Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/747441
Solution Ridge Meadows selected MapSAR to enhance the search and rescue process. The mapping application runs on ArcGIS for Desktop software and is available at no cost from ArcGIS Online as well as Mapsar.net. It offers map production templates, custom GPS download tools, SAR symbology, search and buffer tools, and was developed to mirror the typical search process. Installed on notebook computers within command vehicles, the app provides team members with quick access to basemaps, imagery and layers of vector data. It is used to develop briefing maps that reflect the area of operations and to create buffers for priority search zones that are assigned to individual volunteers. To enhance safety, the maps contain locations of portable repeater sites and potential helicopter landing areas to ensure that volunteers stay within a safe range. The team can also determine dangerous areas that should be avoided and check the local weather forecast. Once crews are dispatched, GPS data is captured in the field and sent back to the command post so that maps can be immediately updated to gauge the progression of the search. Clues such as footprints or lost clothing are also reported back via radio and plotted on the map to reveal patterns that could potentially lead to the missing person. They are time and date stamped and can be accompanied by photos captured through smartphones. Benefits Using MapSAR, the Ridge Meadows team is able to get a comprehensive view of the search area and associated map information within minutes. GIS replaces paper maps to offer immediate status updates and the ability to query and retrieve information so that resources can be directed exactly where they are needed. The integration of GIS into the SAR workflow enables information to flow continuously from field to command post, so that everyone is always working from the same accurate map data. Since implementing the tool, the team has noted a 50% improvement in data accuracy. Critical data such as assignment areas, point last seen, clues, trails to cover, search boundaries and local resources can now be saved and stored in one place. This is particularly handy for multi-day searches that can sometimes span up to five days. Often, when a person has not been recovered on the first attempt, efforts will resume several months later. Now, archived data can be easily recalled to support these efforts. The ability to record and archive real-time data also empowers the SAR team to communicate with families and friends of the missing persons and document steps that were taken to recover the victim. Ridge Meadows plans to eventually make GIS data available through mobile units so that data can be updated directly from the field. Mapping the way to enhanced search and rescue | Esri Canada 2 Through MapSAR, users can mark the Point Last Seen and prioritize search areas accordingly. The progress of a search within assigned areas is clearly demarcated. " Everything search-related has a spatial component at its core. By applying GIS to the SAR workflow, real- time data can be precisely captured and stored. As such, lost or muddled evidence becomes a thing of the past." Richard Laing Team Manager, Ridge Meadows