THE KIWANDA KID
05-06-2008, 08:12 AM
Just got this and wanted to pass along.
PRESS RELEASEMay 2, 2008For More Information Contact:Anthony Turner, Chief External Communications DivisionNational Department of Public AffairsEmail: anthony.turner@yahoo.com (310) 908-6950 WHAT IF YOU CALL 911 AND NO ONE EVER ANSWERS? Starting February 1, 2009 that is exactly what will happen for boaters whohave the older model EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons)that transmit a distress alert on 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz. The activation of anEPIRB is like making a 911 call to search and rescue authorities. AfterFebruary 1, 2009 the older model EPIRBs will no longer be monitored bysatellite, and are likely to go completely undetected in an emergency. Onlydistress alerts from 406 MHz beacons will continue to be detected andprocessed by search and rescue satellites worldwide. Although February 1,2009 is still a long time from now, the traditional start of the 2008boating season is just a couple of weeks away and while preparing for theseason the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary recommends that the new EPIRBs be partof the season start-up shopping list. Although recreational boaters are not required to carry an EPIRB, they arestrongly recommended for ALL boaters, including kayaks and other paddlecraft, along with a VHF-FM marine band radio. The 406 MHz signal sent by thenewer EPIRBs when a mariner encounters distress are picked up by theCOSPAS/SARSAT satellite constellation, which determines the EPIRBs positionthrough triangulation. EPIRBs with embedded GPS are even more helpful inquickly finding a distressed boater. With GPS coordinates, the position ofdistress is pinpointed almost immediately. Without GPS, it may take two orthree satellite passes to come up with a good, triangulated position.According to Captain Chip Strangfeld, Commander of Coast Guard Sector SanDiego, "the time saved by EPIRBs could mean the difference between life anddeath."As long as the new 406 MHz beacon has been registered (which is required bylaw), search and rescue authorities can quickly confirm that the distress isreal, who they are looking for, and a description of the vessel or aircraft.This means an effective search can be initiated even before a final distresslocation has been determined for non-GPS EPIRBs. It also means that a falseactivation may be resolved with a phone call to the beacon owner, savingresources for actual distresses. Registration is free and can be done on the internet at:www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov (http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/) or it can be mailed/faxed to NOAA by calling1-888-212-SAVE. Beacon registrations must be updated at least every twoyears or when information such as emergency contact phone numbers and othervital information changes. This registration information is only availableto authorized search and rescue personnel. It saves lives. For more potentially life-saving information along with how to take aboating safety course or get a free vessel safety check from the Coast GuardAuxiliary visit http://www.uscgboating.org/. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliaryis the uniformed civilian component of the United States Coast Guard.Created by an Act of Congress in 1939, the Auxiliary directly supports theCoast Guard in all missions, except military and direct law enforcementactions. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is an integral part of the United StatesCoast Guard. For more information visit www.cgaux.org (http://www.cgaux.org/) <http://www.cgaux.org/> (http://www.cgaux.org/) if you are ready to join visithttp://join.cgaux.org/ .###To subscribe please visit mailto:news-l-subscribe@list.auxpa.org (news-l-subscribe@list.auxpa.org)
PRESS RELEASEMay 2, 2008For More Information Contact:Anthony Turner, Chief External Communications DivisionNational Department of Public AffairsEmail: anthony.turner@yahoo.com (310) 908-6950 WHAT IF YOU CALL 911 AND NO ONE EVER ANSWERS? Starting February 1, 2009 that is exactly what will happen for boaters whohave the older model EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons)that transmit a distress alert on 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz. The activation of anEPIRB is like making a 911 call to search and rescue authorities. AfterFebruary 1, 2009 the older model EPIRBs will no longer be monitored bysatellite, and are likely to go completely undetected in an emergency. Onlydistress alerts from 406 MHz beacons will continue to be detected andprocessed by search and rescue satellites worldwide. Although February 1,2009 is still a long time from now, the traditional start of the 2008boating season is just a couple of weeks away and while preparing for theseason the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary recommends that the new EPIRBs be partof the season start-up shopping list. Although recreational boaters are not required to carry an EPIRB, they arestrongly recommended for ALL boaters, including kayaks and other paddlecraft, along with a VHF-FM marine band radio. The 406 MHz signal sent by thenewer EPIRBs when a mariner encounters distress are picked up by theCOSPAS/SARSAT satellite constellation, which determines the EPIRBs positionthrough triangulation. EPIRBs with embedded GPS are even more helpful inquickly finding a distressed boater. With GPS coordinates, the position ofdistress is pinpointed almost immediately. Without GPS, it may take two orthree satellite passes to come up with a good, triangulated position.According to Captain Chip Strangfeld, Commander of Coast Guard Sector SanDiego, "the time saved by EPIRBs could mean the difference between life anddeath."As long as the new 406 MHz beacon has been registered (which is required bylaw), search and rescue authorities can quickly confirm that the distress isreal, who they are looking for, and a description of the vessel or aircraft.This means an effective search can be initiated even before a final distresslocation has been determined for non-GPS EPIRBs. It also means that a falseactivation may be resolved with a phone call to the beacon owner, savingresources for actual distresses. Registration is free and can be done on the internet at:www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov (http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/) or it can be mailed/faxed to NOAA by calling1-888-212-SAVE. Beacon registrations must be updated at least every twoyears or when information such as emergency contact phone numbers and othervital information changes. This registration information is only availableto authorized search and rescue personnel. It saves lives. For more potentially life-saving information along with how to take aboating safety course or get a free vessel safety check from the Coast GuardAuxiliary visit http://www.uscgboating.org/. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliaryis the uniformed civilian component of the United States Coast Guard.Created by an Act of Congress in 1939, the Auxiliary directly supports theCoast Guard in all missions, except military and direct law enforcementactions. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is an integral part of the United StatesCoast Guard. For more information visit www.cgaux.org (http://www.cgaux.org/) <http://www.cgaux.org/> (http://www.cgaux.org/) if you are ready to join visithttp://join.cgaux.org/ .###To subscribe please visit mailto:news-l-subscribe@list.auxpa.org (news-l-subscribe@list.auxpa.org)