GME partners with survival expert to launch new outdoor rescue awareness campaign

November 18, 2024

With a worrying gap having been identified in Australia’s emergency rescue education, Australia’s leading communications and safety brand, GME has partnered with leading survival expert and instructor, Michael Atkinson (aka Outback Mike) to launch the inaugural National Rescue Awareness Week.

GME, a family-owned 100% Australian private company, is an industry leader in the RF communication technology space.

Raising awareness of the importance of proper safety and communication in the great outdoors, National Rescue Awareness Week brings together 65 years of expertise in helping Australians be better prepared and safe while exploring outdoors - both on land and out at sea.

The initiative follows the release of new research revealing the country’s knowledge of proper travel safety is dangerously low. The data from GME shows that less than half of the nation (only 41%) would know what to do if they found themselves lost while travelling the great outdoors.

With eight out of 10 Australians looking to tap into their sense of adventure, less than half of the nation (49%) would know how to contact someone without phone service – leaving us at risk in the thousands of mobile phone blackspots across Australia.

Additionally, Australians lack knowledge of basic survival tactics. Just 36% of Australians know how to find north without a compass, less than a third (31%) can find a drinkable water source and only a quarter (25%) can build a fire without matches or a lighter.

According to solo adventurist, survival expert and filmmaker, Michael Atkinson (aka Outback Mike) having the right gear and know-how is crucial when it comes to exploring the Australian outback or coastline and notes “Australians have a strong sense of adventure. We love to explore but there’s a common misconception that as long as we’re exploring close to home, we’re safe.

“Understanding basic survival principles is vital whether you’re exploring on land or sea. Planning your route, carrying the right gear – like a GME personal locator beacon (PLB) or Emergency

Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and staying calm in an emergency, can be the difference between making it home or not.

“Having an emergency beacon takes the SEARCH out of SEARCH AND RESCUE. They allow rescue authorities to send assets to your exact location with minimal delay. This greatly improves your chance of survival and quick rescue”

“Technology has made outback travel much safer. In an emergency, you can literally be saved from anywhere at the press of a button. But, you must have the right equipment with you.”

Giving Australians the tools they need to explore safely, GME and Atkinson have come together to create a survival preparation guide featuring four key steps to safe travel.

Tony Crooke, Safety Expert at GME advised "we regularly hear stories of people who find themselves in emergencies simply because they failed to prepare adequately. Whether venturing off-road or heading out to sea, having the correct safety equipment and understanding basic survival techniques are crucial.

"When it comes to survival skills, there’s no one more experienced than Mike. From his time in the Airforce to his solo journey up the Great Barrier Reef in a dugout canoe, his love for the outdoors aligns perfectly with ours, making him the ideal partner for this campaign."

"Through National Rescue Awareness Week, we aim to equip Australians with the essential skills and knowledge needed to handle emergencies effectively and safely."

For the full outdoor survival guide

For more information on GME’s full range of safety technology

Image. Credit: GME

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