For a change of pace and some skills building, two members of Douglas County Search And Rescue (SAR) – Mike (K0LPM) and Barry (N0KV) – presented a map and navigation workshop that involved both classroom and field exercises. The training was held at the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility. The class covered traditional land navigation basics (think paper map and a compass) as well as newer technology including GPS, phones, software, and online tools. The SAR team focused on UTM coordinates, which is the Douglas County SAR team’s preferred coordinate system. Look for ARESDEC to incorporate some of the mapping and navigation techniques in future IAP (Incident Action Plans) and the like.
Recommended Software:
- CalTopo (aka SARTopo). CalTopo is used by first responders worldwide. Some may know the program by the name SARTopo; that name is being phased out. Currently you can use either sartopo.com or caltopo.com to access the same maps and data. CalTopo is also available via Apple or Android store.
- COTREX. The Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX) endeavors to map every trail in the state of Colorado. Also available via Apple or Android store.
- GPS Status & Toolbox for mobile devices. Display all the GPS and sensor data produced by your mobile device such as position and signal strength of satellites, accuracy, speed, acceleration, altitude, bearing, pitch, roll and battery state. Only available via Apple or Android.
- GPS Coordinate Converter. Alternative options available for Apple or Android. Convert between these coordinate types:
- DD.dddddd˚
- DD˚ MM.mm’
- DD˚ MM’ SS”
- UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator)
- MGRS (Military Grid Reference System)
- Address
- What3Words. Quick and simple way to find, share and save exact locations. The system converts GPS coordinates into 3-word addresses. A proprietary geocode system was designed to identify any location on the surface of Earth with a resolution of about 3 meters. Also available via Apple or Android.
