As a SAR volunteer, do you think use of one-way satellite communicators should be discouraged?

Of course, if you can only afford a one-way device, it would absolutely be better to carry than nothing.

But I would love to see Spot phase out their “press & pray” device and drop the 2-way communicator down to the Spot X’s price point.

If nothing else, folks spending $400+ on UL sleeping bags should have no excuse for not putting down the $100 more needed to get a 2-way rather than 1-way Spot.

If SAR knows “hey I injured my ankle, I have gear to safely camp tonight but will need evac tomorrow” vs “someone here is bleeding out help asap,” that would be a massive benefit for the time and safety of volunteers. Like you describe, SAR can better decide how many volunteers to send, when to send them, and what potentially dangerous situations it would be worth exposing them to.