The Canadian Avalanche Centre is warning people not to trust smartphone apps that claim to act as avalanche rescue systems.
In a discussion paper published this October, Dr. James Floyer of the CAC analyzed three 鈥渟martphone avalanche search apps鈥濃�攊Sis Intelligent (Mountain) Rescue System; Sn酶g Avalanche Buddy; and SnoWhere鈥攁nd concluded 鈥渢here are serious concerns and vulnerabilities with a range of important aspects of the technology.鈥�
The apps are designed to help rescuers locate someone buried under an avalanche, using a smartphone鈥檚 wifi and Bluetooth signals.
Floyer said while controlled tests indicate these signals are reliable, he doesn鈥檛 believe that that reliability will hold up in 鈥渓arge-scale, real-world鈥� emergencies.
Wifi and Bluetooth signals, he explained, broadcast at a wavelength of around 12cm, a signal easily blocked by moisture or small objects normally found in avalanche fall.
He also has concerns about a smartphone鈥檚 battery life and its compatibility with other devices.
The globally standard 457 kHz transceiver, by contrast, broadcasts at a 600m wavelength that works well under snow and is compatible across the globe.
Because the apps are so new, very few people have practical experience with them. However, the idea of a smartphone avalanche rescue app seems to set off alarm bells.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know a lot about the new apps, but I do know that I wouldn鈥檛 trust my life to any of them yet,鈥� local avalanche safety expert Max Darrah explained in an email. That鈥檚 a sentiment many in the field seem to share.
Part of the problem, Floyer argued, is that someone using one of these apps could be lulled into a false sense of security.
A casual adventurer without proper training could be more likely to try something they normally wouldn鈥檛 if they believe their phone will protect them in an emergency.
On top of issues surrounding the reliability of the apps, Floyer believes their extra services are more or less useless in real-world rescue situations.
The iSis app, for example, boasts that when it detects an avalanche it immediately sends signals to emergency services and local emergency workers.
The problem, Floyer explained, is those people usually arrive too late.
He explained that avalanche victims have an 80 per cent survival rate if they are rescued within 10 minutes. Wait just five minutes more and that chance drops to only 40 per cent, falling drastically with every passing minute after that.
Since most emergency workers won鈥檛 be able to reach the site of an avalanche within that crucial 10-minute window, such services are of limited benefit, while further contributing to a false sense of security.
Although the CAC came down hard on the apps, Parks Canada visitor safety manager Steve Blake sees some promise.
While he was quick to say he doesn鈥檛 believe the apps replace proper training and the standard transponder, he is encouraged by people trying to innovate in any safety context.
鈥淚n general we encourage innovation: we just have to be careful,鈥� he said.
Trevor Nichols
[email protected]
