Wellington Wander Search Trust has continued to deploy pendants (beacons) to users in the Wellington area. So far they are all in the northern suburbs of Wellington, but the list of candidates is growing.
Wellington Wander Search has reported that they are keen to expand tracking equipment to Porirua, the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa, if funding and local support is found. The Trustees are looking to recruit AREC members with good links to their local LandSAR groups to initiate Wander Search in those areas.
In the Wellington area a number of training session have been held and more are planned. These have included the Police SAR Squad, and members of Wellington LandSAR. As more pendants are in use, the chance of a search increases, and the need for a quick response becomes critical.
Ray ZL2REES has been working to integrate the pendant details into the Police systems, so when a person is reported missing they are known to be wearing a pendant and the details searchers will need (including frequency and home address). This will enable the Police to call on the best available searchers and be effective at anytime. The Trust is working to gain more funding for trackers and to be able to assist families to get a pendant for a family member when the cost may be an issue.
Contact John ZL2HD, or Ray ZL2REES if you would like to know more. Or, you can contact Wellington Wander Search via the contact form on the Wellington VHF Group Inc website at vhf.nz/contact with Wander Search in the subject.