Spot messaging devices can save lives, says Lorne Kusugak, Nunavut's minister of Community Government and Services. (FILE IMAGE)
Be prepared when you go out on the land: that was the message delivered March 11 in the Nunavut legislature by Lorne Kusugak, minister of Community and Government Affairs.
Kusugak said his department had responded to 178 requests for search and rescue assistance in 2012.
Of those searches, 53 of these were triggered by Spot tracking device activations.
The Government of Nunavut handed out 500 of the satellite messenger devices to communities across the territory in 2010, to be made available to residents free of charge.
Spot messengers can send an SOS help message or customized message, and allow contacts to track a user’s location.
“We have documented cases where individuals would have perished without the use of the Spot tracking units,” he said. “This underscores the importance of taking a tracking communications device like a Spot device when going out on the land. Carrying a Spot device can often be the difference between life and death.”
Of last year’s searches, 40 occurred because people didn’t take enought fuel when they travelled. Another 49 searches were the result of mechanical breakdowns, Kusugak said.
“Being prepared with extra fuel and a few critical snowmobile parts can save lives,” he said.
Each search puts volunteer search and rescue personnel at risk, “yet they undertake their mission without question, Kusugak said.
His reminder to Nunavummiut:
• before you leave, let someone know – tell others of your travel plans and when you expect to return;
• before you leave, let someone know – tell others of your travel plans and when you expect to return;
• always be prepared to spend 72 hours on the land – take additional food, shelter, and equipment, even on short day trips, in case of emergencies; and,
• take a communications signalling device like a satellite phone or Spot device.
“Let’s improve our preparation and take responsibility for safe travels on the land,” Kusugak said.
The CGS department is working closely with the RCMP to develop a new policy on search and rescue, which Kusugak said ‘clarifies and strengthens the roles of government, communities, and our partners in search and rescue activities.”
The department’s protection services division is also working with Environment Canada to have 1-800 numbers available for communities to call for weather updates.
These automated reports will also be translated into Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun
Website: http://international.findmespot.com/
Website: http://international.findmespot.com/
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_minister_urges_better_preparation_for_improved_safety_on_the_l/?goback=.gde_108478_member_222055770
3 comments:
It provides extensive financial information about the company to examine its financial
health. They are currently the leading navigation software producers in Europe.
'Advanced features in the 620 such as recovery advisor, VO2 max estimate, race predictor
and stats on running economy, combined with connected features and training plan options found
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I DON'T THINK YOU "GET IT". We are not talking about "watch GPS" but rather a communications with friends and family for position and just in case EMERGENCY.
I wish your English learning well... and maybe in the future there will be "GPS watches" with communicators embedded - its only the marketing that is stopping someone from putting they money where their mouth is since the technology is readily available for manufacturing. BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME?
SPOT gets the job done but in 2017 I recommend Garmin InReach with free form 2-way text msgs and GPS tracking. I have both - InReach is the winner hands down!
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