The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says its Nigeria Mission Control Centre (NIMCC) received a total of 151 false beacon emergency satellite alerts throughout the country in 2024.
The Agency’s NIMCC centre lamented that it was unfortunate that all its total 151 beacon emergency satellite alert received by
NIMCC in 2024 were all false alerts; thus, wasting manpower and logistics spent by emergency response centres to track the alerts.
The Director of Search and Rescue Department of NEMA, Air Commodore Kenneth Oyong, in an adress on Wednesday in Enugu during a Sensitisation and Awareness Campaign/Training for COSPAS-SARSAT Beacon Users in Nigeria, noted the need for greater responsible usage of beacons.
Represented by the Director of NEMA South-East, Mr Wilson Brandon, Oyong appreciated the Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, for granting approval for the conduct of the vital training programme.
According to him, the Director General of NEMA’s visionary leadership and unwavering support for enhancement of our capabilities in the Search and Rescue Department in NEMA has been a source of inspiration to us all.
He said, “As we gather here today, I want to emphasise the critical importance of safety at sea, in the air, and on land.
“The COSPAS-SARSAT (Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking) system is a vital component of our national safety infrastructure, providing distress alert services to those in need.
“However, the effectiveness of this system relies on the proper use and understanding of COSPAS-SARSAT beacons by users.
“This is why we are here today to sensitise beacon users on the proper deployment, operation and maintenance of these life-saving devices. Our campaign aims to reach all beacon users in Nigeria, including maritime, aviation and land-based users.”
The director said that the training would cover topics such as: “The Overview of COSPAS-SARSAT System”; “The Importance of COSPAS-SARSAT Beacons in Emergency Situations; and Proper Installation, Testing, and Maintenance of Beacons.”
He notes that other topics to be treated in the training would be “Understanding False Alerts and How to Prevent Them”; and “Best Practices for Beacon Use and Emergency Procedures.”
The Head of Mission Control Centre, Commander Ademola Oriyomi, noted that the training was meant to get stakeholders to use the beacon responsibly.
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Oriyomi noted that the responsible and effective use of beacon would enhance effectiveness of national search and rescue operations.
“We want to ensure that NEMA carrys all stakeholders using beacon technology along and achieve zero-false beacon alerts/calls moving ahead,” he said.
The commander noted that beacon technology experts would share their thoughts, insights and experiences on various topics and thereafter, there would be an interactive session to encourage collaboration among participants and among NEMA-NIMCC officials.
During the training, Mr Salami Abdullahi lectured on: “Prevalence of False Alerts in Nigeria and its Implications; while Mr A.O. Ayorinde lectured on: “Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) Beacon Handling, Maintenance and Coding Method among others.
The participants at the training were drawn from National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA); the Nigerian Air-Force, FRSC, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, private/commercial airline officials and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) among others.
The training is themed: “Keeping Abreast with Emerging Technology”.
