[wf3h]

Press Release

Contact: Ed Sweeney DC-A
Chief-Department of Public Affairs
916-284-8507




COAST GUARD AUXILIARY REMINDS BOATERS ABOUT NEW RULES FOR EMERGENCY
BEACONS

Boaters Must Not Operate 121.5/243 MHZ Emergency Position Indicating
Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) after December 31, 2006

WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard Auxiliary is joining with the United
States Coast Guard to remind all boaters that beginning January 1,
2007, both 121.5 and 243 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio
Beacons (EPIRBs) are prohibited from use in both commercial and
recreational watercraft. Boaters wishing to have an emergency rescue
beacon aboard their vessel must have a digital 406 MHz model.

The January 1, 2007, date to stop using 121.5 MHz EPIRBs is in
preparation for February 1, 2009, when satellite processing of distress
signals from all 121.5/243 MHz beacons will terminate. Following this
termination date, only the 406 MHz beacons will be detected by the
International Cospas-Sarsat Satellite System which provides distress
alert and location data for search and rescue operations around the
world.

The regulation applies to all Class A, B, and S 121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs.
It does not affect 121.5/243 MHz man overboard devices which are
designed to work directly with a base alerting unit only and not with
the satellite system.

This change, in large part, was brought about by the unreliability of
the 121.5/243 MHz beacons in an emergency situation. Data reveals that
with a 121.5 MHz beacon, only one alert out of every 50 is a genuine
distress situation. This has a significant effect on expending the
limited resources of search and rescue personnel and platforms. With
406 MHz beacons, false alerts have been reduced significantly, and,
when properly registered, can usually be resolved with a telephone call
to the beacon owner. Consequently, real alerts can receive the
attention they deserve.

When a 406 MHz beacon signal is received, search and rescue personnel
can retrieve information from a registration database. This includes
the beacon owner's contact information, emergency contact information,
and vessel/aircraft identifying characteristics. Having this
information allows the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary, or other
rescue personnel, to respond appropriately.

In the U.S., users are required by law to directly register their
beacon in the U.S. 406 MHz Beacon Registration Database at:
http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/ or by calling 1-888-212-SAVE.
Other users can register their beacon in their country's national
beacon registration database or, if no national database is available,
in the International Beacon Registration Database at
https://www.406registration.com/.

The United States Coast Guard is the lead agency for coordinating
national maritime search and rescue policy and is responsible for
providing search and rescue services on, under and over assigned
international waters and waters subject to United States jurisdiction.

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The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed,
non-military volunteer's who assist the Coast Guard in all of its
varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement. These
men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the air, in
classrooms and on the dock, performing Maritime Domain Awareness
patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public education.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act
of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the
Auxiliary in 1941. Its 30,000 members donate millions of hours annually
in support of Coast Guard missions.

For more information on the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, visit
us at www.cgaux.org or www.axupa.org .