[pct-l] PBS [personal locator beacon] on the PCT?

[Ned Tibbits]

I'd simply like to add, from the Search & Rescue point of view, that 
reliable and effective communication is key to not only your rescue, but 
your patient care. In reality, this is how it works in most places:

- PLB sends a message to a national center who relays it to the local 
Sheriff,
- the Sheriff dispatches their Search & Rescue team,
- an Incident Command (IC) is established at/near a trailhead,
- environmental conditions are assessed for the safety of the rescuers,
- a Hasty Team (HT) is sent in to find or scout suspected quadrants,
- if the HT finds their patient, they radio back to IC regarding what they 
need (hence, a delay in care),
- a properly supplied team, then, hikes in to provide the needed care and 
extract the patient.

If the PLB can at least text out what is wrong with the patient, it 
eliminates the HT and allows us to bring in exactly what the patient needs 
on the first trip. If a helicopter is determined to be the best, easiest, 
and most timely way of pulling off the SAR, they usually carry the 
appropriately trained and supplied personnel to help most patients on the 
first visit, but the Sheriff has to make this call.

There is no patient cost for SAR when a public, tax-payer-funded team or 
helicopter responds. If a private version has to fill in because the 
government team is down or busy, there will be a cost. In situations where 
the public responders have to utilize a private ground transport ambulance 
in the chain to get you to the hospital, the private ambulance will bill 
you.

SAR personnel want to know:
- where you are, usually in UTMs. The helicopter will want to know your 
lat/long location,
- what your environmental and physical conditions are (weather, health, and 
threats; i.e.: what's wrong?),
- what you need them to bring (hence, a Wilderness First Responder course is 
valuable),

If you can put that into a text or 2-way voice message, the response will go 
faster and provide the needed care on time.



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education, Inc.
www.mountaineducation.org
ned at mountaineducation.org


Mission:
"To minimize wilderness accidents, injury, and illness in order to maximize 
wilderness enjoyment, safety, and personal growth, all through experiential 
education and risk awareness training."
-----Original Message----- 
From: The Wilderness Vagabond
Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2015 3:02 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] PBS [personal locator beacon] on the PCT?


PLB [personal locator beacon] on the PCT?

I am responding to previous questions about using a Spot on the PCT.

If you want a PLB that actually works when you really need it, I suggest you 
take a strong look at the ACR ResQ-Link.   It transmits at 5.0 watts (the 
Spot at 0.4 --- that's a zero point four), uses the dedicated public 
satellite system  (No corporate fees or delays), has no (none) subscription 
fees (ever), and is much less expensive over a 3-year period, even when 
factoring in a battery replacement at 5 years, than either the Spot or 
InReach.  Most importantly, it works when you really need it, blasting out a 
signal with GPS coordinates and a radio signal too.
A Spot is fun when you get it to work.  It has a poor record of sending 
accurate signals when there's trees or canyons involved.
If you Have to have a messenger, get an InReach, which operates at 1.6 
watts, yet weighs a lot compared to the 4.3 ounces of an ResQ-Link.  Also, 
the ResQ-Link is made in the US.
There is an analysis of PLBs
in this (noncommercial) trip report:

http://wildernessvagabond.com/needles-salt-2014/needles-salt-2014.htm

Best wishes for safe travels, cordially,  WildVagabond
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