[Xastir-Dev] Re: Xastir SAR feature added

[Curt Mills, WE7U]

On Fri, 19 Sep 2003, Owen DeLong wrote:

> I think it depends on what you're looking for.  If you're looking for
> a person believed lost on foot, that's one thing, and I would think
> circles would be best (Cdir=180), and voila.  If you're looking for
> someone in a vehicle (OK, this starts to get outside of SAR, but,
> I know there have been times when we've been trying to find people
> in vehicles) or, say a package of instruments on a balloon platform
> (yes, this is a relatively specific application, but, I know a bunch
> of users that are involved with it at http://www.stratofox.org) or
> something like that.
>
> So, for SAR, I guess it's true, Cdir=180 hard coded would probably do what
> they want.  However, I suspect it's not that hard to allow for Cdir<90 in
> the code and draw arcs instead of circles and have the arc move over time.
> One option would be start with making the code capable of everything, then,
> dumb-down the UI if it's too confusing.  Hide the advanced possibilities
> elsewhere.

I brought this up to more experienced members at one point, and as I
recall the gist of the QSO:  By the time SAR is called on a search,
we're usually a few HOURS after the person has gone missing.  By
that time we're more interested in the statistical data for that
type of missing person showing how far they might travel (max) than
in how far they might have traveled during the time elapsed.

If we were to get called immediately after the person had gone
missing, we might be able to use the average MPH of travel to
establish containment boundaries early-on, minimizing the search
area.  Typically that just doesn't happen though, at least not that
I've seen in our county.

That's another reason we're usually not asked to drive code
(lights/siren) on a search.  A few minutes this way or that aren't
critical for most missions.  Exceptions to the code rule are
technical rescue of a car/person off a cliff, or certain sorts of
injuries where the person has to be evac'ed fast from a remote area.
Cases where we already know something about the subject, and we've
switched to the rescue phase already instead of the search phase.

I've got a lot to learn yet about SAR though.  That's half the fun!

-- 
Curt Mills, WE7U                    hacker_NO_SPAM_ at tc.fluke.com
Senior Methods Engineer/SysAdmin
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