Using GIS and Geomatics Tools in Ground Search and Rescue in ...

www.searchandrescuevolunteer.ca
Experience and Opportunities
Sean Frey – GSAR Coordinator, South Central Chapter

� Began work in Manitoba as Park Warden in
Riding Mountain National Park with training
in search and rescue management for
response in the park.
� Volunteer firefighter as well and occasionally
deployed as a member of a GSAR team,
trained to the team leader level.
� Job with Parks Canada evolved into GIS
specialist, with broad geomatics, data and
information management skills.

Mallard
� 8 year old Marcus McKay went missing
on 15 July 2000, 5 km NE of Mallard,
Manitoba, a remote community 150 km
NE of Riding Mountain.
� Over 100 trained searchers and close to
1000 volunteers from all over Manitoba
participated in the search over the
following week.

� Like most GIS applications the most basic
identified need usually starts with a map.
� Search – locate missing persons
� Rescue – access subjects, stabilize and
transport them to safety.
� Both search and rescue inherently involve
‘where’ questions. Where were they last seen?
Where are the clues? Where do we go to access
the area? Where do we look first?

� GIS can be a very effective on the fly data and
information management tool during a major
crisis.
� A laptop hooked to a large flat screen
monitor with an 11x17” inkjet printer would
be the best field equipment for this
application.
� UPS is essential for working off a generator.
� GIS by it’s definition includes skilled
operators.

� In the past decade there have been several
developments that have converged to make
integrating GIS in GSAR in Manitoba easier than
ever.
� Development of the SARMAN Volunteer Association
� Evolving GIS applications, tools and software.
� Web accessible updated base data layers and imagery.
� Improved GPS and geoaware mobile technology.
� GIS in GSAR networks in Canada and North America

� The responsibility for lost or missing persons
in the Province of Manitoba rests with the
Police Agency having jurisdiction.
� RCMP and the Office of the Fire
Commissioner developed an MOU that
established GSAR training through the
Manitoba Emergency Services College and
coordination of the GSAR network to support
any Policing Authority conducting GSAR.

� Initially GSAR training was targeted toward
the Manitoba Municipal Fire Service.
� The volunteer network has since expanded
beyond the Manitoba Fire Service, and is now
represented by volunteers with very diverse
backgrounds and a wide variety of skills.
� The strength of the network depends on
volunteers, and one area that would benefit
from growth would be geomatics volunteers.

� Provide field maps
� Define search areas using analytical tools
when available (grids, probability surface)
� Track teams, tasks, clues, landmarks, trails
and other resources
� Assist with planning efficient allocation of
resources (generally work in Plans Section of
Incident Command System [ICS])
� Provide briefing materials

� ArcGIS is the most common software used so
far in Manitoba and North America with tools
developed for GSAR.
An emerging example of a
toolset specifically for
GSAR is called MapSAR
Geodatabase which is
being documented and
scheduled for full release
this spring.

� MLI (2003)
� Orthophotos
� Landsat/Landuse classification
� Topography
� Geogratis
� Toporama
� CanVec
� Open Street Map
� GPS Track sharing websites

� GPS Receivers
� Cheaper, more features, topographic maps and
more accurate.
� Garmin handheld models are most common in
GSAR (12, 60x, 76x, 62)
� Smart phones
� Send geotagged photos from the field
� Text geotagged status reports
� Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT)

� Used to be isolated, but now there is critical
mass across North America to build and share
expertise.
� SARGIS Google Group
https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!fo
rum/sar-and-gis
� ArcGIS.com Canadian Search and Rescue
Group - Owned by David Hamilton - ESRI
Canada Public Safety Industry Analyst

� In the past decade there have been several
developments that have converged to make
integrating GIS in GSAR in Manitoba easier than
ever.
� Development of the SARMAN Volunteer Association
� Evolving GIS applications, tools and software.
� Web accessible updated base data layers and imagery.
� Improved GPS and geoaware mobile technology.
� GIS in GSAR networks in Canada and North America

� I’ve been training SAR managers in basic GIS
in waves over the past decade and it only
stays with a small percentage who use it
frequently.
� The learning curve on GIS is steeper than the
learning curve on GSAR, so it makes sense to
recruit GIS specialists as GSAR volunteers,
who can then maximize the benefit of having
a full suite of geospatial tools employed and
helping to save people’s lives.

�The past, present and
future walk into a
bar...
�It was tense