When people activate an emergency beacon in the Blue Mountains it is almost always an emergency, in stark contrast to the rest of Australia where statistics show the vast majority are accidental.
In the Blue Mountains only 15 per cent of personal locator beacon [PLBs] activations were not in response to a serious situation last year.
![Alert: In the Mountains only 15 per cent of personal locator beacon [PLBs] activations were not in response to a serious situation.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gDsCKgEkcTgTg7ZZhL6wDp/08722fd1-f51f-4f45-8b35-9661e697b88f.jpg/r0_229_4349_2678_w576_h298_fmax.webp "Alert: In the Mountains only 15 per cent of personal locator beacon [PLBs] activations were not in response to a serious situation.")
But in the rest of Australia it was a different story with most set off falsely – with the devices activated inadvertently in more than 80 per cent of callouts, according to the maritime authority.
A PLB or EPIRBs [an emergency position-indicating radio beacon] is used to alert authorities when a bushwalker or sailor is in trouble.
Of 1,323 EPIRB activations last year, 1,074 were deemed "inadvertent" by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. This contrasts with the Mountains where the safety devices were used in 13 cases and 11 of them were in situations of distress – only two were for incorrect handling or storage/disposal.
Blue Mountains crime manager, Detective Chief Inspector Dietmar Almer, can’t account for the contrast in the data but said officers did spend 15 minutes with those borrowing the EPIRBS to make sure they understood how to use them.
“Personnel attached to the Katoomba Police Station issue the devices … they explain how to use the device and go through the process with the person before they leave the station.
“Station personnel also identify to the user that there are simple instructions on the rear of the device. The user is issued with a pack that contains a document on how to use the device and this is also identified to the user. These are the procedures that are adopted here ... I can not answer what goes on elsewhere,” he added.
Unwarranted detections either through mishandling, incorrect storage or incorrect disposal put pressure on police resources and the maritime authority recommends GPS-equipped beacons because they have the quickest and most accurate alerts.
“Distress beacons save lives,” an AMSA spokesman said.
“When activated properly, a registered GPS distress beacon can help rescue authorities to find you.
“Thanks to a high rate of registration, in many cases search and rescue officers are able to contact beacon owners and verify it ... before tasking search assets. If you inadvertently activate your beacon, you should call AMSA immediately. There is no penalty for inadvertent activation.”
Every year, vital search and rescue resources are used searching for unwanted beacons that have activated in rubbish tips after being disposed of incorrectly.
