TrailNote: A Free Online Alert System For The Outdoors

Going hiking, climbing, camping, kayaking, or embarking on any other type of outdoor activity? Inform TrailNote when, where, and how long you will be traveling, and if you don't return by a specified time, this website will electronically inform your contacts of your absence. While GPS, cell phones, and other wireless devices can't always get through (or perhaps you aren't able to operate the device for some reason), TrailNote is another safety backup that you can take advantage of.

What you do is register (for free) on TrailNote.com, name your trip, provide a travel description, give a start time and end time, and mark your destination on a digital map. You also enter the email or text message addresses of people you would like to notify in case you do not return in time.

When you do return, you can use a computer or web-enabled cell phone to cancel your TrailNote. TrailNote.com will provide a warning if you forget. In the event you don't return, TrailNote will automatically message everyone that you selected. The message will contain a link to TrailNote.com and provide your contacts with the details of your trip--where you were going, the map information, and your contact information from your profile.

I asked the webmaster of TrailNote.com a few questions, and here's what he said:

Q: Can you tell me who started this site and why?   

A: The site was created by Richard Visokey and Brandon Price.  The original concept of TrailNote came after reading an article about Aron Ralston, who became famous in 2003 when he was forced to amputate his lower right arm with a dull knife to free himself after his arm became trapped by a boulder when he was mountaineering in Utah . One of the main reasons Aron's situation became so tragic was that he did not inform anyone where he was going and remained trapped for days.  Additionally, we were reminded of the concept every time we would hear a report about a missing hiker making the news, which happened quite frequently.

 

The connection between the majority of the missing person reports was that the hikers were not leaving notes or plans of their trips. No one knew where they were going. 

 

We both felt that there must be a better way to keep people informed when you go out, and TrailNote was the solution.

   

Q: I realize it's a free site for users, but people may be interested to know how you fund it. 

A: All expenses are paid by us with no plans to charge users a fee.

 

Q: Do you have any stories to share about users who've been rescued due to a TrailNote?

We don't, and that is the truly great thing about TrailNote. With the detailed notes that are created, when an adventurer does not return in time, people are usually able to locate the missing person on their own, usually with just a phone call, with the TrailNote information provided. This doesn't mean that people are putting themselves at risk wandering the wilderness looking for missing people, but it means that the information a TrailNote provides allows people to locate an individual quickly and safely.

 

This also means SAR teams, the authorities, and the Forest Service save resources and time by only being notified of a missing hiker when an individual is truly missing. Additionally, they are also handed the TrailNote, giving them the detailed information. Now rescue services have a far better understanding of what type of rescue they are dealing with. This results in a quicker response time, increased safety to everyone involved, and less cost per rescue.

 

Q: What about someone failing to report in when they've returned, even though they DID return? Any comments or stories about that type of situation? 

A: TrailNote has safeguards to help prevent false alerts, but it still happens.  However, unlike EPRB or other electronic systems, TrailNote has a human element behind it.  When an alert goes out to the user's contact list, it typically results in only a quick phone call or text message to determine if the user simply forgot to turn off the alert or if an emergency exists.

 

Q: Many of the SARStoriesNews readers are Search & Rescue professionals (volunteer and paid), so I'm sure they'll be interested to learn about this site. May they contact you if they have questions?

A: We are always eager to talk about TrailNote as we are very proud of the system we created. If any of your readers have additional questions, do not hesitate to direct them to us. We will always take the time to answer any question and take suggestions about the service.

For more information, visit About TrailNote.

 

And here's a story from the Phoenix East Valley Tribune about TrailNote: TrailNote.com Sends Out Emergency Alerts

 

Reverse 911

During a recent mission, our SAR coordinator made use of the Reverse 911 system to contact homeowners in a particular subdivision in the area of the missing subject, to ask them to check around their homes and in their sheds and other out-buildings where the mentally handicapped boy may have been hiding.

Reverse 911 can be used to advise residents in both large and small areas of an emergency or hazard (i.e., a hazardous material spill, a wildfire or flood, etc.), to gather information to help solve a crime, and, as in the case above, to alert them to a missing person search. The system might be used to assemble volunteers or to contact an individual for a welfare check. In addition, Reverse 911 can be used as a community bulletin board of sorts and even for automatic faxing of information or instructions to certain people or local businesses. It can also be used to reconnect to a phone that was disconnected during an emergency call.

