Mobile Telephones for Search and Rescue

This is a suggestion that could greatly increase the effectiveness of search and rescue operations. The suggestion was made by letter to Parks Victoria in February 2008 (text slightly modified).

These days most people have mobile phones. Mobile phones are effectively little radio transmitters and receivers, which if able to be used would be most effective for locating lost bush walkers. This has has been illustrated on a number of occasions where lost bush walkers who were still within a mobile phone reception area have talked to police and/or sent a photo of their surrounds to the search and rescue organisation. However currently the mobile phone does not help bush walkers if they are not in an area that is covered by mobile phone reception.

While it would be ideal I understand that that it would not be economically viable to have normal mobile phone reception in all areas where bush walkers like to walk. Therefore my suggestion is that search and rescue organisations obtain / have developed a portable mobile phone reception transmission units ("the unit") which would allow direct contact to mobile telephones outside regular mobile service areas. When a search and rescue situation is required the unit could be brought to an area where the lost bush walkers are which may enable direct communications with the lost bush walkers.

The scenario that I would envisage would be that the bush walker would be reported late returning from their walk by their relatives etc. The family contact would inform the search and rescue organisation of the mobile phone number/s of the bush walkers (or they could be obtained from the carriers). After the appropriate period of time the search could begin. As well as mobilising the search and rescue personnel one of the mobile transmission units could be sent to the general area where the bush walker is. It could be transported in a four wheel drive to a high point in the area and communications attempted. It could be preferable that the mobile unit be mounted in a helicopter which would allow sweeping of vast areas quickly. If the units are cheap enough they could be spread around the state, if expensive they would come from centralised area/s.

I am not a telecommunications expert so the technical feasibility is not known. Areas to be taken account of would be the number of different carriers - the units would need to be able to work with all carriers' mobile phones and their agreement would need to be obtained. There would be no need for the unit to connect with the rest of the network. Also it would be most helpful if the unit had a directional indicator to indicate the direction of the lost bush walker's mobile phone. Some education would need to occur into the bush walker community that this may be available, so they take their phone with them, do not flatten their battery, realise it is not available as a normal phone service and that the service could only become available after they have been missing for a significant period. There would be a number of other details to be worked out. Development costs and protocols could be shared across all States.

It could not replace normal search and rescue in all situations - bush walkers are not always going to take their mobile phones, or they would have flat batteries or they could be injured or separated from their phone or not be aware of the possibility. Some search and rescue "clients" are children or disabled so may not have access to a mobile phone. But if it works it could save days of search and rescue or be the difference between a successful search and an unsuccessful search.

I have received a preliminary response from Parks Victoria. They said that nothing like this was available at present, however the suggestion was not rejected out of hand, they seemed to think it was worth looking at. They said that the Victoria Police was the authority with responsibility for search and rescue in Victoria (I should have known that!) and they would discuss it with that organisation.

I have received a response from police search and rescue (June 2008). They indicated that they already have this technology available. That is great however it surprises me that I have not heard about it previously. There has been a number of occasions when I have been going on a bush walk and have left the mobile phone in the car because the walk wasn't in a mobile reception area. It could have been a costly mistake. I now know better and will endeavour to carry it in the future. I am sure that, like me, the majority of people are unaware of the availability of the technology, including Parks Victoria!. The police (and other authorities) should advertise it more widely so more people will carry their phones when on bush walks (although I can foresee that there may be a problem to ensure bush walkers do not think it is available as a standard phone service). The other issue may be that this type of technology (depending on how it is set up) could be used by police for purposes other than search and rescue - which may bring up privacy issues. Consequently there needs to be rules regarding the appropriate use of the technology.

Update - August 2018

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