DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SAFETY
OPEN DATA STRATEGY
Introduction
On 9 October 2012, the Premier announced an ‘open data revolution’ for the Queensland
Government with the aim of releasing as much government data as possible to encourage the
private sector to develop innovative new services and solutions for the State. The Department of
Community Safety (DCS) is committed to adopting an ‘open data’ culture and this strategy sets out a
roadmap for achieving this.
Strategic Overview
The focus of DCS short and long-term goals and objectives includes enhancing community safety
through improved access by the community to public safety information supporting ambulance
services, fire and rescue services, disaster management and corrective services.
The types of data held by DCS include:
-
Real-time data sourced from a range of emergency service organisations. Information includes
warnings and alerts, information about evacuation centres, and status of infrastructure such as
water, power and communications;
-
Disaster-related information;
Fire incident data;
Fire and rescue locations and boundaries;
Fire approvals, inspections, investigations and compliance;
Rural fire volunteer numbers, locations, etc.;
Jobs conducted by Helicopter Rescue;
State Emergency Service fleet and training;
Geospatial data for EMQ regions and disaster districts;
State Emergency Service requests for assistance;
Local ambulance service boundaries;
Ambulance response times;
Cardiac arrest survival rates;
QAS vehicle fleet data;
QAS call volumes and answering times;
Generic information pertaining to offenders including the number of prisoners by age, gender,
length of sentence and number of deaths and assaults
The department’s release strategy is to make available maximum data, as early as possible which is
updated as frequently as possible.
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As DCS is an operational service agency, it collects a significant quantity of personal data.
Accordingly, whilst DCS is committed to releasing maximum data possible, it is cognisant of the need
to protect the privacy of individuals and maintain confidentiality as necessary.
DCS is committed to achieving its release strategy whilst also complying with the relevant legislative
and internal agency governance requirements.
The DCS Open Data Strategy sets out a three (3) year forward plan for delivery of the open data
initiative. This strategy will be reviewed every 12 months to ensure its currency.
Data
The focus of the department’s Open Data Strategy is on the release of data that is routinely collected
and used for the operation of the business. DCS has focused on the provision of data and datasets
that have one or more of the following characteristics;
-
Would allow new products or services to be developed by users of the data, subject to the
applicable licensing;
Of public interest;
Increase the openness and transparency of government and its processes;
That can be used and analysed by researchers or non-government organisations;
Report on customer feedback and experience; and
Promote public engagement.
Accordingly each respective operational division within DCS (Queensland Ambulance Service,
Queensland Corrective Services, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and Emergency Management
Queensland) have considered their data holdings and content within the DCS Information Asset
Register, with a view to inclusion within the DCS Open Data Catalogue.
Governance
The DCS release strategy includes consideration through the DCS Open Data Strategy Governance
Framework (as per Appendix B) to ensure data quality and appropriateness of release.
Consistent with the ‘Share First’ approach, Open Data has become an integral component of the DCS
information management agenda. Ongoing monitoring and status reporting is undertaken through
the DCS Communication and Information Committee (the department’s peak information and
communication technology body).
Final approval for the release of the datasets is through the department’s peak executive
committee, the DCS Executive Management Board, reflecting the agency’s commitment to the
provision of Open Data.
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Future program
DCS will monitor its Open Data email address at opendata@dcs.qld.gov.au for any requests,
comments or feedback and will respond accordingly. DCS will seek to improve its information
availability, quality and timeliness, taking into consideration public feedback and operational
requirements.
DCS intends to release in the order of 60% of the currently identified datasets during 2013. This will
include the release of the Emergency Information Exchange Network, enabling users to select from a
range of data feeds covering important emergency management information. This information will
be sourced from a variety of organisations including Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, State
Emergency Service and local government and non-government organisations including GIVIT and
Volunteering Queensland.
DCS will continue to build upon its initial data releases and strive to provide meaningful and relevant
data for interested parties. DCS will endeavour to provide data in re-useable formats with ‘open’
licences, supporting further product development.
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Appendix A
Datasets to be released and release timeline
Dataset name
Description of data
Target date
of
publishing
(i.e. month
& year)
Target file
format
Frequency of
update
(e.g. daily,
monthly,
quarterly,
annually)
Open
licence?
