Search and Rescue

Along with GIS's role in natural hazard mitigation planning, such as preparing proactive earthquake, landslide, or tsunami risk maps, SAR is one of the truly rewarding applications of the software. The majority of the work on GRASS (and Open Source software in general) is done on a volunteer basis, indoors on a terminal screen with little feedback. Hearing about some little program that you created helping folks in dire need really makes our day and keeps us motivated to continue working on the software.

• The following thread appeared on the GRASS users' mailing list in early Feb 2008: "Search and Rescue Volunteer Groups"

In the news

The speed with which open source software can be modified and component tools grafted together to create new custom application software lends itself to use in dynamic situations where speed of deployment is key.

• GDAL's use in Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts

Case Studies

GIS operations are a natural fit in search and rescue planning. This application shows how a GIS could have been deployed to analyze information known to search management during a difficult search, had the tool been available to planners at the time.

• GRASS potential impact to SAR planning

References

• Ciolli M., Vitti A., Mengon L., Zatelli P., Zottele F., "A GIS-based decision support system for the management of SAR operations in mountain areas". Geomatics workbooks, 2006, v. 6.

URL: http://geomatica.como.polimi.it/workbooks/n6/articoli/sar_geomatics.pdf

• Ciolli M., Mengon L., Vitti A., Zatelli P., Zottele F., "A GIS-based FOSS decision support system for the management of SAR operations in mountain areas". Contributo a "FOSS4G2006 - Free And Open Source Software for Geoinformatics", Losanna, Svizzera, 11-15 Settembre 2006.

URL: http://www.foss4g2006.org/contributionDisplay.py?contribId=137&sessionId=49&confId=1

Links

• Xastir - X Amateur Tracking and Information System

• E-GADS! - Electronic Ground Search and Rescue Administrative Database System

• GPSd - gpsd is a service daemon that monitors one or more GPSes attached to a host computer through serial or USB ports, making all data on the location/course/velocity of the sensors available to be queried on TCP port 2947 of the host computer.

• GpsDrive - Real time navigation software for Linux & Mac

see also the d.out.gpsdrive GRASS module

• PyWPS and more generally GRASS web interface applications

• Sahana is a Free and Open Source Disaster Management system. It is a web based collaboration tool that addresses the common coordination problems during a disaster from finding missing people, managing aid, managing volunteers, tracking camps effectively between Government groups, the civil society (NGOs) and the victims themselves.

Contacts

• -Dsampson Dave Sampson (GRASS, QGIS, OSGEO Ottawa, SAR Global1, G3 Geomatics)
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