Probability of Detection

The Probability of Detection (POD) is the likelihood that a particular search effort will be successful.  It is important to define the intent of the search effort in question when discussing a POD.  Since we are often looking for more than one thing during a search effort - like a lost subject, footprints, discarded equipment, or other clues - we can have more than one POD for a search effort.  An effective way to estimate a POD is using Critical Separation

If your assignment read as follows:

Team 17 - Perform an open line search in the drainage on the map marked AJ, from the Horse Heaven Group Camp to the west, stopping at the road. 

The portion of your debrief discussing POD might look like this:

Our PODs were as follows: responsive subject - 75%, unresponsive subject - 25%, backpack - 25%, footprint - 1%