ESRI and STC Collaborate to Address Pandemic Influenza: "ESRI, the world's leading provider of geographic information system (GIS) software, announces it is working with Scientific Technologies Corporation (STC), an international public health information systems firm. STC will offer private businesses and public organizations an exercise program to assess readiness and help prepare and develop an action plan in the event of an influenza pandemic in the United States. The program enhances STC's Preparedness Training, Exercises, Simulations, and Testing (Pre-TEST) services. Pre-TEST is designed to evaluate the operational readiness of many different groups such as public health agencies, schools, jails, public facilities, transportation services, and commercial businesses. In a pandemic, the work of these organizations is likely to be severely disrupted. Pre-TEST will provide a practical assessment of how ready organizations and public health systems are for such an event and what measures might be implemented in the short term to speed response and recovery. The enhanced Pre-TEST services will integrate ESRI GIS features and capabilities into both the preparedness planning activities and actual hands-on exercises. "STC has recently developed an exercise program for schools and other large public institutions to assess and stress institutional response and resilience," said STC president Mike Popovich. "We are delighted to be working with ESRI to enhance these services. The GIS tools and public health and health care expertise of ESRI will add to our exercise program and increase participants' ability to describe their decision-making processes, identify capabilities and gaps, and increase awareness of peers and partnering agencies"