2.6Change of Ownership or Contact Information
It is your responsibility to advise the national authority of any change in the information on the registration form. If the current owner of the beacon is transferring the beacon to a new owner, the current owner is
required to inform the national authority by using their online database or by letter, fax or telephone, of the name and address of the new owner. The new owner of the beacon is required to provide the national authority with all of the information requested on the registration form. This obligation transfers to all subsequent owners. Registration forms for the United States are available from NOAA by calling
1 (888)
2.7Lost or Stolen Beacons
Things you need to do if your beacon is stolen:
Report to your local authorities that the beacon has been lost or stolen.
Contact NOAA at
oPolice Department Name o Police Phone Number
o Police Case Number
If the beacon were to be activated, the information you provided will be forwarded to the appropriate search and rescue authorities who will ensure that your beacon gets back to you. If someone attempts to register an beacon reported as stolen, NOAA or your national authority will notify the appropriate police department. Visit
SECTION 3 – RESPONSIBLE USE
The personal locator beacon is a distress signaling device of last resort, for use when all other means of self- rescue have been exhausted; where the situation is grave and imminent, and the loss of life, limb, eyesight or valuable property will occur without assistance. Deliberate misuse may incur a severe penalty.
3.1Prevention of False Alerts
A false alert is any activation of the beacon, intentional or otherwise, that does not result from a situation of grave and imminent danger.
Be sure to do the following:
Register your beacon. This does not reduce false alert rates; however, it does have a dramatic effect on the impact of a false alert. When the beacon is properly registered, the situation can be resolved with a phone call.
Be careful who you leave your beacon with. Make sure that they how to use it, and that they understand the ramifications of causing a false alert. A lot of false alerts are generated by curious individuals. If you notice the beacon is flashing the red or green LED and BEEPING periodically on its own, this likely means it has accidentally been activated and needs to be shut off and reported.
The COSPAS - SARSAT satellites detect distress beacon transmissions immediately. These satellites will locate the transmission within a few minutes of the beacon activation. If you're not in distress, you just generated a false alert.
NOTE: If you report a false alert and the authorities have not received the signal, don’t worry. This may mean the beacon was deactivated before transmitting the signal.
3.2Reporting of False Alerts
A false alert must be reported to the nearest search and rescue authorities. The information reported must include the beacon Unique Identifier Number (UIN), date, time, duration and cause of activation, as well as location of beacon at the time of activation. If the beacon is registered outside of the United States, contact your national authority.
United States Air Force Rescue | Tel: |
Coordination Center (AFRCC) |
|
5 | |
|