emergency response in trail systems

[logannissenson]

I am a high school student in Anchorage, Alaska
My idea is to use ArcGIS and its sibling software to improve emergency response in outdoor trails.  When someone gets injured emergency responders have to accomplish three tasks
           Find out where is the caller is
           Figure out how can they get to the caller in the shortest amount of time
           Actually go to the caller

Unfortunately, those are not easy things to do when someone is located deep within a trail system.
In order to make those tasks easier dispatchers could use ArcExplorer, a desktop application, or a web application to connect to an ArcServer, which would then provide them with landmark, trail, and quickest route data

By having trail landmarks (mile markers, trail intersections, benches, etc) accessible in ArcExplorer, dispatchers will be able to quickly pin-point someone's location if the person says they are at mile marker 54 or a particular trail intersection.  Once the dispatcher knows the caller's location, they can send a query to the ArcServer to calculate the closest trail entrance to that location and display the quickest route from the entrance to the location.

Though, knowing the caller's location and the quickest route to get to him/her is only two thirds of the battle.  The responders still have to go to them.  Since trails are not constructed in grid formation and don't always have clear signage, fire fighters will need some turn by turn directions.  In order to accomplish this the responders could use either the turn by turn directions that ArcGIS can produce or a mobile application.  The mobile application would also connect to the ArcServer and would display a map of the trails with the calculated route highlighted.  The GPS location of the person holding the mobile device would show up as a red dot.  Since the responder will know their position relative to the route they need to take, it should be straightforward for them to reach the caller.

What do you think about the idea?

[JimDickerson]

It's a great idea.  But mobile apps in the woods is still a stretch.  It's safer to have everything you need before you leave the building and a printout is best (no batteries).  I don't know that resonders on foot need a turn-by-turn description rather than a map. 

My advice to create a prototype of the output (maps and print outs) and talk to some first reponders.  Their input to the process is more important than the technical solution, of which there are several.

Good luck.

[SarahMerz]

Cellular locations in E911 (if available) are typically accurate enough to locate an event, that along with trail mile markers (if  available) together are real effective...

[MeganBirch]

I would recommend focusing on the landmarks, as most trails do not have mile markers (at least that is the case here in PA).  Also, make sure that the blaze color is included in the trail attributes as well as the name.

[MattGoodman]

If an emergency is phoned into 9-1-1 from the trail, assuming the wireless network being used is phase II compliant, then the lat/long are provided to dispatch.

However, if the wireless network is only phase I compliant, then only the tower's location is provided (a tower on a hilltop can have a very large coverage area). Also, there are some scenarios where an emergency occurs on a remote trail and a bystander travels (sometimes significant distances) to summon help. To handle these scenarios, the best solution is to install some type of trail marker signs (US National Grid, or just mile markers) - especially for trails that don't have reliable cell phone coverage. Data for these markers can be set up in mobile mapping applications for rescue/1st responders.