Standardised SAR Map Symbols

[Robert Bradley]

In the US the Incident command System (ICS) used for all incidents including SAR incidents has standardised map symbols. This has massive benefits when looking at maps created by other people / agencies. Everyone works the same and everyone understands what each mark/notation on the maps means and it's significance. [To find out more Bob Koester's dbS SAR website has a free download listing SAR related ICS map symbols. It can be found at http://www.dbs-sar.com/ICS%20for%20SAR%20symbols.PDF]

I review lots of searches and mark lots of search controllers' assessments and therefore see lots of different SAR incident maps and a wide variety of symbols / notation marks and so on. Despite the similarity of purpose of these maps it often takes me a while to start to understand what each mark actually means.

In maps for search, for instance, how do you differentiate between a circular route and path, and the boundary of an area search sector? Often this is done solely by different coloured pens, marked in a legend on the side.

Even when using computer generated mapping differences in mapping symbols and notation can cause confusion.

I'm wondering how useful it would be for UK SAR to agree standard notations for SAR maps?

This would have to come through DfT or similar as the lead Govt agency for UK SAR, although if a useful working standard was being used by a variety of UK (and maybe even European) SAR groups, who say had got together and discussed in on here... I'm sure it could form the basis of any standard.

So what do you think? Useful? Not useful?

What symbols would be needed in your SAR discipline?

[Daryl]

I think it makes a lot of sense for us to standardise across the UK, Europe or even the world - it can only improve multi agency working and understanding!