We have put together a concept for snow removal where we use QuickCapture to register work performed in the field. To show / share position with other resources and to headquarters, we use ArcGIS Tracker. The user then has to start 2 applications and it can be a bit difficult. What if the traker capacity was included in QuickCapture so that the user only has to deal with one application? Of tracker information, we need the last known position, direction and speed. Update intervals can e.g. be every 30 seconds.
For Urban Search and Rescue (US&R), we've adopted QuickCapture for recording waypoints and tracklogs. See this website for more information: https://sargis.napsgfoundation.org/pages/usar_ops
We want to keep using QuickCapture for it's ease of use and high volume point data collection - we have to train hundreds of firefighters we will never meet in person. Also, the data standard we use for assignments and tracklogs, requires that a line is completed for each assignment. The line is categorized according to recon, hasty, primary, secondary low, secondary high, and targeted search types. We need to know their coverage, but also what were they doing during that assignment because it may determine if a team needs to return to that assignment area. This provides a location language and an ability to share between organizations using interorganizational groups. This built-in capability in QuickCapture is really important.
However, having the ability to also know the last known point (LKP) of US&R Teams is important for accountability and situational awareness. We need to be able to see where they were most recently known to be (with connectivity), without managing large datasets of breadcrumbs, and cannot ask state and local partners to purchase and manage additional licenses and data stores.
Our short-term solution is to simply add a "location update" waypoint to our project, but we would like for it to be "hands-off" and automatically provide their location on a set interval (5 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 hour).
For more background, try one of our test projects https://arcg.is/ObCuq
QuickCapture d4e54
As stated above, the ability to have the LKP within QuickCapture would be huge. As a task force plans manager the ability to "see" my squads in the field is a necessity during deployments - especially water deployments. If I know where all of my squads are located within a 1-5 minute time period on the map, then I spend less time on the phone / radio to locate the closest squad to a 9-1-1 call. That few minutes can be the difference between life or death of the caller.
The other positive point in "seeing" my squads on a map is it helps me know who is in the path of severe weather (i.e. tornado) and I can let them know to take cover.
And finally, it gives everyone (including the squads in the field) a better situational awareness as well as a LKP if something bad happens to a squad (i.e. building collapse from an aftershock).
Making Tracker a part of QC would be much more convenient and easier for the user. I recently created a rapid sidewalk assessment project. To get around using two apps, I created a button to record their tracks via streaming points. They need to remember to click that button first and then click it again when they are done collecting.
It is not a huge burden but it would make the app even easier if tracking was automatic. We need tracking in the rare case they walk a sidewalk and do not find anything to collect. As the Analyst, I would prefer to have lines instead of points. I could go through the effort to turn these points into lines but I would rather not have to do this every time.
Single track of one user
Tracks of multiple users
We are currently using Quick Capture to do some quality assessment of the sidewalks and pedestrian spaces of the city. We have designed optimal routes to cover several neighborhoods. Then each field worker is following his track and captures all spots presenting issues for pedestrian accessibility (damaged pavement, narrow sidewalks, conflicts with electric posts, trees, terraces and so on).
The city is carrying a plan to give jobs to young unemployed people for this project. The problem is that we suspected some field workers were not inventorying all streets. The solution now is they need to add a control point at every street so we can later check they have covered their routes but this is of course adding extra work for them.
Having the ability to automatically create control points periodically would allow us to control that all streets are being covered without adding extra complications for the field workers.
Implemented in 1.12 release. Details here:
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