Maps are at the core of any Wildland Search and Rescue (WiSAR) operation. Go to https://sargis.napsgfoundation.org/ to find out more about how you can get started using GIS for search and rescue.
If you could not make it, the video is embedded and linked below. You can follow MRA Mapping to view archived videos or stay up to date on future events (Mapping Hangouts are the 2nd Tuesdays of the Month).
This week we held another MRA Mapping Hangout that covered a quick update on the MRA Mission Data Portal, talked about what is new on the portal including a new tutorial, and then we heard from Kaila Beattie from Antris. Antris is a safety solution designed to protect individuals who live demanding lifestyles and organizations with teams of work-alone employees. It communicates with your mobile phone or GPS device to monitor your safety and automatically notifies the necessary people of a user’s trip progress. The team at Antris is very interested in helping SAR Teams with both their Operations and Preventative Search and Rescue outreach. They have been very responsive to feedback and have added new features recently like off-road routing and a disconnected "park-mode". Finally, the announce a new partnership with the National Association For Search and Rescue. If you would like to know more check out their free solution Antris on the App Stores and contact them directly if you have feedback or questions. If you missed it, watch the video below on YouTube.
This month we also featured a "Map of the Month" - a cell phone coverage map and you can check this out below.
Below is the 2nd MRA Mapping Hangout recording (there was an audio issue during the first 9 minutes so it is being clipped out). George Durkee and Eric Menendez presented "Understanding and Evaluating GPS Derived Data from Cell Phones and other Gizmos".
This was a treasure chest of valuable information on the topic, I hope you enjoy it and please post comments below.
This web app provides the ability to prompt a recipient to share his/her location via a text message sent to his/her mobile phone containing a URL link. By tapping the link, the recipient permits the phone to send its current location as determined by the location services enabled on the device.
The NAPSG Foundation and the Mountain Rescue Association have partnered up to do a "Mapping Hangout" once per month to discuss the MRA Mapping Portal. For more information on the MRA Mapping Portal, see this recent webcast from the PMI Webinar Series. In this Mapping Hangout we reviewed how to use the MRA Mission Data Portal and covered a special topic - How To Make A Public Map. You can download the tutorial here:http://bit.ly/MRATutorial1
The first Hangout had a technical glitch and did not broadcast, so here is a shorter version I recorded alone immediately after.
Below is a simple example of an embedded map from this tutorial.
And here is a web mapping application using the Public Information Map template, created by Jon Pedder from Sierra Madre SAR.
Thanks to Pigeon Mountain Industries (PMI), Jon Pedder and I were able to brief the WiSAR Community on how the Mountain Rescue Association is using GIS to record mission data and we also discussed possibilities for how GIS could be used in the future. Here is the link to the PMI recording: http://pmirope.com/media/2014/12/02/mra-webinar-series-mission-reporting-and-search-and-rescue-mapping-for-the-mra/ "The Mountain Rescue Association has access to a mapping system called ArcGIS Online http://msar.maps.arcgis.com/home/ and it has been configured for the MRA Mission Reporting initiative. We will cover how this is being used for mission reporting and how it could be used to support operations, especially missing person search operations. The presenters, Paul Doherty and Jon Pedder, are both members of the Esri Disaster Response Program. Paul Doherty, PhD is the Technical Lead for the Program. He has 4-years with Yosemite Search and Rescue, and is also an active researcher who focuses on the use Geographic Information Systems for Search and Rescue. Jon Pedder is the newest member of the Esri Disaster Response Program and has 9-years volunteering with the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team." Here are some training videos created for the MRA Members.
Central Arizona Mountain Rescue -- Technical search and rescue in Arizona's rugged backcountry. Temperature extremes, expansive wilderness, and unforgiving topography are the standard. This team operates anywhere, anytime, and in any weather.
I am writing from Salt Lake City, Utah where the Mountain Rescue Association is having their winter meeting. While they are here, MRA members are discussing their annual budget, how to preserve their history, training, future events, collaboration, and let others know what they do. They are also discussing how they will collect incident data in the coming year and this was a good opportunity to talk about mapping and the power of GIS. I am honored for the invite and thought I would take a moment to help get their message out. Stay tuned for more great news from this meeting!!!
The Mountain Rescue Association is an organization of teams dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education. We do so by improving the quality, availability, and safety of mountain search and rescue through;
Creating a framework for and accrediting member teams
Promoting mountain safety education
Providing a forum for development and exchange of information on mountain search and rescue techniques, equipment, and safety
Representing member teams providing mountain search and rescue services to requesting governmental agencies
The Mountain Rescue Association creates excellence through:
Professionalism
Integrity
Camaraderie
Dedication
Respect
Knowledge
Courage - Commitment - Compassion
Where is the MRA active?
This is a tough question to answer as many of their incidents are inter-agency and far from team headquarters. Without a nationwide search and rescue incident records management system the 'where' and 'how many' questions are tough to answer.
However, I was able to gather some data from the MRA Teams website and quickly make this map using Esri Maps for Office.
