Access the Podcast: GIS in Urban Search and Rescue – Mapping Technology in Public Safety
Mapping Tech in Public Safety interviewed Chief John Morrison with the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department and Battalion Chief Ry Kendrick with the Fairfax County Fire Department. Both are members of the Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 (see bios below). We discussed practical uses of mapping in public safety and talked about a lot of John’s and Ry’s experience using mapping in USAR from Puerto Rico to Nepal. Many of the key takeaways from our discussion include:
- Need access to a lot of data but need to view it in an actionable and focused way
- Need to have a quick turn around when requesting mapping
- Keep things simple and portable when possible
- Drill and train on the GIS and map resources before you use them in real life
