Initial Planning Point
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- Category: Terms
- Published on Sunday, 09 February 2014 23:11
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The Initial Planning Point (IPP) is the initial point around which a search is planned. When planning a search, we have to pick a place to start. What point to pick is often not clear, but we have to pick something in order to start. The best point to pick is the Point Last Seen (PLS), which requires a reliable witness. When we do have a PLS, it is often reported by a family member who saw the subject leave home, camp, a trail head, or some other location where they were last together. Sometimes our reliable witness reports having seen the subject some time ago, but knows they went somewhere specific. When this can be corroborated, by something like a vehicle at the intended trail head, then we have a point where we are relatively certain the subject was recently located. We call this the Last Known Position (LKP).