Proposed Search And Rescue Member Database Structure  
----------------------------------------------------------
		     Dec. 9, 1994

The SAR Technology Advisory Committee is endeavoring to create a 
standardized structure for a SAR Team Member Resource Database.  
The following is the proposed layout of such a Database.  This is 
only a preliminary proposal in order to get feedback from other 
SAR teams, so that with their input, we can make changes to the 
layout and create a standardized database for use with 
neighbouring teams.

The purpose of such a standardized database is to allow a team to 
record the skills of their own team members and store such 
information in a database that would allow the team to analyze 
and evaluate their members.  The ultimate goal of standardization 
is to ensure compatibility between different teams.  Such 
compatibility would be found to be most useful during mutual aid 
operations where the databases from each team could be brought 
together and, during registration of personnel, accessed to 
utilize the pertinent information relating to each member.  The 
process of registration would be greatly accelerated and a very 
detailed and accurate list of personnel resources would be made 
available to the SAR Manager.

The medium for exchanging this information would be the current 
BBS library on Mindlink.  It is proposed that each team would 
regularly post their updated database in the BBS Resource Library 
where a SAR Manager from each team can periodically download all 
the files to ensure that they have the current database for each 
neighbouring team well before any mutual aid operation began.  
Security of the files while on the BBS is a subject that needs 
scrutiny.

Most skills listed in the database are evaluated with a one 
character code.  So far the codes include:

blank   =  none
  Y     =  Course Taken, certified
  S     =  Self sufficient: course may not be offered in this subject but 
	   member is capable.
  I     =  Instructor: capable of teaching other team members

Also, specialized codes where applicable, ie M under DIVER for 
dive master.  It has also been proposed to use a 1-5 rating scale 
to rate proficiency. 
Most of the Skill categories are PEP related courses and levels 
of certification.  This was done due to the necessity of 
standardization and the relative inconsistency of subjectively 
judging a "self taught" individual. It was felt that there is a 
need for a standardization in rating member's skills, so that a 
certain rating in one area for a member in one team has the same 
meaning to the SAR Manager of another team.  There is much room 
for discussion on the subjects of skills evaluation and their 
rating in the database.

Your input is greatly appreciated in the development of this 
system.  Please address any responses or criticisms to:   

SARINFO@MINDLINK.BC.CA   
Attn:  SAR Technology Advisory Committee

All correspondence will be posted so that all interested parties 
will have a chance to see your comments.
=========================================
Bob Manson
Training Officer
Lions Bay Search And Rescue
For the SAR Technology Advisory Committee




PROPOSED DATABASE LAYOUT

FIELD          SIZE 
--------------------------------------------------
ID              10      (Code to identify team and member number: ie LBSAR23)
LAST NAME       15
FIRST NAME      15
ADDRESS         50
ADDRESS2        50      (PO Box etc.)
CITY/PROV.      20
POSTAL CODE      7
HOME PHONE       8
OTHER PHONE     15
WORK PHONE      20
PAGER            8
CEL              8
DATE OF BIRTH    8
NEXT OF KIN     75
DATE JOINED      8
STATUS          25      (Team Officer, MIT, Radio Ops, Inactive...)
FIRST AID       25
FA EXPIRY DATE   8
CPR              1
RADIO           15      (Land, Marine, Ham -w/license #)
BASIC SAR        1
GROUND SEARCH TL 1      (TL = Team Leader)
ROPE RESCUE      1
ROPE RESCUE TL   1
SRCH. MANAGEMENT 1
MAP & COMPASS    1
TRACKING         1
HELICOPTER       1
SURVIVAL         1
CLIMB ROCK       1
CLIMB ICE        1
AVALANCHE        1
BACKCOUNTRY SKI  1
SWR I            1
SWR II           1
DIVER            1
GPS              1
SPARE5           1      (Spares for future additions)
SPARE4           1
SPARE3           1
SPARE2           1
SPARE1           1
ADD'L. SKILLS  159     (Items not covered above, ie. military background)
OWN SKIS         1
OWN SNOWSHOES    1
OWN ICE AXE      1
OWN CRAMPONS     1
OWN BEACON       5       (Old, New or Dual Frequency)
EQPT3            1       (Spares for future additions)
EQPT2            1
EQPT1            1
UPDATED          8       (Date this record was last updated)