The following are some suggestions on how you (yes, you) can prevent false alarms. By doing so, you will increase the effectiveness of the very system your life may someday rely on! We can not stress the importance of this enough. Responding to the false alarms can cause large delays in responding to real emergencies. Unnecessary deployments also put the lives of search and rescue personnel at risk. Although Cospas-Sarsat is a high-tech, automated system, large volumes of false alerts can cost valuable minutes to people in real distress. Every little bit does help! So please, read the recommendations below and follow them. Above all, use common sense.

FOR PLB’s:

Always test your PLB in strict accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations. Most PLB activation switches have a test position. This test position allows the entire unit (electronics, battery and antenna) to be tested without generating a false alarm.

Ensure that your beacon is registered with NOAA. This does nothing to reduce false alarm rates, but does have a dramatic effect on the impact of a false alarm. If the PLB is properly registered, the situation will be resolved with a phone call most of the time. It will also help speed rescue in an actual distress. It's free, easy, and it's the law, so please register all of your beacons.

Maintain your PLB. Ensure that the batteries are within their expiration date and that all manufacturer recommendations are followed.