Search and Rescue GIS Resources for Canada

After our recent MapSAR Training event at SARScene Canada 2013, Rick Laing of Ridge Meadows SAR, Elaine Girrior of Yellowknife SAR, and Peter Devanney of SAR Global 1 agreed to put together a shortlist of resources to start discussion and establish SARGIS collaboration across Canada. Here is what we have put together (this information may be useful even if your response area is outside of Canada).

Basemaps

With regards to basemaps there are many resources available to you already while connected to the internet. For instance, below is a map of all of the Community Maps Program participants who adding even more detail to the World Topographic basemaps. Also within ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Desktop you have access to the basemap produced by the Open Street Map program. 

View Larger Map

To open these in ArcMap simply use the add basemaps function...

Here is a snapshot of some highly detailed data for Coquitlam 

Base Data

There is a whole section about how to organize your Minimum Essential Data in the Using GIS for Wildland Search and Rescue textbook (free download) and also in an earlier blog post "Pre-planning is half the battle". Base data can be tricky for new GIS users because these datasets tend be rather scattered across the internet and are hard to track down if you do not already work with a GIS Specialist. But we thought we would point out some Canada-specific data sources for all of you here.  

• Search ArcGIS Online 
• GeoGratis Prepackaged data sets (geodatabase by data type / Province)
• GeoGratis Geospatial Data Extraction tool
• GeoGratis CanVec Vector Data
• GeoGratis Toporama Topographic Maps 
• Centre for Topographic Information vector data ftp site
• Centre for Topographic Information elevation data ftp site
• GeoBase Web Mapping Service (adding WMS to ArcGIS Desktop) 
• MapTown Topographic Maps (not free)
• Quebec 1:20,000 Topo  (not free)

In many cases this will require you to download the data in various formats, unzip the data, add it to your map, and style it appropriately. 

Creating a layer package clipped for your specific area is a great way to keep these data portable and organized. When you unpack them they keep your geography and symbology and can be stored locally, on a portable drive, and ArcGIS Online.

ArcGIS Desktop for Nonprofit Organization Program by Esri Canada. Go to the website and Request Application for Membership

• $100 for ArcGIS Desktop (administrative fee)
• Designed for small ground SAR organizations in Canada 
• Organization can not be a Nationwide and/or Government owned agency
• Community Based Non Profit Volunteer Organization (with or without a CRA#)
• Must be associated with SARVAC, CASARA, or Northwest Territories
• CRA Charity registration number - not needed, simply note your relationship with SARVAC

Download MapSAR template for ArcGIS Desktop from www.mapsar.net

MapSAR is a free tool that runs with ArcGIS 10, 10.1, and 10.2 to store geospatial information, enabling SAR maps to be generated, stored, and printed quickly so that search teams can get out the door faster to look for the missing person.

Join our Discussion Group!

A group for National Park Rangers, Sheriffs, Mountain Rescue Associations and other emergency service people to discuss and help others use and implement GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology in SAR (Search and Rescue), emergency and day to day operations. Central to our group’s goals is to make GIS techniques and technologies more accessible to non-specialists. Towards this end, we have continued to explore techniques and technologies that can create a more streamlined workflow and effective situational awareness when using GIS. 

What's next?

From here we hope the real discussions can begin. 

• Should there be a Canada SARGIS User Group? 
• Where will the next MapSAR Training be? 
• How can base data and even pre-planned operational data be stored and shared for teams to utilize (see example)?
• How do I meet local GIS Specialists and work with agencies already using GIS in my area? 

In the meantime, please do visit the NAPSG MapSAR and IGT4SAR for online training videos and stay informed via the SARGIS Discussion Group. Don just uploaded a video that highlights the importance of minimum essential datasets and breaks down some GIS basics here in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdOM9RsQ1ZI

Let's continue the discussion and collaborate around this topic. 

#MapSAR in Canada - Resources and Updates from @SARSceneCanada

From SAR Scene 2013, Chilliwack, British Columbia - For those of you interested in using GIS for Search and Rescue in Canada, we have some resources for you. 

1) Find out about the ArcGIS Desktop for Nonprofit Organization Program by Esri Canada. Go to the website and Request Application for Membership

• $100 for ArcGIS Desktop (administrative fee)
• Designed for small ground SAR organizations in Canada 
• Organization can not be a Nationwide and/or Government owned agency
• Community Based Non Profit Volunteer Organization (with or without a CRA#)
• Must be associated with SARVAC
• CRA Charity registration number - not needed, simply note your relationship with SARVAC

2) Download MapSAR template for ArcGIS Desktop from www.mapsar.net

3) Join our Discussion Group!

Also while at SARScene a few exciting things are happening. Rick Laing and myself just taught a MapSAR Workshop and tomorrow I will give a presentation on Using GIS in SAR and Rick will be on a SAR Technology discussion panel.

There are already talks of a MapSAR training event next year in British Columbia, location TBD (and perhaps Banff as well). 

