Categories: McMurdo

McMurdo: Shaping the Future of Search and Rescue

New Product Family

The promises of innovation and technology go hand in hand and nowhere is that more important than in the field of search and rescue (SAR). The establishment of an international Cospas-Sarsat organisation to coordinate search and rescue operations on the dedicated 406MHz frequency has saved over 40,000 lives since 1982. Where next for Search and Rescue…?

McMurdo is helping shape that future with the imminent release of the world’s most powerful search and rescue beacons. The new McMurdo SmartFind G8 and Kannad SafePro family of EPIRBs continue McMurdo’s heritage of driving standards in safety and innovation through the convergence of technologies.

MEOSAR

In the next few years the world of search and rescue will be revolutionised with MEOSAR, a network of 72 – Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue satellites that will accelerate rescue times and ultimately save even more lives. The existing Cospas-Sarsat SAR ecosystem will have enhanced capabilities, offering near instantaneous signal detection with greater coverage, reliability and location accuracy.

McMurdo’s new family of McMurdo SmartFind and Kannad SafePro EPIRBs are MEOSAR compatible, ready to offer faster detection and more accurate location by working with the EOC (Early Operation Capability) MEOSAR Satellite Ground Stations, Mission Control Centres and Rescue Coordination Centres, like those designed and installed by McMurdo in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

The Future is Here

With our commitment to improving search and rescue through innovation, the McMurdo SmartFind and Kannad SafePro EPIRB product family brings advanced technology to create an even safer future. In addition to being MEOSAR compatible, these EPIRBs improve the critical components of the search and rescue process: Alert, Locate and Track for a successful Recovery.

The World’s First Four Frequency EPIRBs

The McMurdo SmartFind G8 AIS and the Kannad SafePro AIS are the world’s first EPIRBs to include 406MHz, 121.5MHz, AIS and GNSS (better known as GPS) to accelerate search and rescue.

The unique power of these new beacons is in the flexibility and additional tracking capabilities long demanded by maritime customers. This will further reduce rescue times by combining the global location power of 406MHz with the localised rescue capacities of AIS, first introduced to the world in McMurdo’s AIS MOB range.

Multi-GNSS Receiver

The new range also offers greater location accuracy by including multiple GNSS receivers, meaning the EPIRBs will receive GNSS (more generally known by the brand name GPS) from more than one source of satellite frequency, increasing the speed and accuracy of locating your position on the water.

Unique Products from a Unique Company

Only McMurdo beacons offer this gold standard EPIRB range based on our unique contribution to the Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue ecosystem. McMurdo is the world’s only beacon manufacturer to provide an end-to-end search and rescue solution, from the distress beacons to Satellite Ground Stations, Mission Control Centres and Rescue Coordination Centres that facilitate rescues.

Innovative Features and Service

McMurdo SmartFind and Kannad SafePro EPIRBs include innovation as standard with ruggedized base, easy service battery and compliance with the new United States emergency hands free transport mandate. The additional false activation protection, multiple self-tests and professional safety checks also offer total user confidence.

Coupled with an unparalleled marine heritage, commitment to quality and a history of innovation, customers know they can trust us to help bring the future of search and rescue to life.

The World’s Most Powerful EPIRBs

The new McMurdo SmartFind G8 AIS and Kannad SafePro AIS beacons offer Accelerated Rescue via:

Four search and rescue frequencies
Greater location accuracy
Faster alert detection
Combined Global Alerting - 406 MHz with the localised recovery power of AIS
The only EPIRB manufacturer that also builds and supports the Cospas-Sarsat ecosystem infrastructure
The only EPIRB manufacturer making MEOSAR a reality.