What are satellite applications?
Satellite applications are digital services and products that rely, partly, on data from Earth Observation satellites, satellite navigation satellites (like GPS) and telecommunication satellites. Other technologies and data sources can be included, even socio-economic indicators, tweets and hashtags, and so on.
How are they used by search and rescue services?
Satellite applications provide different services relevant to safety and rescue organisations. It can be the use of earth observation to keep maps up to date, satellite navigation to quickly locate people in need, or for operations teams to coordinate and navigate in the mountains, or satellite communication to stay online in remote areas.
From our work, Eurisy has identified and documented the user experiences of different European civil protection agencies, and search and rescue organsiations. Some examples include:
CNSAS use geo-information for prevention and surveillance of mountain activities
Styrian Mountain Rescue use satellite applications to improve Alpine safety in Austria
For more examples of how satellite applications are used in risk management and emergencies, see Eurisy’s database of user testimonials