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	dbS Productions The Source of Search & Rescue Research, Publications, and Training
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Here is Your dbs-SAR.com Newsletter March 12, 2001 E-mail Bulletin

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Sponsored by SAR Camp, SAR professionals serving SAR professionals

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IN THIS EDITION:

* Interactive Alzheimer's Map Problem
* New NASAR Database
* Find/List your SAR Team - SARCONTACTS.ORG
* New International Search Association
* Ten Essentials information/store - SARESSENTIALS.COM
* Online Disaster Journal
* SEARCH REVIEW; Some critical comments

See below for links. Click on any active [i.e. underlined] link for additional information.

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INTERACTIVE MAP PROBLEM FOR LOST ALZHEIMER'S CASE

dbS Productions is happy to offer a new free on-line service to our visitors. We have developed a new educational tool that is both fun, interactive, and an excellent learning tool for both new and experienced searchers. You are given the choice of collecting information or deploying resources by clicking on a map. In the simulation you will be responsible for searching for a missing Alzheimer's disease subject. You have been called to Matthews Arm Campground for a missing 82 year old male last seen today at 1800. The point last seen is indicated on the map below. He was reported missing by family members at 1925 when the dog he went out to walk returned to the campground. The current time is 19:30 It is a warm August day in the park. Highs in the 80's and nighttime lows in the 50's. It is currently clear and warm. Good luck and go find Oluf!

http://www.dbs-sar.com/SARsim/index.htm

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NEW NASAR DATABASE

This database has been created to be used as a resource for the entire SAR community. It was designed to include as many mission reports as possible, and to use the information gathered to create statistics which will benefit the SAR community as a whole. This database is intended for use by ALL search and rescue teams, organizations and agencies, volunteer and paid alike. Each group is asked to have one person complete the necessary data for submission in this database. Help us build an excellent resource for the SAR community. Add your mission information today!

http://www.nasar.org/webdata/incdataentry.shtml

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FIND OR LIST YOUR SAR TEAM - SARCONTACTS.ORG

Interested in joining a search and rescue group in your area? The Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group created this page to give potential volunteers information. There are currently 476 teams listed! The site is well organized and easy to search. It is possible to search by state, providence, or country. A new addition allows searches for commercial SAR providers. This site has the largest and most complete database of SAR teams to be found in the world. Another nice feature, teams can update their own information with instantaneous results. Please note that this service is intended to inform individuals of resources in their area, but the entries are not verified or validated. The URL is also a recent addition. Before it was a long winded URL containing an actual IP address plus the path. Every team should make this one of their links!

http://www.sarcontacts.org

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NEW INTERNATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE SOCIETY

Who is ISARS? The International Search and Rescue Society is an organization designed to provide a forum for members to have a free and open discussion on subjects that promote and enhance professionalism in Search and Rescue (SAR). The Society will also work towards the best interest of SAR. The Society began due to the fundamental need for a conduit for the exchange of professional information on the topic of SAR. Initial funding for The Society was provided by the Canadian National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS). An important aspect of the society will be publishing a journal that address SAR issues.

The Journal will publish various pieces which will include, inter alia, articles, reviews, announcements and summaries of meetings. Articles will be peer reviewed before publishing. Letters to the editor will be accepted and may be published at the discretion of the editor. Advertising will be accepted, however advertisements will be inserted in such a fashion so as not to interrupt the flow of The Journal.

Objectives:
An international forum for the free and open exchange of knowledge in the aeronautical, ground and maritime SAR communities.
To promote search and rescue as a humanitarian service.
To recognize and embrace cultural, language and differences in origins for the continued development of SAR.
Promote continued improvement for quality SAR services.
Promote and build "Team SAR".
To work to remove obstacles for the seamless delivery of SAR.
The promotion of excellence in SAR operations, services, co-ordination, education, training, communications and management.
To promote the continued development of a seamless SAR system world-wide.
To promote the continued harmonization of aeronautical, ground and maritime SAR.
To promote and improve SAR prevention in order to reduce the number and severity of SAR incidents.