(Yes or
No)
Department of Community Safety
(Corporate Service)
Department of
Community
Safety datasets
for the Report on
Government
Services
Data provided to the
Australian
Government
Productivity
Commission and/or
processing
organisations to
inform RoGS
chapters:
- Part C Justice
- Chapter 8
Corrective
Services
- Part D
Emergency
Management
- Chapter 9 Fire
and ambulance
services
(multiple datasets)
Department of
Community
Safety (DCS)
Consultancies
Department of
Community Safety
(DCS) consultancies’
expenditure broken
down into categories
relevant to the
agency; and the total
cost of consultancies
for the reporting
period.
RoGS 2013:
May 2013
XLS
Annually
Yes
XLS
Annually
Yes
RoGS 2014
and
thereafter: in
accordance
with
established
timeframes
Oct 2013
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Department of
Community
Safety (DCS)
Overseas Travel
Department of
Community
Safety Queensland
Multicultural
Action Plan
2011-14
Department of
Community Safety
(DCS) overseas
travel details for the
reporting period
including name and
position of officers;
the destination and
reason for travel;
cost of the travel
(travel,
accommodation and
on-costs), including
an indication of
contribution from
other agencies or
sources.
Department of
Community Safety
(DCS) information on
the implementation
of the Queensland
Multicultural Policy –
Queensland
Multicultural Action
Plan 2011-14 and
performance against
actions and core
outcomes.
Oct 2013
XLS
Annually
Yes
Oct 2013
XLS
Annually
Yes
Emergency Management Queensland
State Emergency
Service (SES)
Requests for
Help
State Emergency
Service (SES)
Building
Locations
State Emergency
Service (SES)
requests for help on
the 132 500 line
State Emergency
Service (SES)
building locations
across Queensland
State Emergency
Service (SES)
Revenue Report on
Government
Services
Major sources of Qld
SES organisations'
revenue for the
previous financial
year
State Emergency
Service (SES)
Costs - Report
on Government
Services
Qld SES
organisations' costs
for the previous
financial year
Already
published
ESRI
Shapefile
(GIS Data)
Daily
Yes
Already
published,
however
volunteer
numbers will
be added to
this dataset
by March
2013
May-13
ESRI
Shapefile
(GIS Data)
Daily
Yes
CSV
Annually
Yes
CSV
Annually
Yes
May-13
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State Emergency
Service (SES)
Boundaries
State Emergency
Service (SES)
Training
Disaster
Management
Training
Emergency
Information
Exchange
Network
Details of where
each State
Emergency Service
Group sits within the
Emergency
Management
Queensland and
local government
structure
Total number of
participants that have
completed State
Emergency Service
Training
Total number of
participants that have
completed disaster
management training
Real-time data
sourced from a range
of emergency service
organisations
including incident
information from the
Queensland Fire and
Rescue Service,
State Emergency
Service and local
government.
Information includes
warnings and alerts,
information about
evacuation centres,
and status of
infrastructure such
as water, power and
communications.
May-13
XLS
Ad-hoc – the
structure is updated
only as frequently
as it changes,
which is generally
quite rare
Yes
Jul-13
CSV
Bi-annually
Yes
Jul-13
CSV
Bi-annually
Yes
Sep-13
Variety of
formats
including:
Real-time
Yes
Monthly
Yes
Every 3 months
Yes
GeoRSS
feeds
KML feeds
Cap alerts
Web
Services
(SOAP and
XML)
REST API
JSON (for
Tablet and
mobile
platform
developers
)
Emergency
Management
Queensland
(EMQ) Grant
Project
Information
Disaster Districts
Detailed information
pertaining to each
individual EMQ grant
project
Jan-14
CSV
Geospatial data for
Disaster Districts
Jul-14
ESRI
Shapefile
(GIS Data)
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State Disaster
Coordination
Centre Activation
Status
Emergency
Management
Queensland
Regions, Areas
and Locations
Elevations above
Highest
Astronomical
Tide
State Emergency
Service Fleet
Numbers
Emergency
Management
Queensland
Human Resource
Statistics
Emergency
Management
Queensland
Helicopter Engine
Hours
Emergency
Management
Queensland
Helicopter
Rescue Jobs by
Task Agency
Queensland State
Disaster
Coordination Centre
Activation Status
Geospatial data for
Emergency
Management
Queensland
Regions, Areas and
Locations