The Reverse 911 system uses a database of phone numbers and addresses combined with mapping technology, allowing emergency and law enforcement personnel to pinpoint a specific area or individual/s. At this time, however, cell phone numbers and Voice Over Internet (VoIP) services such as Vonage or others offered by cable companies are not in the system. Some TTY (TeleTYpewriter) numbers may be in the Reverse 911 database, but emergency services don't know which phone numbers are TTY compatible. So if you don't have a land line but would like to be contacted on your cell, VoIP, or TTY phone, you have to register your number within your county or city. The system can deliver text messages to TTY and TDD devices, so those who are deaf or hard of hearing can receive the Reverse 911 alerts. You should also register if you have an unlisted phone number or have recently changed your phone number.

I would suggest doing an online search for Reverse 911 signup and the name of your area. Or you can call your city or county dispatcher. (But don't call 911 to do so, of course!) This is an example of Coconino County, Arizona's signup web page: Ready Coconino.

Here's a great example of how Reverse 9-1-1 can be effectively and successfully used in Search & Rescue operations: Reverse 9-1-1 System Used in Search for 77-Year-Old Woman

Canine Instinct: A SAR Dog Documentary

I recently received an email from filmmaker Nick Goodman about a new documentary he made called Canine Instinct, featuring search dog trainer, Kyle Warren. Kyle is with the Eagle Valley Search Dog Team, based in the Catskills and Upper Delaware River Valley of New York.

Nick Goodman spent several days filming the EV Search Dogs, including following Kyle and his dog, Quax, during some of his customized training sessions and at the Delaware River recovery effort on August 26, 2009. On that day, EV Search Dogs responded to Knight’s Eddy, NY, to help locate Hin Hon Siu, age 36, who had drowned a few days earlier.

April 22, 2010, is the world premiere of Canine Instinct at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival.

Here is a short clip from the film:

Canine Instinct is also the name of Kyle Warren's dog-training company through which he has trained more than 2,300 dogs. He's the author of the blog, Dog Finds Man, about his adventures with his Search and Rescue German shepherds, Quax and Maya.

Featured Site: Decisions For Heroes

Decisions For Heroes is a statistics collation software, helping search and rescue teams record and analyze their rescue operations and training. There is nothing to download, however; users access the tool as a web application. Teams enter incident and training exercise reports into this online program, and it will then tell the team how to improve their responses. The software tracks team member qualifications, equipment, and training, and the use of these things against incidents.

The Decisions For Heroes software has a feedback system that allows users to leave improvement suggestions. Typical users include Mountain Rescue teams, the Coast Guard, Search & Rescue canine handlers, Sheriff departments, and urban Search & Rescue teams.

Users sign in after each incident or training exercise to enter their activity report. The software will then automatically add the data to the team's records and update their stats. Rescue teams pay a monthly or annual subscription to gain access to the service. The program was trialed for 8 months with 1,800 rescuers in 5 countries.

One team that uses the Decisions For Heroes program is Inland NW Search and Rescue. INSAR is a multi-disciplined search and rescue organization located in the Pacific northwest and based in Spokane, Washington. They provide ground, high angle, mountain, and water search and rescue support to the region, with twenty-six field-ready team members and fourteen individuals currently in training.

Part of their requirement to become field ready is to comply the Washington State Administrative Code (WAC 118.04.120) as it relates to search and rescue volunteers. INSAR has utilized the WAC guidelines to formulate a comprehensive set of requirements that their team members must complete and maintain in order to receive field ready status.

Joe Coates, the INSAR Training Officer, stated, “One of our greatest challenges was disseminating  information to our team members regarding training record status and notification of upcoming activities, as well as enhancing overall communication within our organization. Over the last year, we reviewed numerous database programs and internal web based solutions. We were not able to find one that completely fulfilled our requirements."

Until they found Decisions For Heroes, that is. Coates goes on to say, "Early in 2010, we discovered a corporation based in Ireland named Decisions for Heroes. They are a group of search and rescue professionals who developed an easy-to-implement but comprehensive, web-based solution. This has provided the leadership and team members within the INSAR organization with resources beyond our expectation. The database tracking of an individual’s qualifications, team calendar with auto notification of events, internal communication via e-mail, chat, and whiteboard along with extensive report generation and analysis has provided us with tools that will allow our organization to position itself for the future. Decisions for Heroes has been extremely responsive to questions as they have arisen and are very open to suggestions for future enhancement to their search and rescue solution.”

Information and a video regarding Decision for Heroes may be found at DecisionsForHeroes.com.

