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New Zealand Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) have relied on Tait radios for years, aiding in their operations to locate the lost, missing and injured. When LandSAR encountered unique challenges with remote terrain and specialist emergency management software, Tait engineers stepped up to provide a custom solution.
New Zealand features some beautiful remote terrain. Every year visitors from all over the world enjoy exploring these unique locations, but occasionally a misstep or a wrong turn can put an adventurer in urgent need of search and rescue. LandSAR is the national volunteer organization that assists with search operations in the New Zealand wilderness.
Custom Solutions
Tait has partnered with LandSAR for some time, providing volunteers with rugged portable radios to keep them safe while performing search operations in remote areas. This solution included a custom portable battery charging unit, designed by Tait engineers to support volunteers through long search shifts. LandSAR recently encountered some unique challenges, and reached out to Tait for more customized solutions.
Tait offers Client Specific Development (CSD) solutions to tackle unique challenges. Read more of our CSD stories.
“Field communication is critical to safe operations in this type of environment… It really is a complex and critical function of a search. If we don’t have communication, we’re not going to be successful.” – Matt Ellingham, Equipment and Technology Support Officer, LandSAR
LandSAR relies on specialist emergency management software – SAR Track – allowing search organizers to get a clear visual of where groups are in the field, to better coordinate their response. Tait portable radios report the GPS location of their carrier back to SAR Trak, over their radio network.
LandSAR experienced and issue with that information being transmitted via a third-party radio repeater. Tait was able to promptly respond to this issue. Tait engineers sat down with members of LandSAR to define the requirements for a lightweight, rugged, portable repeater to support search and rescue operations.
“We develop custom solutions for customers, where they need something different from standard products.” – Hugh Mathieson, Senior Design Engineer, Tait Communications
This lead to specific features like improved battery indication, giving volunteers confidence that their equipment was ready for a long shift. A single display on the unit was used, to make use as simple as possible.
Results in the Field
Thanks to these custom solutions, LandSAR can communicate effectively with the agencies they cooperate with on search, like Police and aircraft. Search teams can be confident that their GPS data is being polled and visible in SAR Track, making every search operation more safe and effective.
These customizations are made possible through Tait products being flexible by design, and our highly experienced engineers willingness to listen to customer needs, and deliver tailored solutions.
Read our full LandSAR Client Story for to learn how LandSAR ensure safe operations, enabled by effective communication solutions customized by Tait to suit LandSAR’s remote area operations.