Elevations above
Highest Astronomical
Tide
Jul-14
ESRI
Shapefile
(GIS Data)
End of each season
e.g. fire season,
wet season
Yes
Jan-15
ESRI
Shapefile
(GIS Data)
Every 3 months
Yes
Jan-15
Data unlikely to
change once
published
Yes
Vehicle, trailer and
flood boat numbers
for SES groups
across the State
Current and historical
EMQ human
resource statistics
such as total staffing,
and volunteers
Emergency
Management
Queensland
Helicopter Rescue
aircraft engine hours
Types of jobs
conducted by EMQ
Helicopter Rescue
and which was the
tasking agency
Jan-15
Web
Service
showing
image of
elevation
above HAT
TBA – still
under
developme
nt
XML
TBA - still in
development
Yes
Annually
No
Jan-17
TXT – but
can be
samed XLS
or PDF
Daily
Yes
Jan-17
TXT – but
can be
samed XLS
or PDF
Daily
Yes
1-Jul-15
Queensland Fire and Rescue Service
Queensland Fire
and Rescue
Current Bushfire
Incidents
Rural Fire
Brigade
Boundaries
Queensland Fire
and Rescue Fire
Warden Districts
Urban Fire
Boundaries
Location of current
bushfire incidents
being attended by
Queensland Fire and
Rescue Service
Queensland Fire and
Rescue Service
Rural Fire Brigade
Boundaries
Fire Warden Districts
and contact details
for fire permit
applications
Queensland Fire and
Rescue Service
Urban District
Boundaries
Already
published
XML
Every 30 minutes
Yes
Already
published
Shapefile
Daily
Yes
Already
published
Shapefile
Daily
Yes
May-13
Shapefile
Annually
Yes
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Queensland Fire
and Rescue
Service Station
Locations
Building Fire
Safety Statistical
Data (Community
Safety
Operations
System)
Queensland Fire
and Rescue
Service Volunteer
Numbers,
location etc.
Queensland Fire
and Rescue
Service Incident
Types
Triple Zero (000)
Call Summary
Data
(Queensland Fire
& Rescue Service
Only)
Queensland Fire
and Rescue
Service Statistical
Data re
Responses
Causes of Fires
and Other
Incidents
Queensland Fire
and Rescue
Service Human
Resource
Statistics
Locations of
Queensland Fire and
Rescue Service fire
stations
QFRS building
approvals; building
inspections, fire
investigations,
compliance and
prosecution, major
infrastructure,
unwanted alarms etc.
Non-identifying
Volunteer data.
Probable fields
include:
- Volunteer id
- Date of Birth
- Gender
- Primary Brigade
- Rural Operations
Area
- Brigade
Classification
- Membership start
date
- Rank
Type & frequency of
incidents responded
to by QFRS
May-13
Shapefile,
XML
May-13
XML
Bi-annually
Yes
Quarterly
Yes
30-Jun-13
CSV, XML
This data is current
as of date entered
and is updated
monthly
Yes
1-Jul-13
CSV, XML
Monthly
Yes
Number of calls,
frequency and
locations via the
Emergency Services
Computer Aided
Dispatch system
(ESCAD)
Time for responses
1-Jul-13
CSV, XML
Monthly
Yes
1-Jul-13
CSV, XML
Monthly
Yes
Incident Causes/Fire
Investigation Unit
statistical data
Current and historical
QFRS human
resource statistics
such as total staffing,
the number of firefighters and
volunteers
1-Jul-13
CSV, XML
Monthly
Yes
1-Jul-15
XML
Annually
No
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Queensland Ambulance Service
Queensland
Ambulance
Service Local
Ambulance
Service Network
Boundaries
QAS Local
Ambulance Service
Network Boundaries
1-Jan-14
TBD
Queensland
Ambulance
Service
Response
Locations
Queensland
Ambulance
Service Patient
Satisfaction
Queensland
Ambulance
Service Code 1
Response Times
Historical number
and locations of QAS
response locations
1-Jan-14
Historical QAS
patient satisfaction
survey results
Queensland
Ambulance
Service Cardiac
Arrest Survival
Rates
Queensland
Ambulance
Service Budget
Queensland
Ambulance
Service Fleet
Data
Queensland
Ambulance
Service Activity
Data
Queensland
Ambulance
Service Human
Resource
Statistics
Yes
TBD
This data is current
as at the
introduction of the
LASN model on 5
November 2012.
Data is unlikely to
change in the
immediate future.
Annually
1-Jan-14
TBD
Annually
Yes
Queensland
Ambulance Service
Historical Response
Times at the 50th
and 90th percentile
Historical out of
hospital cardiac
arrest survival rates
in Queensland
1-Jul-14
TBD
Daily
Yes
1-Jul-14
TBD
Annually
Yes
Historical QAS
revenue and
expenditure
information
Current and historical
QAS vehicle fleet
data including the
number and
composition of fleet,
kms travelled, fixed
and rotary wing
aircraft operated.
