The Canadian Beacon Registry
The Canadian Beacon Registry (CBR) is a free service for owners of Canadian coded 406 megahertz (MHz) distress beacons to register important information that will help responders find them more quickly in an emergency. It is part of the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme, a satellite-based distress-alerting system.
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When a registered 406 MHz locator beacon is activated, a signal is sent to a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) managed by Cospas-Sarsat. The GNSS then sends the beacon information and location to the local rescue alert satellite, which notifies the local rescue centre.
In Canada, the receiving rescue centre is a combination of the Canadian Mission Control Centre (CMCC), Joint Rescue Coordination Centres (JRCCs) and Marine Rescue Sub-Centres (MRSCs). The CBR is part of the CMCC.
When a beacon is registered, the CBR can provide additional information to search and rescue authorities to facilitate a rescue mission, such as the beacon owner name, contact information and emergency contacts.