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*This
information is available in detail on the Air
Force Rescue Coordination Center
website. |
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(Click
the image to left to view a full size version of this map)
View a screen
capture of an RCC controllers view of ELT activity over an 8
hour period. It turned out that all the ELT's in view
(circled) were determined to be false alarms. The remaining
(un-circled) were erroneous signals received by the SARSAT. |
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The
vast majority of false alarms generated within the Cospas-Sarsat
system originate from beacon users. This is by no means to suggest
that most mariners and aviators are careless. In fact, most of these
folks are meticulous and conscientious. The false alarm problem
arises from a lack of knowledge. The solution lies in educating
users about the negative effect of false alarms on the system and
how to prevent them |
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The
following are some suggestions on how you (yes, you) can prevent
false alarms. By doing so, you will increase the effectiveness of
the very system your life may someday rely on! We can not stress the
importance of this enough. Right now, we have a 90% false alarm rate
for 406 MHz and a 98% rate for 121.5 MHz. Imagine your local
"911" emergency system dealing with this. Responding to
the false alarms would cause large delays in response time to real
emergencies. Since lives are usually at stake, any delay can mean
the difference between life and death. Cospas-Sarsat is not much
different, although we are a high-tech, automated system, large
volumes of false alerts can cost valuable minutes to people in
distress. Every little bit does help! So please, read the
recommendations below and follow them. Above all, use common sense. |
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For
ELT's (AVIATION): |
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- Always tune in
121.5 MHz on your comm radio before shutting down. If you hear a
swept tone (sounds like a siren), then immediately switch off
your ELT. Newer ELTs have a cockpit mounted switch, but for
most, you will need to access the unit itself in the empennage.
Once you have stopped the transmission, immediately dial your
Flight Service Station (FSS) 1-800-WXBRIEF and inform them of
your situation. Trust me, these folks will be glad to hear from
you. Chances are, you will have secured your ELT before two
satellite passes located it, and the FSS will not even get an
alert message. If however, an alert was generated, you will have
just saved them a lot of work and the taxpayers some money as
well.
- If you are buying
a new aircraft, or updating the panel in an old one, consider
purchasing a 406 MHz ELT. Although more expensive, these units
give you a myriad of advantages, not the least of which is fewer
false alarms.
- Maintain your ELT
regularly. At a recent aviation event in Alaska, free ELT
testing was offered. Of the ELTs tested, less than half worked
properly. Most of these were attributed to dead batteries. Low
batteries can cause erroneous signals and generate false alarms.
Conversely, false alarms can cause low batteries. So, make sure
you've got strong batteries in your ELT. Your life may depend on
it.
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FOR
406 MHz EPIRBs (Martitime): |
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- Always test your
EPIRB in strict accordance with the manufacturers
recommendations. Most EPIRB activation switches have a test
position. This test position allows the entire unit
(electronics, battery, antenna) to be tested without generating
a false alarm.
- Ensure that your
beacon is registered with NOAA. This does nothing to reduce
false alarm rates, but does have a dramatic effect on the impact
of a false alarm. If the EPIRB is properly registered, the
situation will be resolved with a phone call 9 out of 10 times.
It will also help speed rescue in an actual distress. If your
EPIRB is not registered, a form is included in our homepage.
It's free, easy, and it's the law, so please register your
EPIRBs.
- Affix your
registration decal on the EPIRB so it can be easily read without
taking the EPIRB out of its bracket. A surprising amount of
false alarms are generated by people (sometimes Coast Guard
safety inspectors) doing so to check the decal.
- Never remove the
EPIRB from its bracket without first switching it to the
"Off" position (unless of course, you're actually in
distress). Also, never allow it to be removed by others. A lot
of false alarms are generated by curious passengers. Another
common source of false alarms is from crewmembers removing the
EPIRB to paint behind it.
- Maintain your
EPIRB. Ensure that the batteries are within their expiration
date and that all manufacturer recommendations are followed.
- Any time that the
EPIRB is not on the vessel, it should be switched off. This
avoids the embarrassing experience of having SAR forces converge
on the trunk of your car.
- Finally, realize
that the Cospas-Sarsat satellites are very good at what they
do...detecting emergency beacons. In the western hemisphere,
activation of a 406 MHz EPIRB for just a few seconds will
usually be detected. After a few minutes, it will usually be
detected and located. This is good if you're in distress, but if
you're not, you just generated a false alarm.
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Force Rescue Coordination Center |
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