Yuppie 911
Posted: June 15, 2010 Filed under: Search and Rescue (SAR) 1 CommentTechnology created in labs is creating headaches for SAR in the backcountry. Personal Locator Beacons are being used to ask for drinks of water.
Last October three hikers in the Grand Canyon used their Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) three times. The first time they activated their PLB because they ran out of water. The second time because the water they found was salty. The third time a helicopter was dispatched, the group triggered their PLB, and they were evacuated and charged with creating a hazardous condition for the rescue team.
This is no longer an extreme example, it is becoming the norm. See Alpine Rescue Team needs your help – PLB false alerts in Berthoud Pass (Colorado) area, This is starting to become stupid, Well they found him. He thought his PLB was an avalanche beacon. and Avalanche Beacons and other electronic items.
These stories just encourage legislators and others to charge for rescues. The theory is it will discourage these idiots from going in the backcountry and generate revenue. However, that creates other, greater problems. See So I do not plan to die, but I am stupid so the law says I have to spend $500 so you can find my body….. and Charging for Search and Rescue rears its Ugly head again.
The article surmises that the technology encourages idiots to go into the backcountry. One of the Grand Canyon hikers was quoted saying “If they had not been toting the device that works like Onstar for hikers, “we would have never attempted this hike….“
SAR professionals agree that the technology encourages the idiots to go into the backcountry.”In the past, people who got in trouble self-rescued; they got on their hands and knees and crawled out,” says John Amrhein, the county’s emergency coordinator. “We saw the increase in non-emergencies with cell phones: people called saying ‘I’m cold and damp. Come get me out.’ These take it to another level.“
Rocky Henderson of Portland Mountain Rescue had this comment on 8 hikers who triggered their PLB on Mt Hood when the weather turned bad: “The question is, would they have decided to go on the trip knowing the weather was going bad if they had not been able to take the beacons,” asks.”
The head of California SAR has labeled PLB’s Yuppie 911.
See Tired from a tough hike? Rescuers fear Yuppie 911
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Recreation Law 
I think charging for rescues will have an added problem – causing people to wait too long to call for a rescue when they are in an emergency. They will try longer than they should to get themselves out, or wait as conditions get worse in hopes they can get themselves out – and b the time they pull the trigger, it could be harder or more dangerous for the rescuers.
But, not sure of the solution – PLBs, and even cell phones, have caused this Yuppie 911 problem.
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