Distress and Emergency Notification Options

Overview

When the emergency (distress/SOS) function is activated on a TracPlus device, what happens next depends on the emergency behaviour setting chosen for your organisation: Guardian Alert (monitored by TracPlus staff, recommended) or Notify Only (your own contacts handle the response).

This article explains how the emergency process works end to end: who monitors it, how an emergency is triggered, exactly what happens under each option, what your emergency contacts should do, how to cancel or test an emergency, and our false-alarm policy. It is written for account administrators, operations and safety managers, pilots and crew, and anyone listed as an emergency (ICE, “In Case of Emergency”) contact.

At a glance

• Whichever option you choose, emergency messages are always visible in the TracPlus software and apps (TracPlus Cloud and mobile apps).
• Guardian Alert: TracPlus on-call staff are alerted alongside your contacts, phone your contacts, and escalate to the local Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) if needed.
• Notify Only: only your nominated contacts are alerted, with reminders every 5 minutes until someone accepts the incident. TracPlus staff are never notified.
• False emergencies escalated to TracPlus Support may incur a US$50 charge for repeat or persistent cases. Testing by prior arrangement is free and encouraged.

How an emergency is triggered

An emergency event starts when a TracPlus device sends a distress message to the TracPlus servers. This can happen in two ways:

• Manual distress activation: a pilot, crew member or field worker presses the emergency/SOS switch or button on the device.
• Automatic (impact-triggered) activation: on supported devices, a high-G impact event automatically sends a distress message, even if nobody is able to press the button. This only works when the device is configured with the recommended impact settings.

Once the message reaches our servers, the event appears on the Active Incidents view in TracPlus Cloud with the asset’s last known position, speed, heading and time, and the emergency behaviour configured for that asset takes over.

Guardian Alert: what happens step by step

If the emergency switch has been activated:

1. Alert received. An emergency message arrives at the TracPlus servers and automatically notifies our on-call staff and the customer’s nominated emergency contacts by text and email.
2. On-call staff accept the alert. The primary on-call responder acknowledges the alert. If it is not acknowledged within 5 minutes, it automatically escalates to the secondary on-call responder, so there is always a person on it.
3. Information gathered. The responder reviews the incident in TracPlus Cloud: alert type (manual or automatic), asset and device, last known location, speed, heading and time.
4. Your contacts are called. Our call centre staff call the customer’s nominated contacts to ensure they are aware of the emergency, advise them of location, speed, heading, and other relevant information upon request, and give the client the option to handle the emergency. Each contact is tried up to 3 times before moving to the next contact on the list, and the list is cycled until someone is reached.
5. You decide how to proceed. Your contact can confirm it is a false alarm, choose to manage the response themselves, or ask TracPlus to escalate to the local Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC).
6. Escalation to the RCC when needed. If we cannot establish contact with the customer’s emergency contacts (after multiple attempts), or they are panicked/flustered, or don’t know what to do, and it’s a genuine emergency, TracPlus support will call their local Rescue Coordination Centre. Where possible, we first confirm the details with your contact and get consent to share their details with the RCC.
7. The RCC takes over. The local Rescue Coordination Centre will then handle it. We pass on the incident details (precise coordinates, nature of the alert and other relevant data), record who we spoke to, and report back to your contact.
8. Check-in. We follow up with your contact, typically 1–2 hours after handover to the RCC (adjusted to the severity of the event), without getting in the way of the rescue.
9. Closure and review. The alert is closed by your team or by TracPlus at your request. For genuine incidents, we prepare an incident report and can run a critical incident review with you in the following days.

What our first call sounds like: “Hello, this is [name] calling from TracPlus. We’ve received a distress alert from [asset/device]. Are you aware of this alert?” Save the TracPlus Support number in your phone so you recognise the call.

Notify Only: what happens step by step

If the emergency switch has been activated:

1. Alert received. An emergency message arrives at the TracPlus servers and automatically notifies the customer’s nominated emergency contacts by text message and email.
2. Accept the incident. One of your contacts should respond to confirm they have accepted the incident and are handling the situation.
3. Reminders every 5 minutes. If the customer does not respond to the message that they have accepted the incident and are handling the situation within 5 minutes, they will be continually sent reminders every 5 minutes (unless the device has sent an emergency cancel message).
4. You manage the response. Our call centre staff will never be notified, and it is completely in the client’s hands to handle their own emergencies and call their local Rescue Coordination Centre.

Important: With Notify Only, nobody at TracPlus will act on the alert. Make sure your contacts are reachable 24/7, know how to accept an incident, and have your local RCC and emergency numbers ready. You can find RCC contact details at sarcontacts.info.

If you are an emergency contact: what to do

When you receive an emergency text or email, act on it straight away and assume it is real until confirmed otherwise.

1. Check the alert details in the message and in TracPlus Cloud or the app: asset, time, last position, speed and heading.
2. Try to reach the crew or person using your usual channels (phone, radio, satellite messaging).
3. Accept the incident so others know it is being handled (required under Notify Only to stop the 5-minute reminders).
4. Answer the TracPlus call (Guardian Alert). Tell us whether it is a false alarm, whether you will manage the response, or whether you want us to escalate to the RCC.
5. If it is genuine and you are managing it, contact the local Rescue Coordination Centre or emergency services with the position and details.
6. If it is a false alarm, cancel the emergency on the device where possible and let TracPlus Support know so the alert can be closed.

Have this to hand when speaking to TracPlus or an RCC: the aircraft/vessel/vehicle registration or call sign, persons on board, intended route and destination, and any recent communication with the crew.

Setting up for success: emergency contacts and readiness

The emergency process is only as good as the contact details behind it. Emergency contacts are managed in TracPlus Cloud using Contact Groups.

• Contact Groups let you group phone, SMS and email contacts and assign the group to one or many assets at once. Updating a group updates every asset it is assigned to.
• Default Contact Group: every organisation has one. It is used whenever an asset has an emergency but does not have enough emergency contacts assigned, so there is always someone to notify. Keep it current.
• Per-asset control: assets that need different emergency contacts can have their own Contact Group.

Cancelling, testing and false alarms

Cancelling an emergency

If the emergency was triggered by mistake, cancel it on the device where your device supports it. An emergency cancel message stops further notifications and reminders. Under Guardian Alert, also answer our call or contact TracPlus Support so we can confirm everyone is safe and close the alert. Never assume a cancel means all is well if you cannot reach the crew.

Testing the emergency function

We encourage clients to arrange an appropriate time to test the emergency function and behaviour by prior arrangement. Contact TracPlus Support with the asset, device and planned time, and we will confirm the test window. A planned test is a great way to check that contacts receive alerts, that numbers are correct, and that your team knows the process.

Disclaimer: false emergency charge

We have a US$50 charge for false emergencies escalated to TracPlus Support. We are VERY flexible, understanding and forgiving, and it is very rare for us to charge clients for a false emergency. However, repeat or persistent offenders will be charged US$50 per false emergency event escalated to TP Support. We encourage clients to arrange an appropriate time to test the emergency function and behaviour by prior arrangement.

Common causes of false alarms include the SOS switch being knocked during maintenance or in the hangar, devices being moved without the switch guard in place, and tests run without telling us first.