The Forsyth County commission recently recognized the employees of the county’s geographical information systems, or GIS, department for winning a national award.

The department received the inaugural Emergency Management Digital Distinction “most efficient use of technology” award from the Center for Digital Government.

The honor was presented to the GIS staff members for their mobile emergency response system. 

This system was created to address situations where emergency workers need immediate access to GIS mapping data and other information. 

The self-contained system can be deployed quickly, giving first responders access to vital mapping information should a natural or manmade disaster happen.

According to its Web site, the Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government.