Chris Stevens

Managing Director

CartGiS Pty Ltd

Chris Stevens is Managing Director of CartGiS Pty Ltd, an emergency management, GIS and Mapping and communications consultancy company based in Melbourne. CartGiS Pty Ltd works with all three levels of government in Australia and the Oceanic region as well as with mining, utilities and NGOs.  Projects include emergency management planning solutions and independent communications consultancy and project management, coverage planning and predictions and technology development. Chris has extensive experience in LMR network design, planning and implementation as well as GIS and mapping application design and commissioning. Chris is an industry leader in systems integration, thinking outside the box and providing client centric outcomes aimed at information sharing and interoperability. CartGIS Pty Ltd also specialises in bespoke training and education for the critical communication community. Chris has extensive qualifications and experience in secondary, tertiary and workplace training and education, which coupled with his communication experience, delivers industry and client focused outcomes.

Chris has been the National Lifesaving Communications Advisor to Surf Life Saving Australia since 2011. This role is in an elected volunteered capacity and he chairs the respective national communications working group. As National Lifesaving Communications Advisor, Chris is responsible for advising the states and territories on their operational communications networks as well as formulating national interoperability and business continuity strategies. Chris is also a member of the ARCIA committee, where he convenes the training committees and has been responsible for recent industry advancements in training and education.

Chris has three bachelor degrees and various emergency management and communications qualifications. In 2015 Chris was awarded the Australian Radio Communications Industry Association (ARCIA) Community Service Award.

GIS and mapping for critical communications

In an ever increasingly complex critical communications environment, how do we make sense of big data? A mission-critical ecosystem of unified geospatial data may be the very answer to this question. GIS in critical communications isn’t new. CAD systems and location based services have been around for decades. However the approach is changing. The use of Common Operating Pictures (COPs) as web-based communication, planning and collaboration tools are enabling public safety, utilities and mining personnel [amongst others] to quickly share information and make strategic decisions. This type of approach provides real-time situational awareness and a common view for personnel, organisations and agencies, which eliminates Silos and promotes interoperability.

This presentation will examine the opportunities that exist for the critical communications sector, looking at data types and sources, integration possibilities and offering real-life application and case studies.

Critical Communications Integration – How do we ensure we’re not building communications silos, allowing for best opportunity between voice and data networks?

Divergence in critical communication standards has seen the proliferation of multiple voice and data technologies. As these standards mature, such as those from 3GPP, interoperability will become a core feature. Therefore, how do we ensure that we are ready for tomorrow now? Furthermore, how do we ensure that competing technologies, such as P25, DMR and TETRA can coexist in a critical communications ecosystem with LTE and other voice and data services.

Will integration drive interopertability?  This panel, made up of local and international experts, will discuss these very questions, focusing on todays position and desired future state.