MRA Mapping Hangout #4

This week we gave an update on the MRA Mission Data Portal. So far, 251 Missions entered for 2016!

Then we moved on to the Map of the Month: Severe Weather Public Information Map from Esri Disaster Response Program.

The tutorial this month described how to create a Clue Log Geoform web mapping application. You can access the tutorial from the MRA Mapping homepage.

Finally, we heard from new MRA Mapping Volunteer Morgan Moe on the Mountain Med Online (http://mountainmedonline.com/) and how you can get access to the FREE Map and Compass Navigation 101 Online Course.

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). 

MRA Mapping Hangout #3

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. 

View larger map

Map Your GPS Data and Elevation Profile

Today I put together a quick ArcGIS Online tutorial on how to map GPS data and make an elevation profile web app. Feel to free to download and try it out, it is pretty simple and a good introduction into making web apps with no programming. If you are a developer, here is the code on GitHub.

This web app can be a very useful tool for planning your own hike, quickly reviewing field team data, and as a preventative search and rescue tool for letting the public see the elevation change on any given hike. 

Download the Tutorial 

Try the App: http://arcg.is/1UTGjYB

MRA Mapping Hangout #2

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. 

Here are some resources from the presentation. 

• Cell Phone GPS Tool - www.gps.asrc.net 

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.

• USNG App - http://usngapp.org/ 
• Operational Guide to Cell Phones - https://goo.gl/bJvIDt

Follow the MRA Mapping G+ page for updates on the next event!

WiSAR Capability and Readiness Assessment Tool

The NAPSG Foundation Search and Rescue Working Group (SARWG) has completed an update to the Capability and Readiness Assessment Tool (CARAT)

What is CARAT? The Capability and Readiness Assessment Tool (CARAT) is a tool created by NAPSG Foundation.  It is designed to serve as a roadmap for public safety officials and GIS practitioners interested in learning how GIS can be applied to the public safety mission and/or in building GIS to support their agencies’ work.

Here is the direct link to the WiSAR CARAT Tool: http://bitly.com/WiSARCARAT

This website provides links to the qualifications and tools that can be used by SAR Teams to understand what geographic information systems have to offer. 

Here are some of the tools listed under 'Crawl'. All of the tools indexed under CARAT can be found in this Group. 

Here is a screenshot of qualifications for Field Data Entry Technician from NAPSG Foundation's Qualification and Credentialing Website.

We are hoping for some constructive feedback in the coming weeks so we can make improvements to the site and generate ideas for training to help SAR Teams get running with GIS for SAR. 

MRA Mapping Hangout #1

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.

SARGIS7 Report

Thank you to all who participated in the 7th Annual Search and Rescue GIS Workshop on November 12-15 in Sonora, CA. The workshop was a resounding success for all participants. Special thanks to the NAPSG Foundation and Columbia College's budding GIS Program (see more about Columbia College GIS).

We are pleased to announce that the workshop materials are now available online at http://www.napsgfoundation.org/resources/materials-available-search-rescue-gis-workshop/.The Agenda posted here includes links to the materials used during each session and training for easy navigation and access. 

Additionally, we have also posted the After Action Notes from the breakout sessions on the last day, Nov. 15 at the link above. By SARGIS8 - the SAR Working Group plans to make progress in four key areas: 

• Guidelines for GIS in SAR
• Tools and Resources
• Training  
• Technology Integration (Cell Phone Analysis, Unmanned Aerial Systems, etc.) 

Who was there? 55 participants, mostly from California but also scattered across North America.

View larger map

Here are some photos of the action.

Don teaching IGT4SAR to a full classroom

Lorri presenting on where to find base data

Storytime

Why use USNG? - Talk to Cole

Hands-on with USNG

Beautiful setting - Columbia College

Action Items!

Sneak Peak of the Map Products "Menu" for Responders and Decision-Makers Link: http://bit.ly/SARGISMenu

See more: #SARGIS7 Tweets