A SAR Impersonator

This information was posted on the SAR-L email list and, with permission, I'm sharing it here in order to help spread the word:

During a massive search in the San Diego area, a man named Stephen Watts, a.k.a Steph (pronounced "Steff") presented himself to the Sheriff's Department and coordinating agencies as a member of 1st Special Response Group (1SRG), a known and reputable organization, in an attempt to insinuate himself into law enforcement search efforts. Soon after, Mr. Watts began blogging about his actions, including sensitive search information.

1SRG has never had a member, past or present, by this name or any reasonable variation, nor have they ever received and/or denied an application by such a person.

1SRG launched an investigation and determined that Stephen Watts is a freelance "investigative" reporter who provides titillating and "newsworthy" information to on-air broadcasts such as Nancy Grace, Greta Von Susteren, CourTV (now HLN), and other entertainment providers.

1SRG is sharing this information because Mr. Watts appears to have repeatedly joined with Texas Equusearch in their efforts and has made a number of other attempts prior to his actions in San Diego to insert himself into other search missions. He falsely stated that he was with 1SRG in an effort to further his own cause. Apparently, he has done this before, and 1SRG is concerned that he may try to do so again in the future.

From information obtained during the investigation, Mr. Watts arrived in San Diego, along with Tim Miller and Texas Equusearch, in the search for the McStay family. You can read the McStay relatives' account of  their experience with Mr. Watts at http://www.mcstayfamily.com/steph-watts-rumors.

While in San Diego with Texas Equusearch, Chelsea King disappeared, and Mr. Watts used that opportunity to get involved with a growing national news story.

After verifying their initial information with several agencies and individuals, 1SRG notified both the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the California Emergency Management Agency, the local SAR coordinator, state SAR coordinator, and, since this was an investigative effort that included federal agencies, contacts within the FBI. Based on further discussion, this issue is said to have been "handled and considered resolved."

1SRG also attempted to contact Mr. Watts through his personal webpage, his Facebook page, a phone number he gives on his website, and through email, in addition to their posts on the SAR-L lister and elsewhere. Mr. Watts has not returned their contacts.

On March 12th, formal "cease and desist" letters were sent to Mr. Watts, CourtTV/HLN, Nancy Grace, Greta Von Susteren, and those agencies who employ Mr. Watts for their "news" services, instructing them that any attempt to use 1SRG's name, logo, reputation, or other team affiliation would be met with legal action and that 1SRG would assist other SAR teams who may find themselves in a similar position.

This information is being provided in the attempt to stop Mr. Watts from breaching law enforcement and search mission security as he seeks confidential or legally protected information, as well as to protect both 1SRG and other SAR teams from those same efforts.

Following GPS Into Trouble

Ever participated in or heard of a SAR mission necessitated by a driver blindly following a vehicle GPS device (sometimes called Sat Nav) into trouble? Here in Arizona, the shortest route to a destination certainly isn't always the best route, with drivers occasionally ending up stranded in remote areas on rough, unpaved roads that sometimes all but disappear into the desert. 

After recently reading the story, Couple Following GPS Unit Stranded For Three Days, I decided to see how many related stories I could find. In about thirty-minutes' time, here's what I came up with, including this video:

Related news articles:

11-Year-Old Boy Dies After Mom Says GPS Left Them Stranded in Death Valley
The mom told rescuers in California's San Bernardino County that her son days after she fixed a flat tire and continued into Death Valley, relying on directions from a GPS device in the vehicle.

GPS Unit Leads Truck Driver Into Train Collision
A Florida big rig driver said his GPS instructed him to take a right turn just before the crossing and continue down the unpaved path.

Couple Gets Stranded After Following GPS "Advice"
It was supposed to be a quick trip to see family for Christmas, but a GPS’ offer of a shorter route left one couple and their young daughter stranded in deep snow in the middle of nowhere.

Road To Nowhere: GPS Leading Some Colorado Drivers Astray
Drivers on their way to Crested Butte are led down an old mining road, which hasn't been maintained since the 1800's. It's impassable in the winter and in the summer.

Sat-Nav Driver's 1,600-Mile Error :
A truck driver programmed his destination--the Rock of Gibraltar--as he left Turkey, but because Gibraltar is technically part of the UK, the device routed him to another Gibraltar – a shore town in England.

Sat Nav Driver's Car Hit By Train :
A 20-year-old's GPS led her to a gate she didn't realize was a railroad crossing.

