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"
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.
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.