Implementing Computers & Technology into SAR / DR

[ande.boyer]

All,

I'd like to ping the group about ideas and experiences in implementing computers and other technologies into our SAR & DR operations.

I attended my first SAREX since 1995 a couple of weeks ago and was appauled that NOTHING has changed in the way we do these things.  In 1995, computers were new, expensive, and no one knew how to use them (except us 17 year old cadets).  Cell phones hadn't really proliferated  yet, and cheap GPS's were just coming online.

In 2006, everyone has a cell phone, a desktop AND laptop computer, and pretty much anyone can afford a GPS of some kind, but we don't seem to have really integrated these new tools into how we do our stuff.  Now having been formally educated as a computer engineer and having worked in IT for a while, I'm trying to figure out how we can use this stuff to make SAR & DR Ops run more smoothly.

So, what have you guys seen used on missions and/or in the field?  Automated mission sign-in? Online sortie releases?  Moving map software with DF plots?

What would you like to see implemented? What are some of the mundane tasks that could be made easier with a little splash of technology?

-ande

[Eclipse]

If your wing or unit is not using computers, it is because they are locally out of date.

Between the IMU, WMIRS, SDIS, and ARCHER, CAP is about as current as anybody else.

In Mississippi, computers & PDA's were used extensively for IM, email, navigation (we had a notebook mounted in the truck w/ a GPS) and writing reports.  Cellular internet access was a necessity, though WIFI was used as well on occasion.

[ande.boyer]

That's good stuff; but I'm actually looking for specifics on how technology was/can be used to execute a classic missing-plane SAR mission....particularly in the area of mission resource management and tracking. 

Its great that in MS you guys use IM and have laptops mounted in your vehicles, but I'm more interested in HOW those things are used.  I'm well aware of technologies such as WIFI internet, instant messanger, and lapptop computers ;-)

-ande

[Eclipse]

As I said.

SDIS, WMIRS, ARCHER.

Rather than attempt to decribe them here in detail, go to the NHQ site and do some research.

[SarDragon]

For the resource management angle go here. Unless you have permission, you can't get to the IMU download. You can click the MMU button to see what the IMU is all about. IMU is faster, and has better features than the old MMU.

[Eclipse]

The IMU has excellant potential, but it is far from user friendly and if your state
doen't use the WMU, not much good.

[Matt]

I think Lt Col Anderson has done an awesome job with IMU, however, Eclipse is right; it's not real user friendly at this point in time.

We used it about a month or so ago at a mission our squadron hosted.  I had the displeasure of doing the mass sign-in.  I noticed that it is designed for more interagency than intraagency.  It allows for some far-out titles and some from our cards, however, not all of the 101 specialties are listed and utilized.

With the next update, I'm hoping to see that it will be improved to at least allow multiple persons in same hats, such as for trainee status.

All the same, I think that Lt Col Anderson has hit a nail on a head to jump start true integration with the program.  It allows for single terminal use, networked use on an intranet, and an internet mode in which utilizes WMU servers to coordinate in multiple bases.

I think that the first real release of IMU it will boast as a wonderful tech-tool in intra and interagency operations.

[Eclipse]

The other problem, which is the 500-lb elephant in the living room no one wants to acknowledge, is that all states were ORDERED to discontinue use of the WMU under then Nat CC Bowling. (At the time, eServices was not ready and the order was premature, but today it does most of what we really need.)

This has led to a branching of the systems, two or more sets of data, confusion of the membership, and any number of local policies which either conflict or out-right violate
regulations with regards to sign-offs, record keeping, etc.

There is also the issue of the WMU's stability.  Things just disappear for no reason, data is not interchanged properly (like promotions), and then NHQ is blamed, which is inappropriate. At a minimum, when you use an unsupported "client" (which is the argument made for me about why we still use it - its just a different "client" for the NHQ database), you don't blame the database for your inability to interact with it.

Bottom line this, much like the MAC vs. PC arguments is not about which is BETTER, it is about which was CHOSEN.  And I think we'd all be better off if we just bit the bullet and turned off the WMU, and put our efforts into shoring up eServices.