Sat Nav Dunks Dozy Drivers In Deep Water
Since a road was closed, dozens of UK drivers have followed directions from their satellite navigation systems, not realizing that the recommended route goes through a ford.

GPS Routed Bus Under Bridge, Company Says:
A charter bus driver ferrying a high school softball team relied on a GPS system and didn't notice the clearance signs. The 11-foot high bus plowed into a 9-foot high bridge. 23 people were briefly hospitalized and the bus was destroyed.

Sat Navs Damage 2,000 Bridges Per Year
UK's Network Rail claims 2,000 bridges are hit every year by truck drivers who've been directed along inappropriate roads for their size.

Driver Follows GPS Into Sand :
An 80-year-old blindly follows his GPS into a construction site, and his vehicle gets trapped in sand.

Motorists Switch Sat Nav On, Brain Off :
A German man's GPS system said "turn right now," and he obeyed. He collided with a structure, damaging his car and the structure. He was fined.

£96,000 Merc Written Off As Sat Nav Leads Woman Astray
Following the instructions on her navigation system to use a creek ford, the driver failed to notice it was swelled by torrential rain. The car was swept away and she had to be rescued. The car was a total loss.

A Follow-Up To Determining Direction Of Sound

My previous post, Determining Direction of Sound During a Search received some very interesting comments, including a couple from Del Morris of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Search & Rescue / Helo Unit. Del wrote an article (2003) about the use of sound during searches:

 

WHISTLE STOP

The controlled use of sound during searches for a responsive subject is a stratagem that should be a practice of every SAR Team.

At a "Sound Sweep" exercise, we were debriefing our "victims" and our searchers, graphing/mapping the time and location of each "whistle blast" and the victim's perception of direction from where the sound was coming from. We discovered that the distance of sound travel and perception of sound direction was so variable that it deserved further study.

After some additional field testing and research in acoustics, I offer the following suggestions:

1] Shift to lower frequency whistles 2000-3000 Hz or fog horns (marine supply) Plastic horns(sports events) Compressed air horns (marine supply). The higher frequencies are “absorbed” by humidity and vegetation.

The lower frequencies will more readily bend around vegetation and rocks.

2] “Whistle Blasts” a.k.a. “Whistle Stops” can be done during the normal course of a Team Assignment whenever you are "inline" with a drainage *** Contact SAR Base and request a "WHISTLE STOP". SAR Comm. will then orchestrate a "Whistle Stop" by contacting all Teams, giving all teams time to get "inline" with other drainages, and doing a count down ( 3...2...1) to a great blast" just like during a "sound sweep" ...  followed by that all important listening period.

3] Teams that are on ridges will be at a disadvantage. Their whistles will be difficult for the subject to discern direction of the team. The subjects return whistle blows or yells for help will be equally difficult for the team to accurately determine the location of the subject.

4] Teams that are at the bottom (below the subject) of a drainage will a)have the best chance of hearing the subject in the drainage and b) have the most accurate direction of where the subject is. They will hear the subject better than the subject will hear them.

5] Teams that are at the top (above the subject) of a drainage will a)have the best chance of the subject in the drainage hearing them and b) have the second most accurate direction of where the subject is. The subject will hear them better than they will hear the subject.

6] Frequency is more important than additional decibels. 3 -110db whistles does not equal 330db. The combined decibel level is only about 117db. Sound level does not build exponentially. Some frequencies “blown” side by side can actually cancel each other do some degree.

DISTANCE was greatly increased with the lower frequencies of sound (yelling was heard a lot further than a whistle). The lower feqs are not gobbled up as readily by vegetation and the moisture in the air. I reference the use of low freqs in Fog Horns. Our “victims” all heard "yelling" before they heard a discernible "whistle" at a time when the "yelling" teams were further away. Whistles seemed to be blended with the crickets and other background noises.

DIRECTION or the perception of direction was more accurate when teams were "blowing" or yelling while inline with the drainage where the victim was. Blows that were blown by teams that were on the sides of hills or tops of ridges ... the victims found the sound very difficult discerning from "forest" noise and on the whole non-directional.

Sound seems to carry better up hill than down hill, better with the wind than against.

WHISTLE STOP can be used during any "phase" of a search for a responsive subject. Hasty teams running trails, dog teams doing area searches, etc. ... WHISTLE STOP is a more effective use of person power.
A comparison could be made between "closed grid" search lines (Sound Sweep) and "open grid" purposeful wandering (WHISTLE STOP) searching methods.

Del Morris
Sonoma County (CA) SAR Unit