Re: [Paddlewise] SPOT anxiety

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 9:01 AM, Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote:

> Craig,
> The unintended consequences was more my concern - and I wasn't saying it's
> a given long term, but it sure seems like a possibility if there's some
> frustration being expressed now with a device that's relatively new with
> projected sales continuing to go high.


Yes... the unintended consequences of a policy generated too quickly are
what most of us are worried about.

>
> Perhaps it does come down to the local rescue authorities in the
> jurisdiction where the response has to be made. If the authority has good
> comprehension of how the SPOT devices works and proper information about the
> circumstances surrounding how and why a call came in, then it is in their
> ballpark if they want to initiate a search.


This is less likely in the case of the US agencies which tend to prefer an
agency-wide policy with limited discretion.

>
> I did talk to SAR Coordination in Victoria this morning. They are well
> aware of the "issues." Discussions are currently underway at higher levels
> as they monitor and evaluate this new technology.........Policy
> implementation is under review, they did (the officer I spoke with) indicate
> there is some "agitation" with the propensity for false alarms and
> inefficiency of response time. Time spent researching the need to respond
> more quickly than not is time the resuee might not be able to afford. The
> officer was obviously concerned over both the 911 and the OKAY features of
> SPOT, as his answers were all commingled.


The 911 functions of SPOT will likely be resolved quickly as the SAR request
doesn't come from a user or a user's contact but from their GEOS response
center (at least according to their web page). That center is likely to have
historical data from the device itself (if only a record of the "I'm OK"
emails) and the experience to understand the data.

But I think the entire issue revolves around the commingling of the OKAY and
the 911 features of SPOT. Whether a lack of OKAY is equal to a 911 is the
specific issue that the SAR folks will need to resolve. I'm wondering if any
SAR agency will have the staff to deal with this if the device becomes as
widely used as many expect.


> I was just glad they had the situation on their radar. There were some
> comments about the company in Houston I'll keep to myself.


LOL... I can only imagine. I wouldn't be surprised if the SAR agencies get
together and ask SPOT nicely to change the format of their "I'm OKAY" emails
to more explicitly state that a lack of them is not a reason to panic. Or
direct them to call the response center rather than SAR. After all, SPOT
would be the ogranization that profits from the sale of more units and,
presumably, the budget to hire more people in their response center.

>
> Obviously discussion is good.
>
> Perhaps, Houston, we have a bit of a problem.
>
> I don't think the SPOT device works well for offshore situations, but for
> coastal and land based activities, it is still a promising device.
>

I would use SPOT for a voyage. The concept is brilliant and seems perfect to
allow family to track a yacht's progress to Hawaii or Tahiti. It's only the
overlap between the OKAY and 911 functions that are creating confusion.
There must be a way to mitigate this without throwing out the baby (float
plans) with the bath water.

Nice to hear that the CG in Victoria is aware of all these issues. Thanks
for calling them and letting us know.

Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
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