[capchiro]

Speaking as mission support staff, we are fortunate to have a computer literate IC in our Wing.  He has set up lap tops with software to show elevation, prior crash sites, maps and programs that have the ability to access local information such as:  placing the mouse on the corner of johnson street and smith road, address information with the business name and phone number.  A call can be placed to that address to inquire if suspicious noises have been heard, etc.  Can also be used to find a place (McDonald's) to have the ground crews meet at and you even have the phone number of the business.   Some of the programs have th eability to do plotting on for potential aircraft tracking and to set up search areas and keep track of when and who searched them.  He had arranged for us to be able to purchase the various software programs at a discount, but somehow that fell through.  If you want specific information, I will be glad to provide his e-mail and/or phone number.  I think he should be invited to other Wings to demonstrate this set-up as it is really slick.  (The only problem is some of the old guys (and I can say that because I are now one of the white haired ones, as is he) do not want to learn the new stuff and have to bad mouth it from a defensive position.  JMHO

[Eclipse]

 (The only problem is some of the old guys (and I can say that because I are now one of the white haired ones, as is he) do not want to learn the new stuff and have to bad mouth it from a defensive position.  JMHO

Same problem I have seen with Fire and Police departments - the guys with a year left to retire say things like "I put out fires for 30 years without a computer and I'll be [darn]ed if I'm going to bother now..."  While the new kids, fresh out of the academy can't believe their isn't already a laptop in every car.

We just have to grin and push through the noise.

[Fearlessleader01]

My squadron uses an intergrated GPS/Laptop program for putting Sat hits on missing aircraft missions. We found that this works pretty well. Thats about as advanced as our equipment on ES missions gets.

[arajca]

 (The only problem is some of the old guys (and I can say that because I are now one of the white haired ones, as is he) do not want to learn the new stuff and have to bad mouth it from a defensive position.  JMHO

Same problem I have seen with Fire and Police departments - the guys with a year left to retire say things like "I put out fires for 30 years without a computer and I'll be [darn]ed if I'm going to bother now..."  While the new kids, fresh out of the academy can't believe their isn't already a laptop in every car.

We just have to grin and push through the noise.

The key with those guys is to show how it can be done faster and with less work. I have found many old hand fire fighters really appreciate the modern tools and techniques, once they have been shown how it make their job easier.

[Robborsari]

I think this is a great question.  I am also looking to bring more computer power to bear on our ES mission.  I would like to hear specific software packages discussed. 

For example.  I have been using Google Earth to plot the GPS traks saved by my handheld GPS that I bring on missions.  It is great for visualizing terrain and planning.  I use the GPS visualizer tool to convert the tracks:  http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/   It is also a great free resource for working with GPS tracks in different formats and generating maps.

Pros:  Free, Fast (depending on net connection), Easy to import and transfer data as .kml files.
Cons: Requires fast net connection to download imagery.

[KyCAP]

Our Wing Current Operations Officer has been developing an Excel based application that he has used to run the Finance / Admin side of the NESA Aircrew school for several years.

We got an OUTSTANDING in Finance / Admin Section during the EVAL two months ago because of it.

It's pretty impressive.  I own a software engineering company and the amount of thought and effort in this thing is very respectable. Hats off to him for this from me.

He reads the membership ID card barcode to sign you in and out of the mission base, groups ground teams to be signed in and out / aircrews, tracks finance costs for sorties, projections for budget planning etc etc etc.


Personally I use Jeppesen FliteStar for plotting ELT / SARSAT hits onto the sectional / IFR charts that come with that.   

The Wing also owns one copy of MapTech's topo map software for ground team and pre-planning for actual SAR.

One suggestion that I would have to all Wing ES officers.    NHQ needs to purchase DeLorme XMAP for all wings.

Most State Agencies and Local use ESRI ArcIMS for base map Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  So if you want to share in their information during a wide spread thing and have a "standard" chart then it would be nice to have something that would read their base map shape files.   XMAP evidently will do this.

Our Ky Army NG tells us that during Katrina they were handing out copies of Microsoft Streets and Trips because it was inexpensive and provided a common point of reference for everyone.

Just a thought....

[CLB]

Being the 24 year old Comm Geek in a Sq where only 3 of us (sans cadets) are under the age of 40....needless to say it's hard.  The Col actually just stole the Admin's typewriter and told him to get forms online to the avail of a blank stare.

