RCMP to outdoor enthusiasts: call your mom
Police conducted 5 unnecessary search-and-rescue operations this year because of bad communication
The Northwest Territories RCMP is issuing a plea to outdoorsy types: charge your phone.
So far this year, 27 search and rescue "events" have been conducted in the territory, according to police spokesperson Marie York-Condon. Five of these efforts have been false alarms, resulting in huge costs to the police force and needless hours spent searching by volunteers and local communities.
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Sgt. Christina Wilkins, Northwest Territories RCMP emergency management and planning co-ordinator, says the main reason for these unnecessary search and rescue attempts is a breakdown in communication between people outdoors and whoever is at home.
'People start panicking'
"You could have a group of paddlers going out for example and advising loved ones ... that they're going to check in at a given time. When they end up not checking in then people start panicking," she said.
"That's when they start calling the RCMP and other agencies to help out because this person is now considered unaccounted for — and may very well be missing, lost, or require some urgent aid."
In a news release, the RCMP said people who are in the wilderness can prevent these unnecessary rescue efforts by researching and choosing the best communication device for their trip — whether it be a GPS tracker, a satellite phone, a mobile phone, or other device and making sure they know how to use it.
The police force also suggested outdoor buffs create and follow a regular schedule for checking in with loved ones, communicate a trip plan before leaving, and make sure their device is "charged, activated and receiving a signal."