GIS Specialist

Position Overview:

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office (HCFMO) is seeking a skilled and motivated Geographic Information System (GIS) Specialist to join the Operations Support Bureau. This role supports fire investigation, hazmat operations, emergency management, and multi-agency coordination through the development and maintenance of geospatial tools, data systems, internal GIS web applications, and analytical products. The GIS Specialist will design, maintain, and analyze spatial datasets;

produce maps, dashboards, and reports; and serve as the HCFMO's primary geospatial resource in support of operational, investigative, and strategic decision-making. The position interfaces regularly with fire, EMS, and law enforcement agency partners across Harris County, and may support Emergency Operations Center (EOC) events. The ideal candidate is technically proficient in ESRI products, comfortable with data integration and automation, able to support configuration-level maintenance of internal mapping applications (e.g., layer setup, symbology, access/permissions settings), and capable of translating complex geospatial information into clear, actionable products for command staff, public officials, and partner agencies.

• Geospatial Analysis & Decision Support
  • Perform spatial analysis to support fire investigation, hazmat incident response, deployment planning, prevention, and risk reduction activities.
  • Develop and maintain data layers and geodatabases integrating internal records (incident, investigation, inspection) with external datasets (county parcels, Census, CAD feeds, utility infrastructure).
  • Analyze incident patterns, coverage gaps, response time performance, and risk density to support strategic and operational planning by command staff.
  • Produce recommendations and briefings derived from geospatial analysis for use by the Fire Marshal, division leadership, and partner agencies.
  • Evaluate data and access requirements for internal geospatial applications and recommend configuration changes to layers, symbology, or user permissions to better support analytical and operational needs.
• Data Management & Quality Assurance
  • Design, build, and maintain geodatabases from multiple internal and external data sources in various formats.
  • Ensure spatial data accuracy, integrity, and consistency through systematic quality control and error‑checking procedures.
  • Maintain geospatial data feeds required by Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems used by the HCFMO and regional dispatch partners.
  • Develop and document data standards, coding structures, and metadata to support business continuity and interoperability.
  • Apply change‑control practices (e.g., testing and validating configuration or data changes before deployment to production systems) to minimize disruption to operational users.
  • Support maintenance of user and facility access permissions within internal geospatial applications, ensuring data governance and access‑control settings remain accurate and current.
• Cartography & Application Management
  • Produce and maintain print and digital maps for fire investigation, hazmat operations, fire prevention, special events, and administrative use.
  • Create and maintain ArcGIS Online web maps, dashboards, Survey
    123 forms, and mobile mapping applications used by field personnel.
  • Provide geospatial products and field support during large‑scale incidents.
  • Maintain and update the mobile mapping environment for fire investigators and inspectors.
  • Configure and maintain layer settings, symbology, and feature‑service connections within HCFMO's internal geospatial application(s), coordinating with technical/IT staff as needed for deeper platform‑level changes.
• Reporting & Data Visualization
  • Design and…