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I'm wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks for reading maps and learning the areas. Do you drive around and around? Study maps for hours on end? Or just fly by the seat of your pants?
The Whole Direction Thing
- Thread starter MMiz
- Start date
akflightmedic
Forum Deputy Chief
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I just drive around. Sometimes I have GPS. But driving is best, even on days off.
Agree, the interns that are coming to my station start driving on day one. There is no better way to learn an area than driving it repeatadly.
Anjel
Forum Angel
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I had the hardest time learning roads. But once ive drove.to a certain place once or twice im usually good.
I just have to drive. I get lost with N S E W
I just have to drive. I get lost with N S E W
HotelCo
Forum Deputy Chief
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I grew up in my coverage area, so as long as I get major cross streets, I'm good.
When I worked in another area, it was driving. Drive around, get lost, and find your way back. You'll learn it quick.
When I worked in another area, it was driving. Drive around, get lost, and find your way back. You'll learn it quick.
Drive around (and GPS).
Learn to pick out landmarks: Hospitals, gas stations, fire stations highway exits...anything that stands out. Then you can look at a map and know that your POI is for example 2 streets over and one down from the home depot.
And make sure you learn them at night and during the day since things may look different.
Learn to pick out landmarks: Hospitals, gas stations, fire stations highway exits...anything that stands out. Then you can look at a map and know that your POI is for example 2 streets over and one down from the home depot.
And make sure you learn them at night and during the day since things may look different.
BandageBrigade
Forum Lieutenant
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Hotel hit the key for me. I always ask for closest cross street.
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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Learn the major north-south and east-west roads. Then major cross streets. Also, figure out how the block numbers are laid out. Then, randomly get some addresses and try to find them. When you can get within a block or two without a mapbook or GPS, you're getting it down.
Drive around; find the hospitals; schools, ECF's etc. Learn how to get to them without using the freeways. (Traffic jams, accidents, etc).
Always think about from this address how do I get to hospital A: what if that route is blocked, how) Hospital B (what if you find out A is on diversion); etc.
When I did FTO for drivers: made sure that they knew where all ECF's are at in the area we were posted: where the hospitals were at for entire city/county and surrounding area's. Never know what hospital you may go to from ECF. Also where major medical bldgs are, and Dialysis centers, etc.
Here it is hard; we may get dispatched to an area like such and such mountain for ATV crash: that mountain may be 60 miles long; and have hundreds of miles of dirt roads. Dispatch doesn't always tell them to have someone out at the main road to lead us in.
Always think about from this address how do I get to hospital A: what if that route is blocked, how) Hospital B (what if you find out A is on diversion); etc.
When I did FTO for drivers: made sure that they knew where all ECF's are at in the area we were posted: where the hospitals were at for entire city/county and surrounding area's. Never know what hospital you may go to from ECF. Also where major medical bldgs are, and Dialysis centers, etc.
Here it is hard; we may get dispatched to an area like such and such mountain for ATV crash: that mountain may be 60 miles long; and have hundreds of miles of dirt roads. Dispatch doesn't always tell them to have someone out at the main road to lead us in.
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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Cruise it and learn the rules.
Rules like "1st Street is at the river, the street numbers get bigger as you go East", or "Streets go north-south, avenues/blvds go east-west",or "Which way am I driving on a street (or blvd) and the addresses on the right are even?". This works for many old grid pattern cities. Newer twisty developments with their bridge/mount/lake/falls/etc naming (and industrial parks are going that way too) ought to be required to register some sort of grid designate with GIS or something for each address. Oh, and know what street was renamed "Martin Luther King", "John F. Kennedy", "Cesar Chavez", or any other hero's name.
Learn your chokepoints, like bridges, freeway passes and ramps, cemetaries, railroad crossings, entrances to former or current housing developments.
Have a good mapbook and magnifier and light, and take the extra thirty seconds to avoid being lost for five or ninety minutes.
Ask dispatch about cross streets, or to have somone posted on the street.
Or, just use GARMIN and good luck to you*.
Don't you find that you go to the same vicinities a LOT?
*PS: rural responders, skip to the GARMIN step or meet a local guide to ride in with you.
Rules like "1st Street is at the river, the street numbers get bigger as you go East", or "Streets go north-south, avenues/blvds go east-west",or "Which way am I driving on a street (or blvd) and the addresses on the right are even?". This works for many old grid pattern cities. Newer twisty developments with their bridge/mount/lake/falls/etc naming (and industrial parks are going that way too) ought to be required to register some sort of grid designate with GIS or something for each address. Oh, and know what street was renamed "Martin Luther King", "John F. Kennedy", "Cesar Chavez", or any other hero's name.
Learn your chokepoints, like bridges, freeway passes and ramps, cemetaries, railroad crossings, entrances to former or current housing developments.
Have a good mapbook and magnifier and light, and take the extra thirty seconds to avoid being lost for five or ninety minutes.
Ask dispatch about cross streets, or to have somone posted on the street.
Or, just use GARMIN and good luck to you*.
Don't you find that you go to the same vicinities a LOT?
*PS: rural responders, skip to the GARMIN step or meet a local guide to ride in with you.
dixie_flatline
Forum Captain
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This thread reminds me that I need to start going over the map books and everything. In our first due, I know all the big arteries and many/most of the smaller roads, but the further out into the county I get, the less I know (and mutual aid knowledge is almost nil).
I am like Anjel - we have a list of all the local hospitals with directions from multiple starting points. I've read that list a dozen times easily, and it does nothing for me. You have me drive there once or twice with someone saying "left up here" and my brain files it away. I can usually get back to almost anywhere I've been before (sober).
(Did anyone else notice that the first post was from 2004?)
I am like Anjel - we have a list of all the local hospitals with directions from multiple starting points. I've read that list a dozen times easily, and it does nothing for me. You have me drive there once or twice with someone saying "left up here" and my brain files it away. I can usually get back to almost anywhere I've been before (sober).
(Did anyone else notice that the first post was from 2004?)
fortsmithman
Forum Deputy Chief
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I grew up here I know all the streets and backroads.