Case Study: Carbon County achieves faster emergency response with TerraGo GeoAtlas

Carbon County - Customer Case Study

Carbon County, Montana — a rural jurisdiction of about 10,000 residents spanning more than 2,000 square miles — needed a way to make a 2004 standardized addressing system usable for emergency responders and the public. Dispatchers could not know the whole county by heart, many stakeholders lacked GIS training or computer resources, some sites had multiple addresses, and the county needed an economical way to distribute accurate location data to support enhanced 911 (E‑911).

Using a grant-funded GeoAtlas project and TerraGo Publisher, the county built a centralized, easy-to-use GeoPDF atlas and database that field personnel and citizens can access offline or online without GIS software. More than 150 maps, including a 400‑page digital atlas, were created and distributed on print, USB and DVD; responders can add geo-referenced notes, photos and video that sync back to the ArcGIS database. The solution shortened emergency response times, supported E‑911 implementation, and became an essential tool for public safety and businesses.

Carbon County