...and the various beacons...
NOAA encourages people to register their beacons so that they can contact the owner if one goes off. The false alarm rate is significantly reduced by simply making an "Are you sure?" phone call. If the PLB had gone off and if NOAA was unable to contact the owner or next-of-kin, the only thing that would have happened is a waste of the taxpayers' dollars, which, of course, the TSA does every minute of every day.
OT, but, here is one of NOAA's more famous "saves."
“Her signal was detected by an Indian satellite, located by a US satellite, relayed by ground stations in India and Pakistan, and her rescue was undertaken by Australia and France,” said Capt. Mark P. Moran, a NOAA Corps officer. “This is a great example of the international cooperation that has been the hallmark of COSPAS-SARSAT since its inception in 1982.”
