[GRASS-user] Search and Rescue Volunteer Groups

[Sampson, David]

I am working with a local SAR group that is planning a GIS or mapping
solution for APRIL 1, 2008.  thye have some internal experinece with a
comercial software

http://www.touratech.com/shops/001/index.php?cPath=18_127

I am trying to piece together an approach to do the same with open
Source and having a spot in the workflow with GRASS. First is
visualization and that's all they feel they need right now (JUMP, QGIS
etc etc to do this). But GRASS would be great for building profile based
search results.

I also came across this site http://e-gads.sourceforge.net/ which is a
personelle management software for Ground SAR. Eseentialy dead since
2004 but I think a revival is possible.

I was thinking of seeing if there is enough interest amongst MANY MANY
MANY SAR teams that might be able to contribute small amounts each year
to continued development of open source SAR stuff. Evrything from
updating E-Gads (above) to building small scripts in GRASS/QGIS to
building custom interfaces or side applications.

Showing GRASS/QGIS as a viable option for SAR would be fun, and might
even be neough for someone to build a business model around. 

I like the sample GRASS application. I have forwarded it onto the
evaluating group to consider.

I would like to see a SAR drop down menu option in GRASS at some point
with a bunch of scripts (Python for me) that could automate some common
tasks all base don a last known loaction point.

I'd be interested in a seprate e-mail list for Open Source SAR solutions
related to mapping and such if we can get 10 people or more interested.

I am currently writing a review of my groups needs and also considering
work flow for trying out some GRASS/QGIS stuff. QGIS is the ticket for a
non techy volunteer at 4am in the morning.


-----Original Message-----
From: grass-user-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
[mailto:grass-user-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Tom Russo
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 13:13
To: Sampson, David
Cc: grass-user at lists.osgeo.org
Subject: Re: [GRASS-user] Search and Rescue Volunteer Groups

On Mon, Feb 04, 2008 at 09:24:58AM -0500, we recorded a bogon-computron
collision of the <dsampson at NRCan.gc.ca> flavor, containing:
> Hey Folks,
> 
> I'm looking for people that either use GRASS or would like to use 
> GRASS as a part of a mapping solution for volunteer search and rescue
groups.

What a timely request.  I'm just such a person, and have *just* this
week started a mailing list for local SAR volunteers to explore using
GRASS for SAR planning, but it's pretty much a case of the one-eyed guy
with cataracts leading the blind.  I am very much interested.

> Any links to case articles would be great too.

Here's a trivial one I cooked up a couple weeks ago (unfortunately)
*after* a multi-day search for stranded snowboarders in extreme weather
conditions:  
http://www.swcp.com/~russo/080103/

A textbook toy GIS problem that highlighted how well a GIS could have
been used had a volunteer knowledgeable enough to use it been in the
command post.
The set of such volunteers is microscopic, though, and I hope to change
that in this area.

-- 
Tom Russo    KM5VY   SAR502   DM64ux
http://www.swcp.com/~russo/
Tijeras, NM  QRPL#1592 K2#398  SOC#236 AHTB#1
http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?DDTNM "And, isn't sanity really just a
one-trick pony anyway? I mean all you get is  one trick, rational
thinking, but when you're good and crazy, oooh, oooh,  oooh, the sky is
the limit!"  --- The Tick
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