Queensland
Ambulance Service
activity data including
the number of
incidents attended
including casualty
room consultations
Current and historical
QAS human
resource statistics
such as total staffing,
the number of
ambulance
operatives and
volunteers
1-Jul-14
TBD
Annually
Yes
1-Jul-14
TBD
Annually
Yes
1-Jul-15
TBD
Daily
Yes
1-Jul-15
XML
Annually
Yes
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Triple Zero (000)
and Other Call
Summary Data
(Queensland
Ambulance
Service Only)
Queensland
Ambulance
Service
Operational Data
QAS historical data
on call volumes, call
answering times and
overall call taking
performance.
1-Jul-15
TBD
Daily
Yes
Data relevant to the
day to day
operations of the
ambulance service
including Computer
Aided Dispatch data,
patient treatment
data etc.
Not Suitable
for
Publication
TBD
Daily
N/A
Queensland Corrective Services
Community
Offender Trends
Prisoner Daily
Snapshot
Prisoner
Escapes
Prisoner and
Offender Deaths
from Natural
Causes
Prisoner and
Offender Deaths
by Means Other
Than Natural
Causes
Assaults
(Offender on
Offender)
Assaults
(Offender on
Queensland
Corrective
Services Staff)
Offender Community Work
Provides
demographic
information regarding
offenders supervised
in the community,
e.g. gender, offence
type, order type etc.
General information
about the number of
prisoners, by gender,
age, length of
sentence and most
serious offence.
Details the number of
escapes from high
security or low
security prisons
Details the number of
deaths of prisoners
and offenders from
natural causes
Details the number of
deaths of prisoners
and offenders from
causes other than
natural causes
Details the number of
assaults of one
offender by another
Details the number of
assaults committed
against staff by
offenders
May-13
XML
Monthly
Yes
May-13
XML
Monthly
Yes
1-Dec-13
XML
Quarterly
Yes
1-Dec-13
XML
Quarterly
Yes
1-Dec-13
XML
Quarterly
Yes
1-Dec-13
XML
Monthly
Yes
1-Dec-13
XML
Monthly
Yes
The number of hours
of community service
work performed by
offenders under
supervision of QCS
1-Dec-13
XML
Monthly
Yes
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Prisoner
Employment
Prisoner
Education
Probation and
Parole
Supervision
Orders Completion
Queensland
Corrective
Services Human
Resource
Statistics
The number of hours
prisoners work whilst
in prison by type of
employment e.g.
industries, prison
services
The number of
prisoners enrolled in
educational /
vocational courses
The number of
Probation and Parole
supervision orders
completed by order
type
Current and historical
QCS human resource
statistics such as
total staffing, offender
to probation and
parole staff ratios
1-Dec-13
XML
Monthly
Yes
1-Dec-13
XML
Monthly
Yes
1-Dec-13
XML
Monthly
Yes
1-Jul-15
XML
Annually
No
Revenue and expenditure implications
DCS has considered its respective datasets with none being identified as currently generating a
charge or cost recovery.
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Appendix B
Divisional ICT
Governance
Committee
Divisional Data Coordinators
Department of Community Safety Open Data Governance Framework - DRAFT
Identify data
Start Process
Use Open Data
Suitability Checklist
to decide if
information can be
released
Submit the:
Is Information
suitable for
release?
Yes
Complete Open Data
Metadata Checklist and
metadata form for dataset
- Open Data Suitability
Checklist
- Open Data Metadata
Checklist
- Metadata Form and
- Dataset
No
Is data able to be
transformed to enable
release?
Yes
Review and
rectify reason for
non-approval, if
possible
Seek Approvals
to Information Rights
Unit.
Transform data to
enable public release
Is data
endorsed for
approval?
No
No
Record data in
DCS Data
Catalogue
Information and
Executive
Services Unit
Information
Management
(ICS)
Yes
Record data in
DCS Data
Catalogue
Is dataset suitable for public
release?
No
Yes
Email advice/data to
Smart Service
Queensland/self
publish on CKAN
Is dataset information
Including metadata
completed correctly?
End Process
Executive
Management
Board (EMB)
Application
Development
Team (ICS)
Yes
No
Is data approved
for release?
No
Yes
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Report Data
Catalogue Activity
to DCS C&IC
monthly
(Office of ICS CIO)
End Process