Lost Person Locator App

[nomad129]

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has a solution that puts decades of actual case data in the palm of searchers' hands. S&T's First Responders Group (FRG) and dbS Productions — a leader in search and rescue (SAR) research, publications, and training — are developing a suite of tools that display historical, geographical, and statistical search data in easy-to-use formats, including mobile apps.  Leveraging decades of SAR expertise The Lost Person Locator project was initiated via the Small Business Innovation Research program. Early on, dbS Productions developed a search wheel prototype and entered field operations guidelines into the International Search and Rescue Incident Database (ISRID), which details more than 150,000 local, state, federal, and international SAR cases compiled over 30 years.  ISRID data serves as the platform for the Lost Person Behavior app, a tool that helps first responders determine where to search and what questions to ask when they first arrive at the search scene. The app provides responders with limited search and rescue experience with knowledge gained from similar searches conducted in the past.  Lost Person Behavior provides step-by-step search guidance, investigative questions, and statistics and behavioral profiles for more than 40 scenarios — including lost hikers, children, and dementia patients. It also identifies high probability areas where an individual may be found and has filters for ecoregion and terrain. The app does not require an Internet connection and can be deployed in wilderness, rural, and urban settings. It is now available for download on Apple iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.com.

[Eclipse]

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/R-Tech%20Lost%20Person%20Locator%20One%20Pager.pdf

https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/lost-person-behavior-app

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.azimuth_1.lpb

IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lost-person-behavior/id958063238?mt=8

$9.99 on either platform, which seems a little pricey for an app developed with Federal funds
and released under DHS.  https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14603/nsf14603.htm

It looks like an interesting tool, but not all that complicated,
either, with the behavior research data, wherever that came from, being the most valuable
natural resource involved in development.

[sardak]

with the behavior research data, wherever that came from, being the most valuable natural resource involved in development.

As mentioned above, the data come from "the International Search and Rescue Incident Database (ISRID), which details more than 150,000 local, state, federal, and international SAR cases compiled over 30 years." More about the ISRID here: http://www.dbs-sar.com/SAR_Research/ISRID.htm  The ISRID was originally developed under a USDA grant in 2004.

Dr. Bob Koester has continued to apply for grants, collect and add data to the ISRID, but most importantly, analyze the collected data. This was first published in 2008 in the book "Lost Person Behavior" http://www.dbs-sar.com/LPB/lpb.htm  It has become the standard reference for missing person search. You're correct in that the app isn't that complicated. It more or less automates the manual process of flipping through the 396 page book to gather lost person behavior stats and combining them with other data and processes to conduct missing person search planning.

As for charging for the app, it's how Bob does business. He sells for $20 the Land SAR Addendum (to the National SAR Manual) which was created by the federal National Search and Rescue Committee (NSARC). The addendum can be downloaded for free from NSARC here: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg534/nsarc/Land_SAR_reports.asp

Mike