Mounted search and rescue

["Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>]

From: "Una Smith" <una@lanl.gov>
> On Mon, Dec 23, 2002 at 03:56:56AM -0800, Jorene Downs wrote:
> >Barcode scanning for ID cards and logistics inventory has been
> >mentioned as a viable management tool for SAR.

[...]
> Anyway, exactly what problems in SAR is barcoding expected to
> solve?

Management issues in a large SAR. If you have a long line of people to check
in, it is faster to scan the barcode and generate an automatic entry of data
than to enter that data manually. If you have a lot of resources / equipment
to track, you reduce the potential for typos or incorrect identification of
that item if you can automate the process. Automating processes reduces the
potential for documentation error, increases speed of the processing, and
gets personnel assigned and deployed more quickly.

> It is trivial to run computers off DC batteries and to charge
> the batteries by solar panels or gas/diesel generator.

Yep.

> Internet access in wilderness areas does not require satellite
> communications, not if HAM radio service is available.  Ever
> heard of FidoNet?  Traditionally, it ran on HAM radio systems.
> It carried e-mail and Usenet news [...]

I'm not aware that FidoNet has actual access to Internet/Intranet and the
various technologies and options available there?

Our wilderness SAR is typically in National Parks and Forests in high
mountain areas. We switch to their radio system when coverage becomes a
problem on the SAR channel. And we're often collaborating with the federal
agency for that region. With high speed access you can use a variety of
contemporary online management tools. Document conferencing, online video,
transmission of images, access to web or Intranet for research, voice, etc.
You can have management / staff / outside resources in different locations
and collatorate long distance.

This follows the same model - smaller scale! <g> - as the inter-agency
communications that can be utilized for disasters, developed by the National
Institute For Urban Search & Rescue - NIUSR.  Their initial field trial ...
========
http://www.niusr.org/WhoAreWe.htm#Focus
1.  Interlinking Communications - eXtreme Information Infrastructure (XII)
The Institute has had as its centerpiece of effort the establishment of a
National Crisis Information Architecture, permitting all involved in the
crisis response, to plug into an interlinking, open system The latest
demonstration of a small slice of XII was demonstrated on March 12, 2002 in
cooperation Using a federation of existing networks and off-the-shelf
technology; DERIS is able to create the required connectivity between
different agencies that must share information and situation awareness
during a crisis

In this demonstration we connected San Diego County, Los Angeles City and
County, Chicago and Arlington, VA into the multi-agency, multi-mega cities
response to a mock Terrorist event. Once logged into the DERIS portal, they
could access resource information, share information as it happens, and
collaborate with each other in real time, either through video, voice,
e-mail, or other web-based services. The March 12th demonstration showed how
secure access to weather and other maps, imagery, technical HAZMAT
information and other documents, on-scene video, digital photography and
other information resources can speed response to save lives and property.
Just as importantly, it showed how agencies representing local, state and
federal law enforcement, emergency response and public safety can cooperate
and share information by breaking social, organizational, and technical
barriers. One critical key to the success of DERIS is its ability to fit
into the existing protocols of the emergency management community.
=====

Keep in mind that in the event of a disaster, SAR will be responding ... and
the ICP with related capabilities will be there. To have in place tools that
can handle a much larger and more complex incident is part of management
pre-planning.

~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare County, CA
SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, USAR