New generation of smarter EPIRBs on the horizon
Emergency beacons will soon include automatic identification systems that will help to speed up rescuesSmarter emergency beacons will soon be available to boaters that not only notify authorities if a boat is in distress but will also send a distress message to all boats in range that may be able to assist in a rescue much more quickly than land-based services.
The development of emergency position indicating radio beacons, or EPIRBS, has evolved slowly. The only big breakthrough in recent years is the addition of GPS tracking to allow rescue services to hone in on an EPIRB’s location.
However, marine safety specialists, US-based ACR Electronics and UK-based Ocean Signal, have announced they will soon release EPIRBs featuring automatic identification system (AIS) integration – the first time this service has been used alongside an EPIRB.
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“EPIRBs are installed on a vessel for activation in a life-threatening emergency, such as sinking, collision and accident,” ACR Electronics said.
“Using the 406 MHz frequency and the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system, the devices have saved thousands of lives, but recovery by rescue services may be delayed, especially in remote ocean areas.
“Introducing the AIS locating signal ensures a signal will also be received by all vessels and aircraft equipped with AIS in the vicinity, enabling them to respond with immediate assistance.”
ACR and Ocean Signal said they were in the early stages of testing the new AIS-equipped EPIRBs ahead of new regulations being introduced to recreational boating in some markets that will mandate their use from July this year.
In those markets, recreational boaters will need to update to an AIS-enabled EPIRB once their current EPIRB expires.
Emergency beacon registrations in Australia are coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which also manages emergency responses if a beacon is ever set off.
boatsales.com.au has contacted AMSA for comment on when the new technology is likely to come to Australia.
Australia has recently mandated that some commercial vessels must be equipped with a float-free GPS-equipped EPIRB that can automatically launch and activate themselves in an emergency.
Recreational boaters can choose to buy an EPIRB with or without a GPS function despite the GPS-based EPIRBS providing rescuers with a more accurate location of the beacon - the search area crunches down to around 100 metres with GPS enabled, but without a GPS coordinate the search area is around 5km.
Smaller wearable versions of EPIRBs, called personal locator beacons, can be used to find a person who has fallen into the water. Again, they come with and without GPS.
PLBs are not considered a substitute for EPIRBs for recreational boats that regularly head more than 2.0 nautical miles offshore.
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