phone coverage and we have to take advantage of that.” ANY IMPORTANT MESSAGES ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS? “In order for the system to work properly, users must register their PLB in the UK or in their home country, using the registration card provided, giving details of a nominated person the police can contact for further information, in the event of an alert on land. Activations are picked up via satellite, by Mission Control within the Air Rescue Coordination Centre at RAF Kinloss, where the information is packaged and passed to the police who then respond as we normally would, for a mountain rescue situation but with a much more precise location for the rescue team or the helicopter and a useful point of contact to help establish more detail. The helicopter en route can use the homing signal to confirm the location, as it gets closer.” WHAT ABOUT FALSE ALARMS? “False alarm incidents are normally linked to anonymous reports, so from the start you can see it’s not very likely. We have acknowledged there is a small concern about the potential for false alarms but when you consider the potential for saving life, it’s clear the pros outweigh the cons. We will be reviewing activity on an ongoing basis with the ARCC and our partner agencies, to minimise the potential and we are confident the public will use the technology responsibly. In the unlikely event that people do deliberately misuse the technology to create false alarms, it’s an expensive waste of time and assets, potentially wasting thousands of pounds of the taxpayers money for all the services involved and we will have an obligation to report to Procurators Fiscal, to consider a prosecution.” WAS IT STRAIGHT FORWARD? “Colleagues from a range of UK agencies have each played an important role in making this happen, including ACPO, the Department for Transport, OfCom, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the Ministry of Defence and it’s an excellent example of how we can join up, integrate and co-operate effectively, to provide an improved level of service. We had some technical, legal and procedural challenges to overcome but that’s not new for any of us who were involved and this positive outcome justifies the effort.” SOMEONE MENTIONED SPOT MESSENGER - WHAT’S THAT? “Its a variation on a similar theme and again, its in use world wide. It has some additional features for sending fixed or variable messages. Satellite alerts via Spot Messenger are relayed direct to a ground
UK MR Conference Technology in Mountain Rescue
WHAT NOW? “From this point forward, we can see the potential benefits for lone workers in forestry, estate workers, service engineers and those who go hill walking, trekking or climb mountains or even anglers and canoeists, off-road mountain bikers, quad riders, you name it - there is a long list of potential users out there and its really up to individuals and employers to consider this option as part of their own planning and risk management steps, to take advantage of this new capability and help to minimise the risk of delay in raising the alarm, in the event of an emergency. WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE? Personally, I would like to see the technology taken to the next stage, where remote activation can be triggered by rescue services under agreed conditions, so that we are able to trigger and generate a signal from PLB devices, where individuals are overdue or otherwise unaccounted for and there is genuine concern for their safety or wellbeing. We already see that technology available in other electronic communications devices and in this world of converging technologies, it would seem to me to be the obvious next step, as the design and the manufacturing costs are reduced yet further, along with power consumption and a corresponding increase in batterylife. I can think of a number of instances in my police career, where that technology would have been of great benefit and potentially saved lives. For any further information on UK Search & Rescue, please contact Chief Inspector Colin Souter at colin.souter@northern.pnn.police. uk or on 01463 720 288.
Plans are forging ahead for the bi-annual UK MR Conference the largest mountain rescue event in the UK in 2012. Located in the spacious Headingley Campus of the Metropolitan University in Leeds which provides outstanding - and in some cases such as the environmental chamber - unique facilities, the Conference will stimulate much thought and advice through the extensive programme of lectures, workshops, and exhibitions, presented by national and international practitioners expert in their field of SAR. The programme will include • Austrian MR • PLB’s • Social Media (use in MR) • IT in MR • Search Management • Insurance Panel/Clinic
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Cas Care Medical Emergency Response Team IKAR Media Skills Technical Workshops Water Rescue Avalanches Helo’s RAF, Police, and Air Ambulance And much more! Booking Forms will be available shortly, and as the UK MR Conference is invariably a “full house”, early return of these is advised. Leeds has very good road, rail, and air links so travel to the venue is straightforward. Mark your diary now - , 7 – 9 September 2012 UK MR Conference, Leeds.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE February 2012
7- 9 September 2012, Leeds Metropolitan University, Headingley Campus. Church Wood Avenue, Leeds. LS6 3QS
station in the USA only and we already have a procedure in place where our American colleagues will report the incident details direct to ARCC at RAF Kinloss, who then contact the police. We don’t recommend any one type of technology over another, provided they all carry the GPS location data. It’s getting that location data which is critical. We’ll leave choices and recommendations to the enthusiasts out there, as it is really a consumer choice. What I will highlight is that PLB’s generally have a one-off registration process, with no renewal required unless the device changes hands. Other devices such as spot messenger can carry an annual fee for registration, which in the longer term can result in a higher cost. The important thing for us, as a service provider, is only that the technology works and that the public buy and use the right technology.”
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