Being on a search and rescue team, this is something we discuss at length.
The problem isn't the beacon itself. The problem is that the beacon makes people feel safe. They then go beyond their limits because they can always just 'call for help'. When you have no communication with the outside world, you tend to ask 'can I get out of this myself' a lot more. In my opinion the family in this story should be banned from Grand Canyon for a year and banned from going more than 1 mile from an open road in any national park for 2 years in addition to paying expenses of 'rescuing' them all three times.
The other problem is that the beacon does not convey very much information. It gives location and that there is a problem. It's very much like responding to a 911 hang up.
On a recent trip with my SAR team we activated a beacon for a real emergency. We also sent a team down 5 miles of rough terrain and another 15 miles of driving to cell coverage to follow up on the beacon. When I spoke with sheriff's dispatch, they pretty much admitted to having no clue how to respond to the beacon. In the end we were able to resolve what happened without outside help between the beacon activation and the phone call. The issue was a lost hiker on a 13,500 foot mountain, after dark with no light and a storm moving in. Had we not found her, she would have been in a life or death situation.
It also worth noting that out east they have the same problem with 911 calls from wilderness. Our urban EMS systems have similar problems with 'frequent fliers'.
no subject
The problem isn't the beacon itself. The problem is that the beacon makes people feel safe. They then go beyond their limits because they can always just 'call for help'. When you have no communication with the outside world, you tend to ask 'can I get out of this myself' a lot more. In my opinion the family in this story should be banned from Grand Canyon for a year and banned from going more than 1 mile from an open road in any national park for 2 years in addition to paying expenses of 'rescuing' them all three times.
The other problem is that the beacon does not convey very much information. It gives location and that there is a problem. It's very much like responding to a 911 hang up.
On a recent trip with my SAR team we activated a beacon for a real emergency. We also sent a team down 5 miles of rough terrain and another 15 miles of driving to cell coverage to follow up on the beacon. When I spoke with sheriff's dispatch, they pretty much admitted to having no clue how to respond to the beacon. In the end we were able to resolve what happened without outside help between the beacon activation and the phone call. The issue was a lost hiker on a 13,500 foot mountain, after dark with no light and a storm moving in. Had we not found her, she would have been in a life or death situation.
It also worth noting that out east they have the same problem with 911 calls from wilderness. Our urban EMS systems have similar problems with 'frequent fliers'.