Balto/Search Log

Search Log

The Search Log captures the details of a search and rescue mission including the assignment, the subject(s) being searched for, their condition, and any notes from the mission. Unlike the discipline-specific exercise logs (Air Scent, HRD, Trailing, etc.), the Search Log focuses on the mission as a whole and the subject's profile.

Starting a Search Log

From the Welcome page, press and hold the begin training button to start a new mission
Configure the mission details (date, location, DR number) and tap Continue
On the Exercise Configuration screen, select Search Log as the training type
Tap Continue to begin the exercise

The Search Log has four sections that scroll vertically: Subject, Conditions, Assignment, and Review.

Subject Section

This section captures information about the person or persons being searched for.

Subject Name(s)

Enter the name or names of the missing subject(s). Free-form text — you can include multiple names separated by commas.

Age(s)

Enter the age or ages of the missing subject(s).

Missing Since

Enter when the subject was last seen or reported missing. Free-form text — you can include date, time, and location of last contact.

Subject Type

Check one or more subject categories that apply:

Aircraft
Angler
Boat
Camper
Caver
Despondent
Gatherer
Ground Vehicle
Hiker
Horseback Rider
Hunter
Mountain Biker
Person in Water
Runner
Walk-away
Winter Sports
Worker
Urban Entrapment
Abduction
Other — Use the text field to specify

Subject type helps inform search strategy and historical pattern analysis.

Conditions Section

This section captures the subject's medical state, experience level, and equipment.

Medical Conditions

Check one or more medical conditions:

Injured — Known or suspected injury
Mental impairment — Cognitive condition affecting behavior
Healthy — No known medical issues
Known fatality — Subject confirmed deceased
Other

Use the Details field to add specific information about the subject's medical condition.

Experience

Select the subject's experience level with the environment:

Not experienced / does not know area
Not experienced / knows area
Experienced / not familiar with area
Experienced / knows area
Unknown

Equipment

Select the adequacy of the subject's equipment for the conditions:

Inadequate for environment and weather
Questionable for environment and weather
Adequate for environment and weather
Unknown

Assignment Section

This section captures the type of mission being conducted and the size of the search area.

Mission Type

Check one or more discipline types being used on the search:

Air Scent — Searching for live subjects via airborne human scent
HRD — Searching for human remains
Trailing — Following a specific subject's scent trail
Ground — Visual ground searching
Evidence — Searching for evidence items
Other — Any other mission type (use the text field to specify)

Multiple types can be checked for missions that combine disciplines.

Area Size/Length

Enter the approximate size of the search area. Use the spinning wheel control to quickly adjust the value, or tap the text field to enter a specific value.

Select the appropriate units from the dropdown:

acres (max 200)
meters (max 1000) — for linear search areas
sq. feet (max 10,000)
sq. meters (max 10,000)
miles (max 20) — for linear search areas

Review Section

This section captures notes from the mission.

Notes

Free-form text area for activity notes, search strategy details, outcome information, and any remediation plan.

Finishing the Search Log

When you're done recording the search:

Scroll to the bottom of the screen
Tap Finish && save exercise
The search log will be saved

If you tap the back button instead, you'll be prompted to confirm cancellation. Cancelling discards the search log.

Editing a Saved Search Log

To edit a previously saved Search Log:

From the main menu, open the Logs view
Find the Search Log in the list
Double-tap the entry to open the editor
Make your changes and tap back to save

Tips

The Subject Type field allows multiple selections — check all that apply to a single missing person, or use multiple selections if searching for multiple subjects
The mission type checkboxes should reflect what your team is actually doing during the mission, not what the overall search effort involves
Use the Notes field to record key decision points, weather changes, or other operational details for later review
For training exercises that simulate a search, fill in realistic subject information to make the training as realistic as possible