Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Sequoia/Kings NP Advisory: SPOT emergency calls

From Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks:  ( Link is here )

There was a discussion of SPOT vs Cell Phone on the PCT-l listserver, and I replied to it with a pointer to the above advisory.

Based on prior stories I have seen, part of my post was this:


Ken Powers replied with this message:


I think the above is an interesting question.

And it also brings to mind a situation I believe George related: hikers on the JMT came to a water crossing where a hiker was stranded on a rock in the middle, and could not proceed or get to safety.

Other hikers used their SPOT and activated a 911 call. Another group came to the stranded hiker's aid, got him to safety.

In such a situation, if the 911 callers then press the OK button, that would imply to me there is no longer an emergency. Maybe a protocol could be developed for such a situation. I am hoping Ranger George might contribute here.

You're right. That should have been made clearer (though I think that was edited from my original...). At the moment, I'm pretty sure that once 911 is activated, there WILL be a response. So stay there or somewhere nearby that's safe. "OK" will not cancel an emergency response, assuming that's the only information transmitted (i.e. no text capability with an explanation or the family/friend doesn't have further information). So far, NPS and other agencies treat that as they would a 911 hangup. A response is still made.

Also, for SPOT, once a 911 activation is made, I think all further SPOT traffic is routed through SPOT until the emergency is cleared, so they'd see the "ok" and update the responding agency.

It's possible, though, that a response will be slower after an "OK" signal. I can imagine a supervisor switching from a helicopter response to sending someone on foot, depending on distance and information about the party that activated the 911.

The main point, though, is that the 911 activator has definite responsibilities once that button is hit. Finally, this whole response protocol is evolving but I think the above reflects a "Best Practice" for those using emergency locator beacons.

George

Please read: If you feel the need to test your Spot unit in SOS / 911 mode, YOU must call Geos Alliance "FIRST" at (936) 582-3190. With both parties clearly understanding the time and location in which the Spot unit is to be tested AND Geos is not working a true emergency at that time. You can test your device. Please note the dispatchers name whom you talked to prior to testing. Give the dispatcher your direct contact phone number to be reached when the signal is received.

I'd be interested in hearing more about this. When I bought my SPOT, I never read anything like this. It would be good to know if it were true.

This is from a series of questions I sent to GEOS/SPOT last year. I'll try to post the entire Q&A a little later.

That's really good to know George, thanks for sharing.

I've never used my SPOT for anything other than to send the occasional "Hi Honey, I'm still alive" message, and to track my routes just for fun. Here's hoping that trend continues.

Thanks for the link, lynn-a-roo. I recall that situation well.

Here's the wpsmb link 6-6-2009:  SPOT 911 call last week

And Katalina's Postholer journal writeup

My Spot is on its last contract. I'm definitely moving to a sat phone. Spot was a good idea, but it simply is too primitive to work for all situations that may arise. It is better than nothing, but for the most part, it's just dead weight on the pack that when it comes down to an emergency, will put in a situation when the SPOT itself becomes problem: to use or not to use. That's just something I don't really want to deal with when things get ugly and I need some sort of help.

For example, when my daughter fainted in the middle of nowhere last year, I really didn't feel like calling in the rescue team, but I did want to talk to a nurse or doctor just to run this past them. Not gonna happen with one-way communication, and even texting capability the latest gizmos offer.

And then there is Spot's pathetic customer support, which has me wonder how organized that shop really is and if that would ever affect how a 911 call may be processed when it actually matters.

Note that turning SPOT off (or having the batteries go dead) simply causes SPOT to stop sending SOS or other messages. However, pressing and holding the SOS button when it is in SOS mode sends a "Cancel SOS" message. This presumably means that you don't need a rescue after all. I won't speculate on whether "Cancel 911" will cause the authorities to cancel the rescue.