Right now - we are integrating MapSAR with ArcGIS Online via the ArcGIS Collector and Operations Dashboard. Below is a view of the action from our web map. Stay tuned for more (including a post within the next week about how to obtain base data for building your minimum essential datasets). Please comment here or on the discussion group if you know of some great place to acquire Canadian base data (trails, roads, hydro, topo etc.) or datasets that you desperately need for your area.

A Remedy for Your Basemap Blues

Problem: Slow Maps

So you are on a search and rescue mission using ArcGIS Desktop and while panning and zooming around the map, you are continuously waiting for basemaps to "re-draw". You can't guarantee an internet connection so you want to utilize your local data.

 Solution: Basemap Layers

Some nerdy GIS talk from the help documentation: "Basemap layers are a kind of map layer that provides a framework onto which you display your dynamic operational information. Basemap display performance is very fast. Since basemap layers are relatively static and do not change frequently, their display can be computed once and reused many times. The first time you visit an area at a particular map scale, basemap layer display is computed. The display is recalled on return visits to that area and map scale."

It is FAST! So let's get started.

Step one - Cartography

So this step will vary based on what you use as basemaps for your area. A long time ago Liz Sarow from Esri showed me how to make a nice hill-shaded topo from publicly available data. For California here are some resources:

1) Topos available as Digital Raster Graphics

2) 30m Digital Elevation Models available as Images (or these can be made with any DEM using the Hillshade tool)

The next trick is to add these to your map and style appropriately. I personally use a hillshade-on-topo "sandwich" - but I set hillshade properties as transparency of ~55% and Resample to bilinear interpolation.

Map sandwich!

Step two - Add a New Basemap Layer

Right-click the data frame name in the table of contents and click New Basemap Layer.

Step three - Select the Layers 

Select the layers that will comprise your basemap and drag them into the basemap layer.Now you have a topo map that also highlights the terrain in your area - more importantly we can now pan and zoom around the map without waiting for redraw.

Please see the help document for more information. You can download my example as a tile package here and the try the steps above.

Other recommendations

• Create these and store them for your areas of operational responsibility so they are ready to go ahead of time. These can be stored locally and remotely using Dropbox or ArcGIS Online.
• Do not add any vector layers to your map that you plan on tracing for editing or clicking for attributes - this removes data access. No big deal if you do, just remember to pull the layers back out of the Basemap layer when you need them.
• Whenever possible - use ArcGIS Online basemaps, they render quickly and feature more often updated content than your old topo and trail maps. See the World Topo Community Basemap and Open Streetmap 
• RTFM Read the Free Manual: there are lots of other tips & tricks you can use in the ArcGIS Help documentation. Also - join our discussion group and ask the SARGIS geeks yourself! 

#MapSAR now available for ArcGIS 10.2

Jon Pedder from Sierra Madre SAR just released a version of MapSAR that will work on ArcGIS Desktop 10.2. MapSAR for 10.2 will be posted to www.mapsar.net ASAP but it is also available for download from ArcGIS Online from the WiSAR Applications Group. 

For those of you interested in contributing to the MapSAR Project by testing the template or developing tools, please see the MapSAR GitHub repository. 

The goal of MapSAR is to help: 

• Create and edit field task assignments
• Monitor progress of assignments
• Support logistics/communications
• Document clues, team location and status
• Incorporate GPS data
• Store all incident data into a single repository
• Create and print maps

If you are unsure if you have access to ArcGIS Software and work on a volunteer SAR Team please see the Esri Non-Profit Organization Program. If you feel you may not qualify for this program please send an email to help@mapsar.net. Free training videos are also available on the NAPSG YouTube channel.

Great work Jon and Team for getting this version out!

Also - I have added a download page for a set of ArcGIS Explorer Desktop tools here: Search and Rescue Tools for ArcGIS Explorer Desktop. Please see this page for more details.


***Update - I just updated the item page for downloading MapSAR 10.2, apparently some tools did not zip up. Also, this version can be used for 10.1 as well. 

#MapSAR Training modules kicking off right now

Jon Pedder and Art Fortini are here at the Sierra Madre SAR Cache in California launching the MapSAR training modules via webinar: Training Announcement 

Thank you NAPSG for all of your support!

NAPSG will make the training videos available (www.youtube.com/user/napsggis)

and I will announce the location here. For those of you assisting with the flood response in

Colorado - please be safe and let us know if you need our help.

UPDATE: If you missed the event or want a recap - the slides and video are posted here: 

http://www.napsgfoundation.org/blog/news/147-mapsar-virtual-training

2013 Colorado Flood web maps #COFlood #BoulderFlood

An incredible amount of rainfall in the State of Colorado has led to flash flooding, evacuations, and unfortunately, the loss of life. I have embedded a flood monitoring map here below which is produced by the Esri Disaster Response Program (Disaster Assistance for GIS and Mapping). You can go this website and embed a similar map yourself by using the "Link" Button. 

View Larger Map

Another great resource for maps and information for weather in the Denver Area is Brendan's Weather Blog. He produced this next map and I encourage you to check out his site. From his blog: 

"CoCoRaHS is an excellent non-profit community based network of volunteers collecting rain, hail, and snow data. The data is used widely across multiple agencies from the National Weather Service to city organizers. Please visit their site if you are interested in getting involved. 

