SARCOP in Action: GIS for MABAS Special Operations and Disaster Response
SARCOP in Action: GIS for MABAS Special Operations and Disaster Response
Abstract
The Search and Rescue Common Operating Platform (SARCOP) is a national geospatial platform supporting search and rescue operations and disaster response. Used by federal, state, and local response organizations nationwide, SARCOP provides responders with a common environment for collecting, displaying, and sharing operational information. As its use continues to expand nationally, states and local response systems are also incorporating SARCOP into their own operational capabilities. This presentation will provide an operational perspective on how SARCOP is being incorporated into MABAS-Illinois Special Operations. SARCOP has been used during recent out-of-state US&R and swiftwater deployments, and MABAS and the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS (NAPSG) are expanding awareness and operational use across Illinois’ statewide Technical Rescue Teams. Using examples from search, technical rescue, water rescue, and disaster operations, the presentation will demonstrate how responder-generated field data contributes to a common operating picture and supports coordination across local, county, state, and national partners. The session will also explore opportunities for municipal and county GIS professionals to connect operational response information with their existing GIS capabilities. Particular attention will be given to how first-responder observations can help identify concentrations of community impacts and inform subsequent damage assessment and recovery activities, while remaining distinct from formal post-disaster damage assessment processes.