Tapping and Mapping For the Public Good
John Butler
Oklahoma Crisis Mappers
John Butler is Team Leader for Oklahoma Crisis Mappers, a volunteer organization which provides online crowd-sourced maps for the general public, combining input from official emergency management and other governmental sources, traditional broadcast media, amateur radio, storm spotters, and social media from the general public. OCM began on Christmas Eve, 2009, during the blizzard that hit Oklahoma with their first map, http://www.okicemap.com. The group's products have now expanded to include http://okfires.crowdmap.com & http://oktornado.crowdmap.com, along with several other maps in reserve "just in case." They also produce Twitter feeds at @OKIceMap, @OKTwister, @OKFires, and @OKQuake. John has pastored Beal Heights Presbyterian Church (PCA), in Lawton, Oklahoma, since 1989. A former chaplain with the Oklahoma Army National Guard, he provided support during the recovery response to the A. P. Murrah Federal Building bombing. He holds a bachelor's degree in Radio/TV broadcasting (with several year's experience in operations management), and a Master of Divinity degree. John is also an adjunct instructor in the Department of History and Government at Cameron University in Lawton.