ACR PRESS RELEASE:
Nichole Kalil, Media Specialist at ACR Electronics
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 1, 2016
ACR Electronics, a Drew Marine company, reminds Florida boaters with proof of a *properly registered 406 MHz emergency beacon that under FL House Bill (HB) 427 they are now eligible for a discount off of their annual DMV boater registration. Governor Rick Scott signed CS/HB 427 this past spring. Discounts vary depending on the size of the owner’s vessel.
Mother Carly Black and father Blu Stephanos committed to remembering their son Austin by promoting safe boating through education and by making maritime emergency technology as accessible as possible. Austin’s parents’ first major milestone was getting legislators to approve the above mentioned discount for boaters. These efforts are being made possible through their establishment of the AustinBlu Foundation of which ACR Electronics is the founding sponsor.
There was a time when high prices were an excuse not to equip a boat with a beacon, but now 406 MHz emergency beacons, such as EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons), are priced as low as $380 and Personal Locator Beacons can be priced as low as $269. Both types of beacons offer users the security of a direct link to search and rescue personnel by providing them the user’s exact coordinates for the most efficient rescue possible. For more information on ACR Electronics’ beacons and other safety equipment, go to https://www.acrartex.com
As of now, the beacon discount under FL HB 27 is only eligible in Florida and it has only passed for one legislation year. If you want to see this discount continue or establish one in your own state, while also sharing ideas on how to mainstream boater’s safety technology, please contact your House Representative and share your interest.
*To properly register a beacon, one must go to NOAA’s beacon registration site and fill out all the requested fields in relation to the owner’s beacon, boat and emergency contacts.
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ABOUT ACR ELECTRONICS, INC.:
For the past 60 years ACR Electronics, Inc. a Drew Marine Company has been designing and manufacturing a complete line of safety and survival products. Available products include Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), ARTEX Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs), Search and Rescue Transponders (SARTs), Strobe Lights, Life Jacket Lights, Boat Search Lights, and other associated safety accessories. ACR’s facility Quality Management System (QMS) is certified by TUV USA and is certified in accordance with AS9100C / ISO 9001:2008 standards. Additionally ACR maintains FAA Part 145 Repair Station Certification status. Recognized as the world’s leader in safety and survival technologies, ACR has provided safety equipment to the marine, outdoor and aviation industries as well as to various worldwide government agencies since the late 1950’s.
