|
Thanks to internationally-recognized SAR planning researcher Robert Koester
and his latest book, the phrase "Lost Person Behavior" now spans several ideas, including:
- The collection and statistical analysis of search incident reports to discern patterns of behavior common
to groups of subjects fitting into certain age groups, activity groups, and levels of mental status.
- The application of the analytical results to better define search areas, and to better predict the
outcomes of searches, and
- The adoption of "reflex tasking" methods, including 300-meter/yard "saturation searching" and "corridor searching,"
as initial search actions by SAR incident managers outside of Virginia.
The Mountainpathfinder.com website is dedicated to the promotion of these ideas in Georgia. To that end, I am:
- Collecting current- and historical SAR incident reports from Georgia and adjacent states for transmission to Koester,
who can incorporate them into the 50,000-incident International Search And Rescue Database (ISRID). Once Koester has
them, he can analyze them to improve the value of the research as a planning tool. He can also begin to discern
local trends in which searches in the southern Appalachians may meaningfully differ from his general predictions
- Raising awareness of the power of Koester's book, Lost Person Behavior: A search and rescue guide on where to look - for land, air and water
("LPB"), as a tool for search incident planning
- Making presentations on LPB, search incident planning, the use of the LPB book, and the collection of
local search incident data, to local SAR organizations and public safety agencies
- Presenting the official "Lost Person Behavior" course. Robert Koester authorized me to teach his
"Lost Person Behavior" course. Koester developed a course on the use of his book in search planning.
Koester's organization, dbS Productions, will award participants a certificate
of completion for the one- or two-day courses if Koester's administrative requirements are met
- Advising search incident managers by telephone on dealing with ongoing incidents through the use of Koester's
statistical analysis. Please see my contact information below. I will make every reasonable effort to help;
I cannot promise that I am always immediately available.
For emergency search planning questions, please call me at 770.630.3854 at any time.
For non-emergency questions, please feel free to call me in the evening at
770.630.3854 outside of business hours or email me at jim@mountainpathfinder.com.
I may need up to 48 hours to reply to your non-emergency emails
or calls.
|
|
