amateurs getting in trouble in the wilderness, has been an every increasing problem, the more society encroaches in to these areas, the easier people think it is to explore or hike. In Arizona where you go from open desert to treacherous mountains, and canyons with just a short time, it's something we deal with on a regular basis. Inside the Phoenix city limits there are 2 popular hiking trails that commonly make the news for rescues, Squaw Peak, and Camelback mountain. At Squaw peak the most common occurrence is the out of condition people or poor planners that think it's an easy hike, They either think it will only take them a couple hours to do, or they try to do it with just one small water bottle. Camelback mountain is just flat out cursed with inexperienced people try to get to the top, you need good shoes, water and be able to climb.
and those are the public maintained parks.
Once in to the wilderness your in a whole new game. Trails aren't as nicely laid out, no guards rails around the cliff edges and the adubant wildlife(some not so friendly), and the inexperienced just love to venture in to these areas and get in trouble.
These 911 devices can be a bane or a boon depending on their use, and false and frivolous triggering should be dealt with harshly, criminal charges, and mobilization costs.
These penalties should be very clearly labeled on the device, and the triggering should require a 2 step process. Granted they're still denying Darwin his tribute.
Since I'm what a great many people would call an outdoors man, I've never had a need for one of these. Yes, I do own one, at my wife's insistence for when I'm solo =hunting(very rare). I have a friend who is avid wilderness hiker and writer (
Shameless Plug)
and one these saved his but when he went down an unexpected ravine.