Bush Search and Rescue Victoria

BSAR is currently developing and testing a system of automated telephony to supplement existing callout systems.

-          the growing practice of members turning off mobiles at night

-          the relative unobtrusiveness of a typical sms tone

-          the time taken to contact members with a landline call by telephone tree, this delay being more problematic as Police more frequently call BSAR at short notice.

This new system will allow a PLO to ring the ‘main’ telephone number of each searcher as a way of starting the callout. The ‘main’ number will be the home landline or, where there is no landline, the member’s mobile.

When automated telephony is employed, all recipients will receive a recording or electronic voice message simultaneously. This means that the system can’t be permitted to take responses. The PLO simply couldn’t handle the traffic. We expect that the system will be used simply to bring the callout to searcher’s attention at the time of night when mobiles are often switched off and when those who have mobiles on won’t necessarily be woken by the short tone of a text message.

Typically, the message will alert the recipient to the primary method being used to run the callout. This might be the use of an SMS message to which the member will be asked to respond. The automated telephone call may also explain alternative means to respond to the callout eg by checking email or the website.

It is not anticipated that this system will be used in conjunction with the club callout system on any given occasion as this would require waking the household twice.

Also it is not anticipated that this system will be used on every occasion and it is not likely to be used in the daytime or early evening.

Early alerts will continue to be made by text message and possibly email.