Search Management Mapping Tools for SAR
By Joshua Duttry
IT Director and UAS Specialist, La Plata County Search and Rescue
Search Management Mapping is a cornerstone of modern search and rescue (SAR) operations, and at La Plata County Search and Rescue (LPCSAR), we have integrated mapping into every level of our mission planning and field execution. From real-time tracking of resources to terrain-informed assignment design, we rely heavily on the power of digital mapping, specifically CalTopo with SARTopo features, to increase efficiency, enhance safety, and improve outcomes for lost or injured individuals in the backcountry.
Our team’s use of Search Management Mapping builds on foundational practices shared by Colorado Search and Rescue (CSAR) and is a strong example of how Search and Rescue teams in Colorado are standardizing tools and strategies to improve coordination and outcomes. In this article, we share how we leverage this toolset to support our Incident Command structure, deploy field teams, integrate drone data, and maintain situational awareness across complex multi-day missions. We also invite SAR leaders from other organizations to reach out if they’d like to collaborate or learn more about our approach.
The Role of Mapping in ICS-Based SAR Operations
Coordinating Across the Command Structure
Effective search management starts with consistent coordination between ICS sections. The Operations Section uses CalTopo for real-time assignment deployment and resource visualization. Planning maintains a synchronized master map that reflects updates and team positions. Air Operations incorporates airspace overlays for both manned and unmanned flight, ensuring safe deconfliction. Safety Officers rely on terrain tools to identify hazards and communicate them clearly through mapping annotations.
By linking these sections through a shared digital map, we reduce latency in decision-making and ensure everyone, from field teams to IC, is operating from a single source of truth.
CalTopo as the Central Mapping Platform
CalTopo has become our foundational mapping tool. It supports cloud-based collaboration, enabling both command and field teams to remain synchronized. SAR-specific features such as operational periods, buffer tools, and assignment segmentation allow for precision planning. We also utilize CalTopo’s custom symbols to mark clues, team locations, hazards, and operational zones.
Even in areas without cell coverage, field members can use offline-synced maps to stay aligned with IC direction. When connectivity returns, their tracks and annotations upload automatically, contributing to the operational picture.
Safety is woven into every decision we make during a mission, from assignment design to team deployment. CalTopo supports this by enabling SMT to visualize terrain hazards, weather impacts, and exposure zones in real time. Combined with structured risk analysis tools, this allows for more informed and defensible decision-making at every level of ICS. To learn how we integrate structured risk evaluations into our SAR operations, explore our approach to GAR Risk Assessment in Search and Rescue.
Live Resource Tracking and Operational Awareness
Tracking our resources in real time is essential. From volunteers en route to base, to UAS flights in progress, to technical teams on rope systems, each resource is timestamped and visually tracked within CalTopo. These updates feed into situational reports that help SMT prioritize next steps, detect gaps in coverage, and quickly respond to emerging situations.
An example of a live SARTopo map showing active tracks from multiple field teams, UAV in flight, and live in-field processed terrain overlays.Search Assignments and Terrain Intelligence
Search Assignment Design with SARTopo
Designing meaningful search areas requires both science and intuition. We use Lost Person Behavior (LPB) data extensively to prioritize locations and predict movement patterns. SARTopo helps us translate LPB insights into actionable search zones. For example, if a subject is a known trail-runner with disorientation likely, we may prioritize buffer zones near junctions and slope breaks within a certain radius.
Assignment polygons are drawn with both terrain and behavioral modeling in mind. Each area is vetted for:
– Accessibility
– Risk factors
– Visibility
– Probability of detection
Assignments are ranked and adjusted in real time as conditions or clues change.
A map in SARTop displaying Search Management Mapping Tools for SAR, such as Search Assignments, LPB rings, PODs, etcUsing Mapping to Support Field Safety
Terrain-informed mapping supports safety and planning. Using CalTopo’s slope angle shading and shaded relief tools, we identify avalanche-prone areas, steep terrain, and impassable obstacles. This ensures that teams are not assigned to high-risk areas without proper resources or briefings. We also use custom layers to mark water crossings, hazards like downed timber, and potential LZs.
