeA_3wzRHF8AS8T7ppKvm9O
Training Excel PivotTable Tutorial Yes the video is an hour long but PivotTables are an outstanding resource for quickly looking for answers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL5KndtG3kE If you attend the NFIRS Program Manager course at the NFA you will spend a lot of time making PivotTables, too.
Training Slideshare Store your slide decks online for training or publish them to link and share electronically http://www.slideshare.net/ You can embed Slideshares right on your LinkedIn or most any other website! Example here: http://www.slideshare.net/SaraFosterWood/top-nfirs-myths-38655634
Training Join.me share what's on your computer monitor with somebody else. Useful to teach software long distance https://www.join.me/ can also turn the session over to somebody and see what's on their screen instead.
Training Excel version of the manual filters and includes the Complete Refergence Guide definitions see packet has searchable capabilities with selectors to weed out unnecessary codes.
Quality Convert address to Lat/Long enter an address and pan around the map. Click where you want and it displays Long/Lat http://itouchmap.com/latlong.html
Quality Convert address to Lat/Long enter an address and pan around the map. Click where you want and it displays Long/Lat http://www.latlong.net/
