Information Technology (IT) is a broad term covering all aspects of managing and processing information. At CTEH^® we design, develop, support, and manage computer software, hardware and multiple local and wide area networks to help support our diverse projects and staff. Large scale data management and extrapolation are at the heart of our business. Our IT Team is focused on three areas: Data Management, GIS, and Web-Based applications.

Data Management

At the core of CTEH^®’s data management area is custom database applications. We utilize several different database systems ranging from Microsoft Access to MySQL. During each project we encounter, there are many different situations that evolve. Our ability to quickly adapt to those constant changes help keep our data turnaround efficient.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Once we have our final database created, we can take the environmental data and geospatially overlay it onto a map. Using several different on-line resources we are able to affordably access many types of GIS data including aerial photography, digital line graphs, census data, etc. Using ESRI’s ArcGIS 8.3, we are able to generate many different layers from the database to help better understand what the data means. We have an HP 650c plotter in-house to print large-scale maps and figures for presentations and reports.

Web-Based Applications

Over the years we have found the need to deliver solutions to our clients that could only be done via the World Wide Web. CTEH^® utilizes a Zope application server to develop database-driven web applications for our clients. Zope is an open-source tool that utilizes Rapid Application Development (RAD), which means that we have a basic foundation to start with as most of the modules in our applications have already been developed by a professional. This saves time and development costs.

CTEH^® utilizes the latest technologies in web-based applications to deliver remote database management for our clients. We provide many options to our clients whether it is temporary data acquisition for a specific project or a corporate-wide equipment management interface. Below are several examples of web-based applications that we have built.

Diesel Exhaust Study – CTEH^® provided our client with a front-end, web-based interface to acquire many related data points from several different contractors nationwide. Each contractor used his own mechanism of data collection. By utilizing the internet, we were not only able to maintain the integrity of the database, but we also saved time and money throughout the life of the project.

Emergency Response Portal – The ERP provides a central location to store vital information during a crisis situation. Data is shared between CTEH^® and our clients as well as other contractors and agencies. The ERP allows us to implement other web-based applications efficiently by providing a common ground for our clients.

Equipment Management Interface – This is a custom application that was built for a client to help manage a nationwide network of hazardous materials responders and their equipment. Some of the equipment included expirable air monitoring media and sensors. Once expired, these tools are rendered useless. To address this critical issue, we developed an interface that will provide a warning when the consumable supplies are about to expire. Our clients also have the capability to view important details regarding each responder including equipment, contact information, and training compliance.

Additionally, we have built in a mapping search function. We simply enter the zip code or town where the incident is located and the application automatically calls up the closest responder. We can also generate a map with directions to get the responder to the incident scene.

Multi Facility IH Data Portal - Our industrial hygiene portal aids in collecting and reporting the necessary data across a multi-facility corporation. Our goal was to construct a web application that was easily accessible to all facilities, and still remain highly secure from the public while maintaining production efficiency. Data is entered real-time by floor personnel to a remote database which corporate users can access at any time. E-mail alerts were programmed to execute at certain action levels providing corporate safety officials with real-time updates from all of their plants simultaneously. Custom reports were generated based on the corporation’s needs and continue to change as needed.

VOIP Data Acquisition Application - Utilizing an open source Public Branch Exchange (PBX) software and a corporate voice over IP (VOIP) service provider, we are able to collect data from the field utilizing any touchtone phone. The data is sent from the touchtone phone over the internet into a centralized database on our server in-house. From there we generate reports from the data in a tabular view and display them on a map. All of this is done in real-time. The only human intervention involved is when the end user dials in the information.