MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) – The Manhattan Fire Department is using SARCOP during land navigation training to strengthen how crews conduct search-and-rescue operations.
“It’s teaching guys how to use the SARCOP platform that the state has and how to mark way points and how to efficiently search for a missing person in a large area,” MFD training officer Drew Taylor said.
Training on Wednesday took crews to Roger Schultz Community Park, giving firefighters space to practice using the program in an open environment similar to conditions they may face during an actual search.
“The guys in the field are actually using their cell phones,” Taylor said. “We use two different apps that actually talk to SARCOP and that can track them real-time, that can put data points in real-time so command can see exactly where they’re at and have real-time data which is the beauty of it.”
Agencies across the country use SARCOP for a variety of emergencies.
The Manhattan Fire Department used the system during flood response efforts last weekend in the Blue Rapids and Frankfort areas of Marshall County.
“We used SARCOP to help identify houses, and mark that people are sheltering in place,” Taylor said. “We also used it to mark any type of infrastructure damage that was done.”
Taylor said it’s important that counties help each other.
“We have the resources here to go assist those different counties in a close proximity,” he said. “But it also gives our guys a chance to utilize all that training that they’ve gone to, whether that’s in-house training or out-of-state training.”
MFD says it uses dogs and drones to locate people as well.
Taylor says it conducts land navigation training at least twice each year.
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