We wish the society the best. For more information:

http://www.isars.org/

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TEN ESSENTIALS INFORMATION/STORE - SARESSENTIALS.COM

SAR Essentials Store: The Ten Essentials Plus. It is now possible to find in one simple location all the essentials new SAR team members need to get started. This new service provides educational links about recommended products and allows users to make a purchase on-line. The site is formatted that for each essential, visitors will be provided educational links, a simple inexpensive source, and more standard sources. It is even possible to start your on SARessentials.com store front as a source of information or revenue for your SAR team.

http://www.SARessentials.com/

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INTERNET JOURNAL OF RESCUE AND DISASTER MEDICINE^TM

This on-line journal combines the contents of The Internet Journal of Aeromedical Transportation TM and The Internet Journal of Disaster Medicine TM. This is a peer reviewed journal. Every article was reviewed by members of the editorial board and the editor-in-chief. Internet Scientific Publications LLC is one of the oldest and largest International medical publishing houses on the web. All the articles, reviews, multimedia presentations and case reports are peer-reviewed. It is the publisher's goal to remain a leading source for high quality medical information on the Internet. Editors of Britannica have recently selected this site as one of the best on the Internet when reviewed for quality, accuracy of content, presentation and usability. A wide arrange of rescue topics exist. Plenty of helicopter, water rescue, disaster, and medical articles. Pure "SAR" articles are a little bit more sparse. However, anyone with medical interests will find this site a goldmine of free information.

http://www.ispub.com/journals/ijrdm.htm

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RESCUERS FIND LOST OGLETHORPE WOMAN
By Rhiannon Brewer
Staff Writer

After spending over 50 hours lost in the woods, a Winterville woman was found three-fourths of a mile from her home Tuesday morning. Agnes Violetta Slay, 55, was last seen early Sunday walking on Arnoldsville Road in Oglethorpe County. She was reported missing to Winterville police late Monday night.

Oglethorpe County sheriff's deputies began combing the woods near Winterville, Arnoldsville and West Beaverdam roads shortly after midnight Tuesday.

A Georgia State Patrol helicopter, equipped with thermal imaging technology, was unsuccessful in locating Slay in the early morning hours. "It was like looking for a needle in a haystack," Oglethorpe County Sheriff Jason Lowe said Tuesday.

Oglethorpe County firefighters, paramedics, first responders and rescue units came to the area at 6 a.m. Tuesday for a daytime search. Members of the search party rode all-terrain vehicles through the woods searching for Slay. No K-9 units were called to the scene because they would have been ineffective due to the large territory covered, Lowe said.

Shortly before 11 a.m., Slay was spotted in the woods from a Georgia State Patrol helicopter. A deputy and rescue officer went into the woods and "got skinned up pretty good" while rescuing Slay, Lowe said.

Lowe said it appeared that Slay, who has an undisclosed mental condition, became disoriented and wandered off from home.

Slay was taken to Athens Regional Medical Center for treatment. Hospital officials could not release information about Slay's condition Tuesday night.

"We were to the point where we didn't think she'd make it," Lowe said. "That's a long time to be outside. If we hadn't found her and we had another cold night, she may not be with us today."

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Comments on this search
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First I was not at the search and it is easy to make comments from the warmth of an office. Second I have to trust the newspaper article, which we all know can be wrong at times. But assuming the facts are correct (oh yea), then here are some unasked for comments.
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What can we learn from this search? It appears the subject suffered from either early dementia or possibly mental retardation. The delayed report to the police (30+ hours) never helps the search effort. The law enforcement agency did launch an immediate search that included night searching which is important (25% of Virginia's Alzheimer's subjects are found at night). The profiles and statistics for both of these disorders can be found at www.dbs-sar.com/Research.htm Both disorders have a median of 0.5 miles and a 75% within 1.0 miles. Searching a one mile radius gives a search area of 3.1 square miles. If given 160 acre search areas this would only require 12 dog tasks. Certainly possible to search all of it with 6 air-scent dogs. If using an expanding circle strategy for the deployment of search sectors (recommend for these profiles) then with the subject being found at 0.75 miles this equals a search area of 1.75 square miles. Therefore, only seven 160 acre search tasks (assuming 100% POD) would have been required. The article does not mention if a bloodhound was tried. A helicopter is an excellent resource and ultimately proved successful. In forested regions older FLIR units have a poor success rate (In Virginia FLIR has only made one find in over 20 years of collecting data!). However, visual finds from helicopters are at 15%. The chance of finding a subject using ATV is very low if using untrained resources. The chance of the subject being on a road or trail is low (for Alzheimer's it is only 7% and for mental retardation its 16%). The article makes no mention of searching just off roads or down drainages. The subjects distance of 0.75 miles and being in thickets is classic for Alzheimer's. Hopefully, all involved learned valuable lessons. In the end, the subject was located and safely returned. Is that all that matters? Feel free to send your comments comments@dbs-sar.com

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