Esri Community Member Spotlight: Robert Phillips
This series of member spotlights features you and your peers here in Esri Community—the people playing a role in finding solutions, sharing ideas, and collaborating to solve problems with GIS. We’re doing this to recognize amazing user contributions, to model how Esri Community’s purpose is being brought to life, and to bring depth to this group of incredible people who may never meet in person, but who benefit from each other’s generous expertise.
Watch Robert's video interview in Kaltura.
Bringing Python to Fire Safety in Cobb County
Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services protects nearly 800,000 Georgia residents with a level of operational excellence that puts it among the nation's elite fire departments. The department has maintained international accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) for over two decades and holds the Insurance Services Office's coveted ISO 1 rating, which fewer than 120 fire departments across the U.S. share. Behind these distinctions lies a commitment to continuous improvement that extends beyond emergency response to the systems and processes that keep communities safe.
When Robert Phillips (@RPGIS) joined the department as a Fire Data Analyst in 2023, his first assignment planted him in the nerve system behind that commitment—the department’s fire hydrant inspection program needed improvement. This critical water delivery infrastructure accounts for a large portion of the department's ISO rating and previous attempts to digitize the process had failed, leaving inspection data scattered across multiple systems. While important, the manual inspection process consumed time that could be redirected to other high-value tasks. 
Robert came equipped with something previous efforts had lacked: years of sharpening his Python skills by asking questions, sharing code, and learning from others in Esri Community. What started as a challenging first assignment became an opportunity to transform not just hydrant inspections, but the department's approach to data-driven operations. Along the way, Robert’s involvement in Esri Community would shift from that of someone mostly seeking help to becoming recognized as an Esri Community MVP who frequently helps others.
Finding More Than Answers in Esri Community
Robert discovered Esri Community the way many professionals do: by stumbling across it while performing a Google search for information. "When I came across the Community, I thought, oh, there's a ton of people here from all over the world who could potentially answer some of my questions and help me along," he recalls. What began as a search for answers evolved into a new way of learning and growing.
"What Community offers is far different than any Google search," Robert explains. "Even though there are materials out there that can be helpful as resources, the Community just has a wealth of experience and knowledge that is more personal in terms of what is available versus what you would just get contextually or documentation-wise."
That personal connection became essential for developing his Python skills. In 2019, Robert posted a simple question: "What is the best way to study python?" The responses he received shaped his entire approach to learning. "I would ask questions in the Community—a lot of Python-related questions, and there would be several members who had a much higher status in the Community who would help me out a lot," he says. "I would make attempts to work some code out and I would just post it and see if there were ways it could be improved on. It definitely helped getting a lot of feedback on how to make things better, and I've grown a lot since as a result."
That iterative learning process accelerated Robert's technical growth. He wrote code, posted it for review, and incorporated feedback. From Python, he expanded into SQL for database queries, Arcade for attribute expressions, and attribute rules for automated workflows. These skills converged into a comprehensive automation strategy that has transformed how Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services manages its data.
Building Automated Systems for Fire Safety
The hydrant inspection system Robert built after joining Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services exemplifies his quest for efficiency. He created an automated workflow combining ArcGIS Field Maps, SQL Server Tools, and attribute rules in ArcGIS Pro that records inspections. Every inspection record automatically updates a related table to record dates of inspections, checks a standalone table created using a SQL job to pull records from another SQL Server database table, and automatically updates hydrant statuses using attribute rules. He also used Python scripts for consolidating records, maintaining data integrity, and streamlining processes. What previously required crews to manually track hydrants across disconnected systems now happens automatically.
This shift from manual processing to automated monitoring extends beyond hydrants. Robert's systems now provide real-time visibility into departmental operations. ArcGIS Dashboards provide leadership with live operational visibility, including status updates broken down at various levels, and integrations between databases to provide near real-time statuses on repairs. The automation supports Cobb County Fire's exceptional ISO Class 1 rating and CFAI accreditation by enabling much of the comprehensive documentation these certifications require. For Cobb County residents under the department's protection, these distinctions can translate into tangible benefits like lower insurance premiums, higher property values, and, most importantly, reassurance that their fire safety systems are among the most exceptional in the nation.
Amplifying Expertise Through Community
Robert's trajectory from asking others for Python help to architecting department-wide automation systems reflects a growth pattern found in professional communities. Those who receive help often become those who give it. In 2025, that journey came full circle when Esri invited Robert to join its Community MVP program. The recognition acknowledged his evolution from question-asker to answer-provider.
With over 800 posts spanning topics from Python debugging to Arcade automation, Robert now helps others navigate the same learning challenges he once faced. His advice to those just starting their journey echoes the approach that served him well: "I'd definitely recommend that if you're struggling with something or if you're still not sure how things work, just start by asking questions. There's a wealth of knowledge coupled with people's experience that you may not find within your organization, and the Community acts like an extension of any organization. You don’t learn if you don’t ask.”
