Eurisy presented on lessons learned from working with Alpine search and rescue organizations to use space technologies. They facilitated meetings between the space sector and rescue groups to catalyze innovation projects. Their goals were to map current satellite system use, document challenges, share success stories, and connect stakeholders. Through interviews in several countries, they documented needs, established common data standards, and recommended making location sharing during emergency calls a European standard to improve rescue coordination and information exchange.

1. Lessons learned working with Alpine search and rescue
organisations to bridge space and society
Eurisy presentation, EENA conference 26.04.2018
Satellite Applications for emergency
response, search and rescue

2. Our MembersWhat we do
• Facilitate meetings between the
space sector and non-space
communities through events.
• Catalyse user involvement in
innovation projects and knowledge
exchange collaborations.
• Match-make end-user communities
and technology experts
• Advise on the relevance of satellite-
based technologies and project and
funding opportunities.
About Eurisy

3. Satellite navigation
Satellite communication
Earth observation
To obtain caller’s location and improve
team coordination.
To provide connectivity in remote areas for
emergency calls and coordination.
To map risk, provide post-disaster imagery
and improve maps.
Satellite applications for emergency response

4. Satellite applications for emergency call systems
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) can significantly improve the accuracy,
reliability of a caller’s location delivered to first responders faster than usual.
Several existing apps
• Accuracy: Metre-level precision
versus 100m to kilometre-level with
cellular alternatives.
• Fast: Obtaining the caller’s location
may take 15 seconds as opposed to
10-15 minutes.
• Galileo: More European satellites
are coming online and initial
services are now operational. Too many?

5. But when these technologies exist, why are
they not yet used in every emergency
response operation?

6. • Map the current use of satellite systems
• Document and report challenges
• Share success stories between different
Alpine regions
• Build a community of experienced and
interested users
• Connect service providers, space
agencies and stakeholders to the right
users
GOALS
• Interview users in Austria, France,
Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland
• Document needs and success stories
from different regions and organisations
• Organise a conference for search and
rescue in the Alps at the International
Mountain Summit
• Report on findings of initial survey and
conference discussions
• Extend projects to other European
regions
ACTIVITIES
Satellite Applications for search and rescue in the Alps project

8. Challenges Opportunities
- poor collaboration and exchange of information
between organisations
- shared standards for geo-information and location data
- need for all staff to be trained.
- lack of experts in-house at local/regional levels
- common Alpine protocols and standards for training and use of
services coordinated nationally and for the Alps
- different organisations rely on different
applications. ->Incompatibility of existing IT
- compatible coordination platforms that can exchange
information seamlessly
- budget constraints limiting adoption of new
services and sustained use after project funding
ends
- aggregating regional demand to reach a critical mass
- evaluating the extent to which new technologies can partly
replace existing ones for which budgets are already ear-marked
- lack of expertise in-house to procure and
evaluate services they are not familiar with
- involving space experts to accompany the process

9. Eurisy recommendations:
Make location sharing when calling the emergency
number a European standard.
Establishing common data standards to allow team
coordination systems to exchange information.
Find our conference report and project summary on our website here
Support a community of end users in the uptake and
implementation of compatible solutions.

12. Contact
Fredrik Bendz Aarrestad
Fredrik.aarrestad@eurisy.org
Alexandra Jercaianu
Alexandra.jercaianu@eurisy.org
Want to learn more of our activities or think
we could work together?Get in touch!