Originally Posted By: Bee
... I learned to love brevity.

Can I state some points of position as painfully extracted from the discourse?

Thank you for the summary. I hope discussing them will clarify people's positions.

1. dbd: Yes
2. dbd: All devices are subject to signal, battery and casualty limitations.

3. A perceived view is that "Cancellation" of 911 via SPOT is enough to consider the case closed on the emergency call out.
dbd: I would say that 3 may be perceived as true but is not an adequate response. See 3 below.

4. Sat phone & cell would require a form of secondary communication if no signal was attained.
dbd: Do you mean to make or to cancel a 911 call? No signal means that no call is made.

QUERIES ARISING FROM ABOVE PREMISE

1. IS a cancellation of 911 via SPOT enough effort to carry on without further effort to contact SAR?
dbd: I would say no. What do published sheriff and SAR group rules say?

2. IS contact with an outgoing group of hikers enough effort to consider case closed?
dbd: I don't know. How would you determine how highly the SAR agency would evaluate the capability of the outgoing group? Who would they trust? I think that's their call. What do published sheriff and SAR group rules say?

3. IN ALL CASES is direct contact a mandate, or at the very least an expected courtesy?
dbd: I would say yes. I've seen people try to use the phone to cancel a phone call 911. I've never seen the authorities allow the effort to succeed without some kind of personal outside contact. And I think that is the right policy. What do published sheriff and SAR group rules say?

4. MUST direct contact be made immediately as numero uno priority once the emergency has passed, or is "as soon as possible/convenient" (after cancelling via "button" or word of mouth) when you hit the end of the JMT? (and the emergency was in Happy Isles)
dbd: I would say at best safe cruising speed by best safe route. That's a lot of wiggle room, I think: don't kill yourself and don't take side trips to sight see. (SAR folks try not to kill themselves too, but they don't always succeed.)

Dale B. Dalrymple