History in the Making: Search and Rescue Working Group (SARWG)

The National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation (NAPSG) and a small group of volunteers produced a charter document to establish a working group under this 501 (C) (3) not-for-profit organization. 

Here is an excerpt.

"The Goal of this Working Group is to create an international network of SAR-based GIS and public safety officials who can share lessons learned, best practices, maps/apps, and other tools and experiences utilizing GIS."

What does this mean?

This means we have representation. 

After seven years of coming together as a community via the SARGIS discussion group, we finally have an affiliation to connect ourselves to. This will provide support for our yearly meeting through accountable fundraising and help us produce training materials and best practice documents. We can interact with government agencies and tell them who we are and what we stand for.

Plus this will connect us to an international community of GIS and public safety professionals who work on similar challenges may be interested in sharing best practices and collaborating.

Who is NAPSG?

The National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation. 

Their mission is "to support the public safety and homeland security communities in the advancement of data interoperability and information sharing, through geospatial technology, in support of local and national emergency preparedness."

See their website for more information: http://www.napsgfoundation.org/

How can I get involved?

We will continue to use the SARGIS discussion group. 

Howerver, over the next year we plan to:

• Host our first meeting, in conjunction with SARGIS7 (date and location TBD).
• Provide a list of software and training resources on an interactive website.
• Review the operational and functional needs for GIS in all search and rescue operations.

If any of these initiatives interest you, stay tuned for more information on how to get involved. We will need your help!

Au Québec: A good place to go missing

En français

On May 22nd, 2015 I had the pleasure of attending a meeting hosted by the Sureté du Québec and Université Laval CRG. The topic was using GIS for missing person search operations. We introduced ourselves and quickly began sharing how each agency is currently using mapping for planning and operations. There were over 30 people in attendance from multiple agencies and the faculty at Université Laval. 

  

Our hosts for the meeting, Alain Croteau and Mir Abolfazl Mostafavi

Here is a quick overview of what was discussed.

Software

It seems many teams were using Touratech for a long time but realized they needed to expand their capabilities because they could not load up-to-date base data into this package. They have since begun integrating with ArcGIS Desktop loaded up with minimum essential datasets.

Here is a short list of the software agencies are currently using.

• ArcGIS Explorer Desktop
• JMap
• Garmin Basecamp
• Touratech
• MapSource
• ArcGIS Desktop
• Google Maps / Earth
• Bing
• EasyGPS
• DNR Garmin

Workflows 

Here are the most commonly discussed workflows.

• Printing Maps
• Displaying Basemaps and Base Data (Doris Poulin, Sgt Surete de Quebec had a very impressive minimum essential dataset all stored locally using ArcGIS Explorer Desktop).
• Editing Incident Data (Initial Planning Point, Clues, Sectors, Assignments, Search Area)
• Downloading GPS Tracks

Spatial Analysis

This, for me, was the most interesting part of the discussion. Here are two projects that were discussed.

Estimating probability of area for missing persons with Alzheimer’s (Khaled Belhassine, Alain Croteau, & Mir Abolfazl Mostafavi)

• A GIS model that will produce a grid in which each intersection (decision node) will be given a variable value based on factual, personal, geographical and statistical information correlated by scientific knowledge. 
• This tool is still being tested but the preliminary results are promising.

Theoretical Search Area based on missing person profile and travel speed (Miguel Blanco)

• A GIS model that will produce isochrones for missing persons based on their profile or expected behavior. 
• Miguel is near completion of his MS Thesis and will be comparing techniques to Doherty et al. 2014 

Challenges

Despite great advances in the use of GIS in recent years, the group discussed some remaining challenges that I think we can all relate to.

• Sharing information between teams. They are only having meetings like this every few years and currently do not have a discussion portal.
• Training. While GIS software is getting easier to use, without specialists on each team, it is hard to get personnel trained and ready for incident response. 
• Internet Access. While 3G is becoming more widely available, teams still need to have all of the local data stored as minimum essential datasets and cannot yet rely on having an internet connection due to dead zones across the Province.
• Standards. They face the same common challenge of using multiple coordinate systems on incidents without necessarily having the capability of converting them “on the fly”.
• Emerging Technology. Advances in technology bring new tools but also new challenges. How do we adapt search planning and operations to live GPS tracking, UAV / drones, and even augmented reality?

Solutions

I think there are simple ways we can help the Province with some of their challenges.

• Join the Discussion! SAR-GIS Google Group
• Examples of Best Practices – Using GIS in WiSAR Free E-book
• Easy to Use Mapping Software- SAR Explorer
• GIS Software Packages – MapSAR and IGT4SAR
• Training 
• SAR Explorer – Manual & Videos
• MapSAR - Videos
• IGT4SAR - Videos

Also, here is a link to my presentation: http://arcg.is/1dwm0xM 

Special thanks to Pierre and Guillaume from Esri Canada for being there to answer questions and remind the agencies that their volunteers can get access to Esri software through the Esri Canada Non-Profit Organization Program. 

Overall, I am extremely impressed with the widespread use of GIS for search operations in Québec. I am especially excited about the partnership forged between the Université de Laval and Sureté du Québec. I hope that all in attendance know they are welcome to post questions to the SARGIS Group and will continue to share their techniques with the rest of the community. 

Merci à Alix pour la traduction

Isochrones produces by Miguel Blanco's travel cost model

Are you using GIS for Search Operations?

