Emergency signals

Pyrotechnic flares still widely used but electronic device use is growing

- Casey Conley

Generations of mariners have relied on emergency flares to signal for help and guide rescuers “the last mile” to their location. But advances in electronic signals could one day render pyrotechnic devices obsolete.

There are numerous hand-held strobes, lasers and LED products on the market, and many can be seen for miles from air or water. For now, however, the Weems & Plath SOS Distress Light is the lone product that complies with Coast Guard requirements for nighttime distress signals. In other words, it can replace pyrotechnic flares.

Electronic signals have some distinct advantages over pyrotechnics. They can run for hours, often with off-the-shelf batteries, and unlike flares they don’t need to be replaced every 42 months. Many are waterproof and small enough to fit in a pocket or tie to a personal floatation device. Perhaps best of all, electronic signals don’t involve firing a projectile or holding a flaming torch on a vessel.

These electronic alternatives also have some downsides. Some aren’t especially visible from distance. Even more problematic, not everyone recognizes these lights as emergency signals, said Chris Edmonston, President of the BoatUS Foundation, the nonprofit arm of BoatUS.

“I guarantee electronic signaling devices will be much more prevalent within a decade or so, and now we are in the transition period where we have to do a lot of education about what these electronic signals look like and what they do,” he said in a recent interview.

Starts with notification 

The Coast Guard describes two stages to any emergency situation on land or water. The first is notification, when someone communicates their distress, mostly likely these days using a radio, cellphone or emergency beacon. Next is the locate phase where authorities must find the people who need help.