Gallery
Description
💎 Idea
RescueGrid is a space enabled operational decision support platform for search and rescue and civil resilience teams.
During a missing-person search, flood, wildfire, severe-weather event or other emergency, responders must quickly understand a large and changing area. Information is often spread across separate mapping, weather, satellite and communication systems.
RescueGrid brings this information together into one operational picture. It combines satellite-derived information, terrain, environmental conditions and responder data to help teams identify hazards, define search areas, prioritise sectors and coordinate resources.
The aim is simple: reduce the time between an emergency being reported and responders having a clear, actionable picture of the situation.
The hackathon prototype will focus on demonstrating how European space assets can directly improve decision-making for first responders.
🛰️ EU space technologies
RescueGrid will use data and services from European space programmes, particularly Copernicus and Galileo.
Copernicus Earth Observation data can provide recent satellite imagery and environmental information relevant to emergencies, including terrain conditions, flooding, wildfire impact, vegetation, land cover and other changes on the ground.
Galileo GNSS can provide accurate positioning for rescuers, search teams, vehicles and points of interest during an operation.
Where appropriate, RescueGrid can also incorporate Copernicus Emergency Management Service products and other openly available EU geospatial datasets.
The value comes from combining these space-derived datasets with operational search information in one interface, rather than expecting responders to analyse multiple specialist systems independently.
🛟 Challenge
RescueGrid addresses Challenge 2: Space-enabled crisis response and civil resilience.
The project focuses on helping emergency services and volunteer rescue organisations respond faster and more safely to incidents such as missing person searches, flooding, wildfires and severe weather.
Space based information can provide responders with a wider and more current understanding of an affected area before teams enter difficult or dangerous terrain.
RescueGrid converts that information into practical operational tools: search areas, hazard awareness, responder locations, priority sectors and mission planning.
This strengthens civil resilience by helping first responders make better decisions with limited time and resources.
🧑🤝🧑 Team
Matthew Kelly — Founder / Developer
Matthew has a background in emergency response technology, software development, communications and search and rescue. He previously developed technology for mountain rescue and drone assisted search operations and has experience building operational mapping and decision support systems for first responders.
For the CASSINI Hackathon, Matthew will lead product development, mapping, space-data integration and the operational search-and-rescue use case.