Here are three day totals from CoCoRaHS observers in Colorado. Anywhere from .5" to 10" being reported since Monday, with many 6"+ reports from the Boulder flood region." 

View Larger Map

If need maps for your area, check in the Gallery below. 

Or choose from this list


US FEMA Flooding Situational Awareness Viewer
US Flooding Public Information Map
US Flood Web Map
Colorado Flooding Impact Map
Weld County
Aurora, CO
Loveland, CO
Boulder, CO

Finally, this map below is a Story Map, which highlights the different regions and perspectives regarding this flooding incident. You can access the interactive map on the Esri Disaster Response Program website.

For more information try these websites

Boulder Office of Emergency Management Status Update

Boulder information and issues call: 303-413-7730

City of Longmont Emergency Information

Weld County Flood Map

Longmont Information and Issues call: 303-651-8595

Colorado Department of Transportation road conditions map

Boulder Flood CrowdMap

Critical Planning and Analysis using GIS for WiSAR

By Don Ferguson 
dferguson@mix.wvu.edu

Wilderness search and rescue is understood to be an inherently spatial problem which is relative to both the subject and searcher.  From the standpoint of the subject, many decisions that are made before and after becoming lost or injured are influenced by the terrain and the environment.  These decisions may be either conscious (active) or sub-conscious (passive), and in many ways are driven by both time and space.  In WiSAR related to lost persons, it is the decisions that were made by the subject that resulted in them becoming lost.  Studies on lost person behavior have allowed searchers to categorize individuals that exhibit similar behaviors when they become lost.  These categorical behaviors are observed by plotting Initial Planning Points (Point Last Seen or Last Known Point) and Find locations then extracting information about the terrain and observing trends in the data.  When combined with a critical analysis on the influence of terrain and environment (T & E) on a specific individual, geospatial trends in lost person behavior provide valuable information that could reduce the time taken to locate a lost subject.

Integrated Geospatial Tools for Search and Rescue (IGT4SAR) is a dynamic tool developed to take advantage of using Geographic Information Systems to model lost person behavior and provide a critical analysis on the influence of T & E.  The primary advantage of a GIS is that it allows a user to interact with spatial data and even create new data from existing information, for example estimating cellular coverage across the search area using a digital elevation model and cell tower attributes.  No more is a search analyst limited to extracting information from a printed, topographical map that is most likely outdated.

WiSAR operations that involve a lost subject are plagued with uncertainty.  Where did the subject leave the trail, or is the object found by a search team an actual clue related to the lost subject?  In order to deal with the cognitive complexity of all this uncertainty search analysts often resort to developing scenarios, or hypotheses, to describe what is believed to have happened to the lost subject.  These scenarios provide justification for applying resources to specific geographical locations.  This is critical as lost person searches often cover large geographical areas and have few resources with which to search.  Thus a method is required to assist in prioritizing the search area otherwise the search effort is limited to merely purposeful wandering which is typically less effective than targeted searching.  Among other functions, GIS allows analysts a way to “play-out” various scenarios to determine what is possible and likely. 

Several Lost Person Behavioral models are built directly into IGT4SAR, for example using data provided in Robert Koester’s text on Lost Person Behavior, concentric rings are automatically drawn around the IPP based on subject category that represent the recorded distances to find locations of similar individuals.  Similarly, a Track Offset Model provides a visual representation of how far from a linear feature such as a trail or road in which the subject was found.  The Find Locations tool provides a means of re-classifying spatial data such as roads, trails and hydrology vector data along with a land cover surface raster to display the typical types of features where similar subject were found.

Expanding on the concept of reclassifying raster data, a similar approach is used to create a Least Cost Path Surface that represent the potential subject mobility, or distance travelled, over a period of time.  This model takes terrain features such as slope, access to travel aides (roads, trails, etc) and barriers (bodies of water) along with land cover to estimate how far a subject could have traveled over a given period of time.  Analysis of historical data from Yosemite National Park suggested subjects (predominately hiker category) did not travel more than 1.5 hours walking distance from the IPP.  Know this information could drastically reduce your search area. See Jared Doke's MS Thesis for more on this study. 

Combining these estimates together with specific information you know about the subject and the local T & E, an analyst can “play-out” various scenarios to see what makes sense and assist is assigning a probability of most likely occurrence to the various regions.   This ultimately leads to a Probability Density plot of the search area.   While assigning numerical values in the form of Probability to various regions of the search area may be slightly misleading as it gives the impression that a rigorous quanitfied analysis has been done as opposed to the qualified (Bayesian) analysis, the numerical values allow for easier tracking of progress within the search area in the form of Probability of Detection and Probability of Success.  While to some this may sound complex, GIS is well equipped for handling these types of analysis and these concepts are built into the functionality of IGT4SAR.

To learn more about Integrated Geospatial Tools for Search and Rescue (IGT4SAR) and for using GIS for critical analysis and planning of lost person incidents subscribe to the YouTube videos at:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrWNjhnpNOiEAATDzNw3lFg

If you have development skills or are a GIS Specialist and would like to test these tools please see the GitHub Repo: https://github.com/dferguso/MapSAR_Ex