OziExplorer in Search Planning and Management

OziExplorer is an "interactive, map based, trip planning and moving map software for PC computers that interfaces with your GPS". It's not a full blown GIS, but it is much more affordable than most good GIS software, and it does a lot that is of great value to search management and control. For more information, visit the OziExplorer official website.

OziExplorer can read and import maps in a number of formats. If necessary you can even scan your maps as TIFF files then import and calibrate them. 1:25000 scale topographic maps are available from the Land Information Centre in New South Wales on disk in MrSID format. These can be used in OziExplorer with a MrSID.dll file. See the OziExplorer website (above) for details on handling different map types.

Search Intelligence

The above image shows some of the canyons in the Mt Morgan map area. This data was collected from "Canyons Near Sydney", 4th Edition by Rick Jamieson. The canyon entry and exit points were entered as way points, then the canyon routes were marked as tracks in OziExplorer. This very clearly and graphically displays the canyon on the map, giving search teams a good idea of where they will go in and come out if they are searching the canyon. If they are searching the areas around the canyon, then the line of the canyon is usually a pretty good indicator that crossing the line will be difficult unless there is an intermediate pass into and out of the canyon, or the canyon is very narrow at the top.

All the canyon data for Mt Morgan Map is available in this Zip file.

Canyon data for the canyons on the Kanangra Map 89303S is available in this Zip file.

Canyons are not the only Search Intelligence data that can or should be collated in OziExplorer. The following map shows Search Intelligence Data for the Kanangra Walls area.

Obviously, this map shows the route taken when much of this intelligence was gathered. Each point of interest is marked as a waypoint in the GPS. My GPS insists on unique names for each waypoint, so I usually name them as LO1, LO2, etc in the GPS, then delete the sequential numbers in OziExplorer. Interestingly, if I load the waypoints from OziExplorer back into the GPS, it isn't concerned about common naming.

The key used for this data is:

• W = Water
• C = campsite
• S = shelter
• LO = lookout
• TH = trail head
• P = pass (through a barrier of some sort like a cliffline, etc)
• TT = track trap
• HAZ = hazard
• H = helispot (place where a helicopter might be able to land - remember it's up to the pilot!)
• V = visitor's book

You will notice a "ring in" on the map -"STONE" - this is not a standard intelligence flag, but in this case it signifies a feature that might be of interest to some people that you may be searching for. It marks the location of some very old aboriginal stone sharpening grooves. These sort of features are also vitally important as search intelligence.

This type of search intelligence has a two fold purpose. It identifies likely points to look for the search subject: places they are likely to go or be, places they could come to grief, and places where they are likely to leave clues. The second purpose is that this information will help searchers to be safe and to do their job well, and easier. For example, should a severe storm approach during a search, searchers can make their way to an identified shelter such as a large rock overhang to wait out the storm. If they are running short of water they will have an idea of where to get some.

The procedure I use to collect and collate this search intelligence is as follows:

1. Capture your data as waypoints in your GPS.
2. Load the relevant map into OziExplorer.
3. Download your waypoints from your GPS. (It's a good idea to save the waypoint file as it is at this stage, so you don't have to load it from the GPS all the time).
4. Using the Waypoint control panel, delete all way points that are not on the map. This gets rid of other waypoints that are not on the map you are using.
5. Go through the waypoints left on the map and edit the waypoint names and descriptions as you want them. You can also set different symbols for each type of waypoint, and delete any waypoints that are not relevant.
6. Append your previous search Intelligence data file for this map. Make sure you append it, so OziExplorer keeps the waypoints you have in memory as well as adding the ones you have saved on disk.
7. Save your search intelligence data file again so it now includes your new data points.
8. Repeat steps 2 to 7 for each map that you are updating.

The file naming convention I have adopted for my search intelligence data files is "SARIntel" followed by the number of the map. Even if the map is loaded by name in OziExplorer, the map number is displayed at the top of the map frame so picking the right intelligence data file is easy.

The latest version of OziExplorer (v 3.95.4i) can work with up to 10000 waypoints. Previous versions were limited to just 1000 waypoints. This was why I elected to go with individual search intelligence data files for each map. Even with 10000 waypoints I think I would still go with a separate data file per map.

Do you need to go and gather the data in the field with a GPS? Well, no. You will get better data if you do, but sometimes your GPS just won't work, like when deep in a canyon, and other times you can use your local knowledge or another data source and create your data in OziExplorer.

The following Zip file contains Search Intelligence data files for maps in the Kanangra area of New South Wales: Kanangra SARIntel.

Operational Data

OziExplorer can also be used to collect operational data from searchers in the field. To do this you will need the appropriate cables to connect any GPS's used in the field with your laptop so you can download waypoints and tracks.

The above image shows a section of map with waypoints and a track. This is from an actual search. The waypoint FSHQ marks the Field Search Headquarters. The magenta track shows where I actually walked during the search. I used by Garmin Etrex clipped onto the shoulder strap of my pack to track my movements. In this search, between 40 and 50 searchers were lined up in a multiple team line search which did 4 sweeps... about the least appropriate search method that could have been used for the terrain, but that's another story!

The waypoint "012" shows the position of a "suspicious circular digging" which "could be a grave". The searchers that found this did not have much bush experience, and suspecting this feature was man made were calling for the senior Police Investigator to attend. On hearing the description given over the radio, I knew exactly what it was, so while the search line was stopped I made my way there to confirm that it was a Lyre Bird mound - a circular area, about a metre in diameter, mounded and scratched clear of debris where the male Lyre bird displays his plumage in the hope of attracting a female.

Multiple GPS tracks can be downloaded into OziExplorer, assigned different colours, and appended into the one file to illustrate exactly where has been searched and how well the area has been covered.

Different colour tracks can also be constructed in OziExplorer to mark the boundaries of the search sectors. If you can print this out in the field headquarters and give this to the relevant team leader(s) (along with the relevant intelligence for the sector!) there can be as little doubt as possible about where they should be searching.

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