Before deploying teams, SMT includes terrain briefings and digital references. This empowers team leads to make informed decisions in the field, even under pressure.
Linking to Historical Missions and Templates
Historical mission data stored in CalTopo allows us to revisit similar incidents for strategic insights. We analyze past track coverage, clue discovery points, and missed areas. In locations with recurring incidents such as high-traffic trailheads, we maintain templates that expedite response while still allowing customization.
These historical insights also inform how we plan aerial coverage. When preparing for UAS-assisted searches, we often revisit previous missions in similar terrain to determine which search patterns were most effective. This data-driven approach ensures our drone flights maximize coverage and detection efficiency. For a detailed look at how we design and execute these flight paths, see our article on UAS Search Patterns for Search and Rescue Missions.
UAS Integration and Orthomosaic Mapping
Incorporating Real-Time Aerial Data
The LPCSAR UAS team enhances search management with up-to-date orthomosaic imagery. This is particularly valuable when the landscape has changed, such as after snowstorms, avalanches, or flooding. These aerial products give IC and field teams current conditions, sometimes within hours of capture.
We load the orthomosaics into CalTopo as custom layers, aligning them with existing assignments and clues. These images are essential for visual comparison with satellite data or when field teams are searching debris fields or avalanche runouts.
An example image showing standard satellite mapping (left) alongside a current, high-resolution orthomosaic (right). The orthomosaic provides updated environmental details, such as snow coverage and terrain features, critical for accurate SAR mission planning.Syncing Drone Operations to CalTopo
UAS flights are coordinated in CalTopo alongside other assets. Operators follow airspace restrictions and flight plans marked within the same system used by ground teams. This reduces communication burden and allows real-time visual synchronization of detection patterns.
Tools like Eagle Eyes enable immediate visual cue detection. When potential clues are flagged, the coordinates are instantly marked in CalTopo and pushed to IC.
Our integration of UAS into SAR operations extends well beyond flight planning. From live video feeds to post-flight orthomosaic analysis, our detection workflow is built around speed, precision, and actionable intelligence. We’ve refined these tools to support fast clue identification and seamless coordination with field teams. To learn more about the platforms, software, and strategies we use, visit our article on UAS in Search and Rescue (SAR): LPCSAR’s Detection Tools.
Live UAS telemetry and search management data from Eagle Eyes Pilot displayed on the DJI controller screen, seamlessly integrates with CalTopo maps. This real-time interface allows the UAS pilot to view search assignments, trails, and clues while maintaining situational awareness during SAR operations.Coordinated Air-Ground Response
When a UAS team identifies a point of interest, it’s immediately added to the map. That data, including imagery and coordinates, is then sent directly to the appropriate field team’s device. This reduces response time and increases the likelihood of finding the subject or confirming a clue quickly.
An example of a live SARTopo map showing UAS search assignments with geotagged clue markers. These markers contain aerial photos of UAS detections for field reference.Search Planning Tools and ICS Documentation
Exporting ICS Forms from SARTopo
CalTopo allows us to quickly develop and export operational forms including ICS-104, populated with coordinates, area descriptions, and symbology. These forms are printed or shared digitally during briefings, reducing errors and briefing time. We also export customized maps with pre-annotated clues, objectives, and notes.
Our mapping-based documentation aligns with FEMA ICS expectations and is retained for after-action reports and training.
Example SAR 104 (Team Assignment) form exported directly from SARTopo. These forms help Search Management Teams clearly assign tasks, track team movements, and maintain operational accountability during missions.Timeline Tracking and Mission Review
Every team track uploaded to the map is time-stamped and linked to its assignment. This enables IC to verify segment coverage, review movement patterns, and identify missed areas. After-action debriefs often include a screen review of CalTopo tracks, layered with time-based filters for better understanding of search flow.
