copyright © 2014 paul m burke 1 on december 10, 2013, six people left lovelock nevada for a day...

Copyright © 2014 Paul M Burke1

On December 10, 2013, six people left Lovelock Nevada for a day trip…


…they never returned that day

or the next !


Local searchers looked for two days…The weather reached 20 below zero…


…then Sheriff Machado asked for technical assistancefrom the Nevada Division of Emergency Management


Using the VSP Process developed by the Divisionand additional search resources…

The family was located, stabilized, and transported…

Found, and returned home.!


VIRTUAL SEARCH PLANNING:AID TO RURAL SEARCH OPERATIONS

Paul M BurkeAlaska State Troopers (Ret.)NV State SAR Coordinator


OBJECTIVES

Ground audience in rural search issues Introduce and define the concept of Virtual

Search Planning (VSP) Examine the process for VSP Identify the software and equipment

necessary for VSP Provide examples of VSP application in SAR Review the use of VSP to given situations and

outcomes

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FACTS BEFORE WE BEGIN…

SAR Operations are based upon limited planning/searching data available at the start of a search.

Of the data available, a certain percentage will be wrong!

Planning effort is not a priority in most initial operations.

Chaos will be a component of initial operations.

Copyright © 2014 Paul M Burke


WHAT IS VSP:

Virtual Search Planning: Process of examining known verified facts

surrounding a missing person event Applying subject and statistical behavior data Weather data Technical data (cell /radar forensics, audio, video,

etc) Layered to virtual imaging and terrain analysis

tools Building a logical search plan (IAP) Remote from incident site


QUESTION TO ALL SEARCH MANAGERS ?

How relevant is the search planning process during the initial operations period of a search for your organization?

ANSWER:

If you do not know where the subject is (true search), the planning response must be as quick and efficient as any other efforts you make!

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Virtual Search Planning

Copyright © 2014 Paul M Burke

CASE STUDY: SHANE MCNEIL, SEPTEMBER 2010


BACKGROUND:

16 year old white male, no physical or mental issues Moved to Henderson, NV Spring 2010, from PA. Practiced “extreme hiking”, watched “Man vs. Wild”

religiously, hiked 6-12 miles in summer conditions including 100°+ weather.

Set goal to hike to the Colorado River, swim across, hike through Whites Canyon to Highway, and meet mother at Hoover Dam


EVENT:

McNeil leaves residence at 0600, 9-25-2010 – Saturday

Stops in Boulder City to refill water bottles @1200 hrs, 9-25-2010 – Saturday

Text message to mother at 1900 hrs, 9-25-2010 – Saturday “I can see the river”, “I’m tired but almost there, have to get down this

canyon”, “meet me at the Hoover Dam at 10” (2200 hrs)

Mother waited at Hoover Dam Visitors Center till 2300 hrs and then called 911 (emergency call)


MISSION TIMETABLE: 9-25-10 @ 2300 hrs: 911 call 9-25-10 thru 9-26-10, 2300 hrs-0300 hrs: Air search

of river

Home

Boulder CityColoradoRiver

Hoover Dam17 miles/27.4 km

ColoradoRiver

White Canyon


MISSION TIMETABLE: 9-26 and 9-27-2010 0700-1800: Search of AZ side

and river

Boulder City

ColoradoRiver

White Canyon


MISSION TIMETABLE: 9-26-10 Cell forensics obtained:

Text messaging shows phone was 3.0 miles from tower at dam

Text indicated he “saw” the Colorado River Coverage was poorly mapped during mission What assumptions made of McNeil at this point?

9-27-10 No clues found (what happened to text/cell data?) Poor Investigation (KFC store in Boulder City)


MISSION TIMETABLE: 9-28-10:

NV SAR Coordinator learns of search by news report at 1425 hrs.

Contact Made with LVMPD-SAR for any data. Initiated a VSP


Shane McNeil Search

VIRTUAL SEARCH PLANNING PROCESS


VIRTUAL SEARCH PLANNING PROCESS

Form Subject Profile: Investigation, Lost Person Behavior data

Establish Search Area: Theoretical ?, Statistical Probability Zone, Subjective, Specific

Plot Cell Forensic Data Locate cellular Tower, Plot 360° circle with 3 mile radius

Conduct “virtual flight” of potential route (Google Earth Pro)

Locate “route of least resistance” Make note of terrain and correlate to “text message” Produce VSP Report with “High POA segmentation” Sent to LVMPD at 1630 hrs…2 Hours after notification!


ANALYSIS:

McNeil did not enter Colorado River Information from text critical to this analysis

McNeil was facing darkness, fatigue, high angle terrain

Boy Scout Canyon was logical route to the river No further text messages


SEARCH PLAN:


SEARCH RESULTS:

Footprints of shoe type located in dry wash Tracked to Boy Scout Canyon over edge McNeil found 45 minutes later at bottom of

canyon Deceased, most likely on 9-26-2010. No fractures! Cause of death: Undetermined Manner of Death: Undetermined


SITE OF INCIDENT


PROCESSING THE VIRTUAL SEARCH PLAN


VSP REQUIREMENTS

Search Planning experience

Reliable intelligence Lost person

behavior data sets Planning /searching

data for incident LPQ data, clue log Great process

Quiet space Computer with

GIS mapping (Google Earth Pro)

MS Office Suite/PPT Apple/Keynote Understanding of

software to be proficient at building product.


VSP COMPONENTS

Data provided and source Lost Person Behavior data (Koester’s Work, others) Cell Forensic data (all) Radar Track data METAR Data: historical weather for incident DSM IV for any mental condition data Physicians Desk Reference for drug information Vehicle or aircraft specifications Terrain data and flow analysis for subject across

environment Anything else?


PROCESS…

Gather all data Verify data and source Plot everything: PLS/LKP/IPP, cell data, radar,

PLB Plot Median distances for data set Plot Search area: theoretical, statistical,

subjective, specific Once everything is gathered… then conduct

analysis! “If…, then…” Prepare IAP, Mapping, and distribute as .pdf


ADDITIONAL PRODUCT INFORMATION FOR CLIENT

Provide the LPB data you have used in this analysis

If your solution is based upon special circumstances, include these in your analysis

Reference all materials to analysis: Tech data, medical data

Prepare delivery as .pdf for distribution across platforms


CHALLENGES IN VIRTUAL SEARCH PLANNING


CHALLENGES

Need data link between VSP Planner and client

Does not eliminate the need for a PSC on site due to other requirements

Practice this process and do not experiment, speed is essential!

The product must be simple to understand and provide foundation for decision points. Vague or non-committal analysis helps no one.


VIRTUAL SEARCH PLANNING CASE HISTORIES

Current Cases documented as VSP: 23Cases solved with VSP: 19 80%+ solution rate


VIRTUAL SEARCH PLANNING

Paul M BurkeAlaska State Troopers (Ret.)385 Manciano Way, Reno, NV 895211 (775) 434-4886

Request a Virtual Search: [email protected]

Questions ?

copyright © 2014 paul m burke 1 on december 10, 2013, six people left lovelock nevada for a day...

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