USCG Air Station Traverse City stresses importance of PLB's
TRAVERSE CITY, MI -- Did you know that there's a device that links you to help with a simple push of a button?
The Coast Guard says it could be a life saver.
“It's just a flip, this is your antenna, and this you would just hit the red button, and that would be it," explains Luke Cotturone, a rescue swimmer at USCG Air Station Traverse City. “The Air Force will be able to pick it up, the Coast Guard will be able to pick it up. It’ll send out a signal every 52.5 seconds.
It's called a Personal Locator Beacon, PLB for short. It’s an emergency tool that will lead help directly to you wherever you are.
"300 to 600 dollars," explains Cotturone.
The system sends a GPS position to a satellite, which is then sent to emergency crews with the Air Force and Coast Guard. They can mobilize and begin search and rescue.
“We have a crew 24/7 ready to go. In a low-risk mission, the requirement is for them to be airborne in less than 30 minutes," explains Air Station Traverse City Commander Joseph Buzzella, Jr.
And in bad weather conditions, helicopters arrive at the scene the quickest, especially for water rescues.
“We're in the business of taking risks, that's what we do, so we go out a lot in very challenging conditions," says Buzzella.
And dealing with challenges like the weather and white-out conditions, they say the best tool to track a search and rescue mission is to have an idea of where the person is at.
"That allows us to be proficient at what we do, we have to be proficient because we're in the business of saving lives," says Buzzella. “Semper Paratus, we're always ready."
An investment for outdoor enthusiasts the Coast Guard believes could be a life saver.
We have linked a few PLB manufacturers below. You can visit the sites to find a local distributor.
ACR Electronics
McMurdoRead more on PLBs by CLICKING HERE.