Yes....he still filled out forms with a typewriter..... 

Let's see....where to begin. 

At my station, I have the standard Micom 2B, EFJ VHF for Ground Ops, Moto Vertex for Air Ops, all the ISR's, handhelds, etc....

I also have a PC that my wife loaned me (coming next week actually), a monitor that the Col donated, and a printer/ keyboard from my old desktop.  I plan to use it as a weather monitor/ CEMS files and other general CAP stuff. 

My personal equipment consists of a ICom IC-R3 with a digital DF on a LCD screen, a Magellan GPS 315, a computer interfaced Radio Shack Pro-2052 ran out to a Cushcraft vertical (I can hear Orangeburg PD/FD almost 90 miles away with this thing) and numerous other handheld and base scanners.   

A neat trick I can do with the Pro-2052 is to connect the headphone jack to the line in of the PC, the remote cable to COM1.  I can then program the radio to scan only CAP frequencies and then record all traffic with a program that only registers traffic when the squelch is broken.  It then places a timestamp on each transmission and saves the whole mission to a .WAV file to a total record time of 814 hours.  Instantly frees my comm staff from keeping a log while the mission is running, and we can take the text file from the timestamps, cut/ paste them to the corresponding traffic and print out a message log for the hard files. 

[mawr]

Though I am now Chief of Staff, I have spent 15 years in CAP communications.  Most of those years was as Asst. DC and my final year as DC.  During the last 5 years I worked (and failed) to complete a wireless network for mission bases in which the Comm Van would pull up and pull out a cache of laptops for the section heads and fire up a server and network in the van.

As each section head logged on they would have access to common info such as weather and maps, etc. as well as receiving and sending their comm messages via email within the intra-net. 

I have developed a replica comm message form in MS Access that would allow anyone to fill out their message that they wished to send to anyone on the intra-net and of course if it need to be transmitted via radio then they would send it to Comm.  This would allow us to free personnel as runners and the system could pull data from fields to create a log with out the need to cut & paste.

But alas, our wing never seemed to come up with the money to purchase the hardware.

[Pylon]

But alas, our wing never seemed to come up with the money to purchase the hardware.

Sounds like an excellent opportunity to push for some grants.  There are companies out there that would certainly fund these types of projects, if asked (and if asked in the right manner).  I know Lockheed-Martin is a big funder of CAP aerospace and technology related projects in our area with annual grants. 

It would certainly be worth looking into getting funded by a corporate grant for such a useful project.  Just some food for thought.  Perhaps you've already tried that avenue.  YMMV

[arajca]

This where a GOOD DMRO person would be a HUGE benefit. I regularly peruse a gov't auction website that auctions stuff for some obscure federal agency called the DoD. In the past few weeks I have seen dozens of Toughbook laptops (minus hardrives) with PIII and P4 processors offered. This is in addition to the hundreds of PIII and P4 regular laptops (also minus hardrives) that are there. If CAP could have gotten hold of these, figure $150 each for hd and os and you have good, durable(the Toughbooks) computers that would be great for SAR stuff.

[Chris Jacobs]

This where a GOOD DMRO person would be a HUGE benefit. I regularly peruse a gov't auction website that auctions stuff for some obscure federal agency called the DoD. In the past few weeks I have seen dozens of Toughbook laptops (minus hardrives) with PIII and P4 processors offered. This is in addition to the hundreds of PIII and P4 regular laptops (also minus hardrives) that are there. If CAP could have gotten hold of these, figure $150 each for hd and os and you have good, durable(the Toughbooks) computers that would be great for SAR stuff.

Then you could go for much smaller grants that may be easier to get and acheive the same out come. 

[mawr]

We actually had a decent start.  Our Commander (then Vice Commander) had arranged for the donation of an old bread delivery van and had it painted.  We installed the network hub and desk and cabinets along with external connectors for power (drop cord or generator).

But the thing had all the aerodynamics of a billboard.  The airconditioner on top only worked when the engine was running (I don't know why) and the exhaust came out just about under where the radio operators sit.  So, you either chance heat exhaustion during the Alabama summers or you risk CO poisoning.

It just never quite worked out.  We are working on a grant proposal for an Command and Control vehicle which would have everything that I was working on plus broadband and more.  Wish us luck.