This is a short survey designed to help us understand who is using GIS for Missing Person Search Operations and/or looking for more GIS Support. You may answer anonymously, but the geographic information you can provide will be very helpful.  

Please share the survey when you are done. Results will be posted here in the next 30 days.

Thank you for your time and consideration! 

Click on link if survey does not load below or you are using a mobile device: http://bit.ly/WiSARGISSurvey

Discussion: GIS and Institutional Knowledge in Search and Rescue

Article: Meet Philly’s “Dr. House” of Missing Persons

I just read a short opinion piece in phillymag.com about Mark G. Hopkins, the Search and Rescue Chief of Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue. Mark sounds a lot like many "SAR Czars" I have met in my life. He's been active for 20 years and he is the go-to person for his local police agency when someone goes missing. This is not because he is easy to work with, but because he cares and knows how to run a search operation.

In this article he makes a call for action - to establish "a base level system that is applied equally to all missing persons". He even wrote to the City Mayor. However, towards the end of the article he states that he will be retiring soon. This is well-deserved for him, but I wonder how his team will cope. Are they planning for his transition?

How many of you know someone like this? When it comes to planning a search, does your SAR Chief embrace the use of GIS for mapping, gut-instinct alone, or a little bit of both? How are you capturing their spatial knowledge before they retire? 

I think the integration of institutional knowledge and GIS is a very important issue to discuss, before all the wise old sages are all gone...

If you are interested here is one systematic (but not always very practical) approach to document historical information from from Yosemite National Park case incident reports: Georeferencing Incidents from Locality Descriptions and its Applications 

However, how can we use GIS to create digital records of institutional knowledge. When someone goes missing from x1,y1 place they are usually found within x2,y2 region because of conditions a,b,c? 

Experimenting with Wacom screens to capture institutional knowledge in ArcGIS, circa. 2009

This is not to say we can create "auto-magical" algorithms to predict where missing persons are, but can we capture the thought process and mental maps of experienced SAR professionals so we can teach the next generation of leaders?

Read the article and then please comment below. 

2014 WiSAR GIS Year in Review: Map Tour

Click on the link: Map Tour

In the year 2014, great advances were made in the use of geographic information systems for wildland search rescue. 

• MapSAR and IGT4SAR were used to support a number of missing person search operations
• Workshops were held across North America
• There were several peer-review publications on the use of GIS in WiSAR
• The US National Park Service has recognized the GIS Specialist role as a necessary incident command structure position during search operations

More important than the updates in technology, policy, or science, is the connection between the great people driving this movement. We have so much to celebrate - excellent work everyone and thank you for time and dedication to such a noble cause.

However, while much was accomplished this year, the reality is, GIS is still not widely used in missing person search operations and other SAR functions. 

What can we do in 2015 as a volunteer community to increase the adoption of GIS as a critical SAR function in North America and abroad? 

• Develop simple to use geo-enabled applications for mission critical tasks? 
• More SARGIS workshops? 
• Form a recognized non-profit organization with operational capacity to help when needed? 
• Present to emergency management and law enforcement agencies? 
• Lobby to federal governments for more support?
• Strengthen the alliance with GIS volunteers like GISCorps, MapAction, MAPS? 
• Create a research and development center for WiSAR GIS? 

These are all ideas that have been discussed and are always on my mind. Now that the SARGIS Discussion Group has reached +600 members across the world I truly believe we have reached the critical mass to make global change. 

I think we can all agree, that someday, when a person goes missing, the use of GIS for planning, operations, logistics, command, and public information will be the "standard of care". Imagine that your loved one (a relative, a spouse, your child) was missing - how would you want the search management team to use geographic information?

Let's make 2015 a spectacular year and have a great time doing it - so that others may live... 



Please add comments below if you think we missed an event, have a case-study you think should be highlighted, or have ideas on how we can make a bigger impact. 

Webinar: Mission Reporting and Search and Rescue Mapping for the MRA

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.

#AFAC2014 in Wellington, New Zealand

It is good to be back with EMSINA Group at the AFAC Conference, this time in Wellington New Zealand. I am learning a ton about fire, emergency management, USAR, and LandSAR GIS activity in Australasia. 

Fire GIS Legend, Mark Garvey

Here are the highlights.

1) New Zealand Fire Service demonstrated their ability to deploy rapidly as a USAR team without sacrificing Geographic intelligence. They call it "Portal in a Box" which is a hardened kit that contains ArcGIS Server / Portal that connects to Collector and Operations Dashboard. When they get internet setup through their built in BGAN system, they can quickly connect to their ArcGIS Online account for sharing situational awareness with other agencies.

NZ Fire and their "Portal in a Box"

2) Eagle Technology introduced me to a number of Land Search and Rescue agencies that are beginning to implement MapSAR / IGT4SAR for lost person search incidents. In addition I shared information with them about SAR Explorer for getting started with using GIS for SAR. I am extremely impressed by Youth SAR who are teaching themselves GIS and beginning to provide their skills during Search incidents.  

3) The EMSINA Team continues to provide great awareness to government agencies in Australasia about mobile apps and GIS resources that are already available to them - just not being utilized during emergency operations. GeoCove, AAMGroup, Noggin, and Red Bluff Spatial were all here demonstrating their GIS Solutions & expertise as well. 

This was a great trip and I look forward to seeing all of the community development in the next year. New Zealand is amazing I can't wait to come back.

Red Rocks south of Wellington