Why I Still Trust a Paper Map on a Job
I have written plenty about drones, thermal cameras, and digital mapping. I still carry a paper map and compass on a callout, and I do not consider that contradictory.
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Flashback Friday
Emergency Services & Tech
Volunteering in Emergency Services Made Me Better at My Day Job
I volunteer because I genuinely believe in the work. It has also, unexpectedly, made me noticeably better at the paid work I do the rest of the week.
The Unsexy Tech That Actually Saves Lives in an Emergency
Drones and thermal cameras get all the attention. The technology that actually matters most in most real callouts is far less exciting than that.
What a Flood Callout Taught Me About Redundancy
A flood response stretched every piece of backup equipment we had to its actual limit, not just its theoretical one. Here is what that taught me about planning for failure.
Mapping Software Has Quietly Transformed How We Find People
Paper maps and grid references used to be the entire toolkit. Shared digital mapping software changed how search areas actually get planned and covered.
Why I Carry a Backup for My Backup on a Callout
Redundancy looks excessive right up until the one piece of gear you did not double up on is the one that fails. A field lesson in planning for failure properly.
The Tabletop Exercise That Exposed Our Biggest Communication Gap
A simulated incident exercise found a communication gap none of us had noticed in years of real callouts. Here is why practice scenarios catch what real incidents sometimes miss.
How Thermal Cameras Changed Search and Rescue
Thermal imaging used to be rare, heavy, and expensive. Now it is compact enough to strap to a drone and has quietly transformed what a search team can do at night.
What Emergency Response Taught Me About Staying Calm During a Disaster
I have written before about the night a radio transmitter died on air. Emergency services work taught me something deeper about staying calm when things go properly wrong.