New Jersey Search and Rescue streamlines search logistics with large-format printing

Their new HP DesignJet accepts print commands from mobile devices; the scanner is used to digitize hand-annotated maps containing important information.

New Jersey Search and Rescue (NJSAR) is a team of more than 50 highly trained volunteers who conduct an average of 25 missing-person searches per year, On call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, NJSAR provides New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania with incident management, mountain rescue, ground search, medical, and K-9 search-and-rescue services.

**Large printed maps allow New Jersey Search and Rescue team members to quickly understand emergency situations. (Source: HP)**

Search missions involve many organizations including search-and-rescue teams, local law enforcement, EMS, fire and local government entities. Large maps on paper are essential, both in the office for planning and in the field, to get everyone synchronized with the search plan as quickly as possible. To get the best out of their technology NJSAR recently installed an HP DesignJet T2500 Multifunction Printer (MFP) to produce large-format maps to aid in search-and-rescue missions.

The large-format maps are critical in delineating search areas, keeping track of searchers’ locations, recording clues, highlighting areas of interest and defining regions that have already been searched. At the end of a search-and-rescue mission, the maps used have been annotated and highlighted by numerous members of the command staff, creating an irreplaceable record of what happened that day. NJSAR team members can simply feed these maps into the HP DesignJet T2500 MFP’s 36-inch scanner to instantly create digitized records of the mission, which can then be shared with law enforcement and other partners.

“Before installing the HP DesignJet T2500 MFP, our team was limited to printing tiled maps on 8.5×11-inch paper and taping the pieces together, or just using small maps, which made it difficult for incident management staff to collaborate on scene,” says David Clarke, president, New Jersey Search and Rescue. “With the HP DesignJet T2500 MFP, we are equipped to produce large-scale maps quickly and reliably to help us optimize our search efforts and help return missing persons to their families.”

Someone’s life is always on the line in search and rescue. With time of the essence, NJSAR team members can print straight from their Apple or Android smartphones or tablets wherever or whenever is needed.