Border Patrol plans 20 emergency beacons south of Tucson to save border-crossers

Arizona Daily Star ^ | 27 May 2003 | Ignacio Ibarra

[JackelopeBreeder]

[Short-lived link; full story tomorrow.]

The Border Patrol plans to install 20 emergency beacon towers in the desert south and southwest of Tucson in a bid to save lives of illegal border-crossers and even drug-traffickers who find themselves in distress.

The beacons — all located about 15 to 30 miles north of the border — will stretch from the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in western Pima County to the area north of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge south of Tucson.

The rescue beacons are similar to six other beacons installed south of Yuma in the Border Patrol's Yuma Sector more than a year ago, said Border Patrol spokesman Roy Villareal, in Washington, D.C., who heads the agency's National Border Safety Initiative.

Those beacons have been credited with the rescue of 26 people in four separate incidents, including the rescue of three U.S. citizens, students working on a class project, who were stranded when their vehicle broke down.

Villareal said the 30-foot tall towers, mounted on a concrete base with a 3-foot-square footprint, could be deployed very quickly once the assessment is completed, and could be in place in time for the hottest part of summer, he said.

Read more about this story in Wednesday's Arizona Daily Star.

[JackelopeBreeder]

These will undoubtedly save a few lives. On the other hand, the coyotes are all celebrating the fact that they will soon have 20 additional navigation beacons to use out there in the tumbleweeds.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Ping!

[DLfromthedesert]

It's a good thing, because with the loss of one trauma center in Tucson, and illegals taking up the one left, that would leave Tucson's trauma victims up a creek.

[cavtrooper21]

GREAT, now not only are we paying for the illegal's health care, we are now providing them with road signs to the heartland. Part of the deterent to crossings was the desert, and now we do this.... What's next, lemonade stands!!

[Nitro]

The story doesn't say what the identifying item is.

Is it FLIR or something else, just visual?

[JackelopeBreeder]

Got that right. I've been an Arizona resident for 32 years and I have always avoided going into the area where these beacons are being placed.

[Irish Eyes]

GREAT, now not only are we paying for the illegal's health care, we are now providing them with road signs to the heartland. Part of the deterent to crossings was the desert, and now we do this.... What's next, lemonade stands!!

Just wait the lemonade stands will be opening in August , that will be when they are really needed.

[liberalnot]

why don't they just build a fence, a road on the north side, and monitor it by air?

then they wouldn't have to respond to the left's guilt trips.

[RLK]

Refreshments will be served.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Flashing beacon. If you're in trouble, just walk up to it and push the alarm button. Your ride will arrive shortly...

[djf]

I guess I don't get this one... Isn't aiding and abetting a felony a felony?

[Carry_Okie]

Villareal said the 30-foot tall towers, mounted on a concrete base with a 3-foot-square footprint, could be deployed very quickly once the assessment is completed, and could be in place in time for the hottest part of summer, he said.

That should be 30-foot tall towers mounted on a concrete base with a 3-foot-square footprint, with adequate food, water, and shelter, all enclosed within a ten-foot chainlink fence with razor wire and a one-way turnstile gate monitored by a live camera...

Walk in the gate and the system makes a phone call.

[Political Junkie Too]

What's next, lemonade stands!!

Wait until they sue for using genetically altered lemons.

-PJ

[Romulus]

On the other hand, the coyotes are all celebrating the fact that they will soon have 20 additional navigation beacons

Any coyote worth his salt can afford a hand-held GPS receiver. These beacons will not only save lives, but may well channel illegals into the hands of Border Patrol agents.

[JackelopeBreeder]

The fence and the road are already there. Aerial surveillance is a sometime thing.

[JackelopeBreeder]

When used as designed, the Border Patrol is the responder. They render aid and then deport them. GPS is nice; mine is top of the line and includes road and topo maps on its display. But at night you really need a visually reference to steer by or you're going to be moving very slowly -- especially in that terrain.

[Mike Darancette]

The Border Patrol plans to install 20 emergency beacon towers in the desert south and southwest of Tucson in a bid to save lives of illegal border-crossers and even drug-traffickers who find themselves in distress.

Creating target rich environments. The smart Coyotes will avoid them like the plague.

If these beacons cause more Mexicans to attempt the crossing in the Summer South of Tucson then they are not doing them any favors.

[liberalnot]

along the w-h-o-l-e arizona border? then, something's really wrong with the border patrol.

california's extends only along the urban area of san diego to the mountains. but the mountains are a formidable obstruction. only the hardy get along.

[tbird1]

There will also be a large neon sign----BUS STOP

[cavtrooper21]

Nah it'll be even worse, they'll sue us for using lemons that are contaminated with pesticides (FROM MEXICO!!!)
NAFTA strikes again...