Maintaining Documentation for Transparency
Mapping history also plays a key role in accountability and interagency transparency. With proper privacy measures in place, we use map exports to educate partner organizations, family liaisons, and the public. This improves trust and can foster inter-agency collaboration for future events.
Mapping Standards, Training, and Inter-Team Collaboration
Developing SOPs for Mapping and Nomenclature
We’ve developed internal SOPs that cover everything from assignment ID formats to team color codes. By standardizing symbology, track styles, and naming conventions, we maintain map legibility throughout multi-day operations or during mutual aid deployments.
These SOPs are taught in our SMT development program and regularly refined during tabletop drills.
Internal Training for Field and Command Staff
Training is core to our success. All SMT members receive CalTopo and Search Management Mapping instruction, including assignment creation, map syncing, and field tracking. Field teams are trained to use their mobile apps for navigation, updates, and track recording.
We also include mapping elements in Visual Observer and UAS training to support live detection and post-processing.
For SAR teams looking to strengthen their Search Management Mapping practices, CalTopo offers a dedicated online knowledge base and SAR-focused training course. These materials cover SARTopo features such as assignment creation, operational map layering, and ICS documentation workflows. We highly recommend that SAR personnel, from field members to Planning Section staff, review this content to better understand how to apply the platform effectively within ICS. As more Colorado and national SAR teams adopt CalTopo, a shared understanding of its capabilities ensures smoother inter-agency coordination, faster deployment, and safer missions.
Supporting Other SAR Teams
As our Search Management Mapping capabilities have matured, we’ve been asked to assist other SAR teams with map-based planning, field tracking, and UAS integration. We’ve supported mutual aid missions and hosted mapping workshops that focus on CalTopo, SARTopo features, and LPB-based search strategies.
To learn more or request a collaboration, please contact LPCSAR SMT leadership.
Inter-Agency Mapping with CalTopo
LPCSAR strongly supports the CSAR initiative encouraging all SAR teams in Colorado to adopt CalTopo as a common mapping platform. By aligning on this standard, agencies can:
– Rapidly share map data during mutual aid
– Maintain consistent symbology and SOPs
– Provide faster onboarding for support teams
– Reduce confusion during large-scale or multi-team incidents
The use of CalTopo across SAR agencies creates a shared visual language. This inter-agency compatibility has improved efficiency, safety, and collaboration, particularly when multiple teams operate in unfamiliar terrain. We continue to promote this standardization in our region and actively contribute to building best practices statewide.
Conclusion: Why Search Management Mapping Matters
At LPCSAR, Search Management Mapping has transformed how we plan, respond, and learn. By integrating behavioral data, real-time resource tracking, modern aerial tools, and ICS documentation, we’ve built a system that improves our efficiency and helps us save lives. Terrain-informed planning, LPB models, and consistent digital tools make every mission more effective.
We share these practices not to prescribe a one-size-fits-all model, but to invite other SAR teams to consider new possibilities. Our team is ready to connect, collaborate, and grow alongside others committed to evolving the field of search and rescue.
To connect with our SMT or discuss mapping practices further, reach out to via email to LPCSAR.
See more of what we do through our Community Outreach page, where we share educational events, community partnerships, and ways to get involved. Stay connected through our Facebook and Instagram pages for real-time mission insights, training highlights, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the work our volunteers do year-round. And if you believe in supporting our efforts across La Plata County and beyond, please visit our Fundraising Initiatives to learn how you can help us equip our teams, advance our technology, and continue evolving our Search Management capabilities. Together, we can strengthen the future of search and rescue!
He has extensive experience supporting Search Management Team functions, including mission planning, operational coordination, and the integration of air and ground search resources. His work emphasizes practical, field-driven applications of UAS in search and rescue, informed by real-world mission support and ongoing training.
Joshua contributes across multiple SAR teams and disciplines, with a particular focus on bridging technology, aviation, and operational search management to support safe, effective outcomes in the field.