The US Coast Guard has publicly released two studies completed by the USCG Research & Development Center as related to Enhanced Person in the Water (ePIW) Detection location devices and daytime distress signal devices.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
The studies recommend to increase public awareness on the fact that generally accepted distress signals, when used in combination, both electronic and visual, may yield more reliable results than any one signal.
Using a visual distress signal in conjunction with electronic devices can greatly enhance a rescuer’s ability to get “eyes on the target” for a final approach,
…USCG said.
The recommendations from these studies have not yet affected current regulations or requirements for any vessel, but the Coast Guard is looking at new technologies for use in search and rescue situations.
More specifically, the ePIW project highlighted the persistent challenge of the Search and Rescue mission to find a person floating in open water, waiting for rescue. Ideas for enhancements to existing basic lifejackets that could improve detection were crowd-sourced and then filtered down to a few for development of a prototype for an on-the-water demonstration. The field demonstration showed interesting ideas, but none are currently USCG Approved equipment. In cooperation with DHS S&T Innovation, this research supported developing new technology which could be brought to market at a later time.
Meanwhile, the Daytime Distress Signals project compared several currently accepted daytime distress signals, including smoke, distress flag, and the 500 candela flare, with an electronic visual distress signal currently accepted as meeting the recreational vessel carriage requirement for a nighttime distress signal.
Daytime Distress Signals – Recommendations
Stakeholders and regulators should consider basing the need for effective daytime distress signals on functional requirements. If the goal is effective distress alerting, one signal may not suffice for expected illuminance conditions that vary from dawn to dusk, under cloudy skies or in clear conditions.
In the age of electronics, with relatively inexpensive personal beacons, cellphones, and digital selective calling radios (including handheld models), a policy council, with input from the National Boating Safety Advisory Council and National Association of State Boating Law Administrators could incorporate this as a topic for near-term discussions on distress signals.
RDC recommends stakeholders use these results to increase public and responder awareness that generally accepted distress signals when used in combination, both electronic and visual, could yield more-predictable results.
Explore more by reading the whole reports herebelow:
