You may have taken yourself on a trip off the beaten track and witnessed your cell phone coverage disappear.
Maybe you go on a trip and think it’s not so important if you run out of energy, because you don’t want to cover up anyway.
Forget this, because a cell phone without coverage can be the thing that saves your life.
Not everyone probably knows that rescue crews in the 330th Squadron have access to technology that allows them to find you, as long as your mobile phone is on.
– I would say it was a “game changer” when he arrived, says Commander Erling Groening in the hangar at Bodø.
Help: Commander Erling Groening of the 330th Squadron in Bodø says technological advances are constantly giving them new opportunities to find people. Image: reserved/November Film/TV2
This is how it works
The 330th Squadron is in Bodø’s new rescue helicopter, the SAR-Queen, ready for takeoff in the event of an accident.
These new helicopters come with technology that allows them to use the signal from your mobile phone to find you.
Every cell phone has the option to turn it into an emergency beacon, says Groening.
He says they gained access to the equipment in Bodo just before the new year, but the mobile phone system has been in use elsewhere in the country for the past two years.
This technology comes in handy now that many of the country’s residents are out on Mount Easter.
– Have you saved many lives with this system yet?
– Yes, many tasks are now being solved with mobile bearings. We can find people incredibly quickly, and provide help before it’s too late. The captain says this saves a lot of resources.
New: The new Sar Queen helicopter has replaced many of the older Sea King models. Photo: Stein Roar Leite/TV 2
top of the season
Easter is the peak season for mountain-loving people, and more and more people embark on summit tours.
This year, Easter got off to a tragic start, when four people lost their lives in three different avalanches before the holiday weekend.
The Red Cross has reported a record number of missions so far this Easter, and at the same time warns against embarking on excursions into the open.
Should the accident still occur, your mobile phone can save your life.
– Lars Oven-Petersen, who also works at the rescue base in Bodø, says time has a lot to say when it comes to saving lives.
Equipment: Lars Oven Pettersen at the rescue base in Bodø shows off equipment that can save lives. Here he carries a transmitter/receiver that he believes all mountain dwellers should know. Photo: Run Gyllander Eide/TV 2
Tip of the iceberg
The Air Force has purchased 16 Sar Queen helicopters, with an option to acquire six more if the need arises.
– We’ve only seen the surface of what this helicopter can offer, says Rolf Voland, chief of the Norwegian Air Force.
– It is a helicopter full of technology and capabilities, which can also be used for crisis and potential war support, says Volland.
Good use: Major General Rolf Voland of the Air Force says they have bought a helicopter of the future. Photo: Gorm Røseth/TV 2
Helicopters are already on hand in the rescue work.
Instead of looking for the needle in the haystack, find people directly. It is of great importance. The time saved is the life saved.
Now he encourages everyone to enjoy Easter Monday and Easter, but asks everyone to take precautions.
Bring your mobile phone, keep it on and bring extra portable power in the form of a battery pack so we can look for you if the accident is over.
Use your head
Commander Groening also comes up with a final piece of encouragement for the people in the mountains.
It is not the case that mobile tracking equipment is a guarantee of saving lives.
– We still want people to follow the weather rules in the mountains and take care of themselves. If you don’t report your destination, no one will report you missing. We don’t sit back and watch everyone, so normal mountain weather is important, he says.
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