Search and Rescue Search: To locate persons in distress Rescue: To retrieve persons in distress, provide for their initial medical or other needs, deliver them to a place of safety and get your teams out safely. Search is often the more time-consuming task: Where to look? What resources to use? How long do you look? How to best keep track of your resources.

“What hampers me as a searcher is that I don't think like a lost person (well, mostly...). Maybe one (two?!?) out of 10 times have I looked at a map, waved my divining rod over it and said: "There!" and been anywhere close to right. Each SAR is like learning all something new each time. So the priority tools (and tech devices), for me, would be those which contribute to better organizing and visualizing the SAR and the terrain.”

GIS & MapSAR Significantly Enhances Situational Awareness And Provides a Common Operating Picture

Walk, Ride, Fly Tasks Analysis Investigations Operations Debriefing Planning Equipment Team Briefing Search Field Updates Dispatcher Log Assignments Helos, Trucks Ops Clues, Location, etc. Orders Air Ops Dog Ops Resource Unit Logistics Lead Investigator Assignments Clues, Location, etc. SAR Information and Resource Flowchart

Walk, Ride, Fly Tasks Analysis Investigations Operations Debriefing Planning Equipment Team Briefing Search Field Updates Dispatcher Log Assignments Helos, Trucks Ops Orders Air Ops Dog Ops Resource Unit Logistics Spare Ovals Investigator Clues, GPS Locations Assignments Maps: Team, Briefing Assets Flex Viewer To GIS Server MapSAR ArcGIS 10 Teams Clues, GPS Tracklogs & Waypoints Clues Common Operating Picture Available to All ArcGIS Explorer Desktop Reports

Analysis: Surface Created with Cross Country Mobility Analysis with Roads and Trails Dementia STATS

Pre-planning: MapSAR Structure and MED

3D Image (ArcGIS Explorer or ArcGlobe): Effective Visualization of terrain for teams and Incident Command

Used with GIS Server, Greatly Enhanced Common Operating Picture

Using GIS in SAR: The Map is Not the Territory

Understand the mapping software you use. Practice with different types of coordinate systems and converting between them.

A Good Day for SAR: Yosemite Ranger Dave Pope with Child, Merced River, Yosemite National Park

George Durkee: Using GIS in SAR for Emergency Responders: Files at: