Why AirAgri’s Bush Beacon is Different: The Only EPIRB Purpose-Built for Farms

By James Diamond, April 15, 2025

The Problem with One-Size-Fits-All Farm Safety

 

Farm safety is no longer optional—it’s essential. Yet most safety devices on the market today weren’t built for the realities of Australian agriculture. From Apple’s crash detection to Garmin, ZOLEO, and SPOT, most safety solutions were designed for urban use, hikers, or outdoor adventurers—not for farmers working alone in remote paddocks, managing unpredictable risks day in and day out.

Enter AirAgri—a solution that understands that farming is different. Developed by people with deep agricultural roots, AirAgri offers the only bush beacon system designed specifically for agricultural environments. In this article, we explore how AirAgri stands apart from existing market solutions and why it’s the right choice for real farmers facing real risks.

 

Designed for the Farm, Not the Trail

 

Unlike Apple Watch crash detection or ZOLEO satellite communicators, AirAgri isn’t repurposed adventure tech—it’s engineered for the realities of agricultural work. That means:

  • Devices that are lightweight, rugged, and suitable for full-day wear.
  • Interfaces that are simple, no-fuss, and usable with dirty hands, gloves, or in bad weather.
  • Alerts and workflows tailored to how farmers move and operate—not hikers or commuters.

AirAgri isn’t a compromise. It’s a category-defining product.

 

Smart Alerts Built for Agriculture

 

Apple’s crash detection or Garmin’s SOS features offer basic functionality: detect a sudden stop, send a distress call. But agriculture isn’t just about sudden crashes. It’s about context.

AirAgri allows farmers to:

  • Configure who gets notified, how, and when. Want alerts to go to your partner, farm manager, or a rural response unit? You decide.
  • Set active and non-active zones. Heading into a dam area or machinery shed? AirAgri knows that’s a higher-risk zone and responds accordingly.
  • Cancel false alarms. No more panicked calls over a dropped phone or forgotten device. Users can manually terminate alarms when appropriate.
  • Use check-ins and visitor workflows. Contractors, backpackers, family members—AirAgri supports short-term or one-off check-ins without needing personal logins.

This level of nuance doesn’t exist in any other product currently on the market.

 

Farm Context Awareness: Not Just Sensors—Intelligence

 

Most consumer safety devices rely on a single accelerometer. AirAgri goes much further, using a multi-sensor platform with behaviour-based logic and property-specific data.

AirAgri understands:

  • When movement patterns deviate from the norm.
  • When a worker enters a danger zone.
  • When no movement occurs during scheduled work hours.
  • How different terrains and job types affect risk profiles.

This farm-specific intelligence ensures the right people are alerted when it matters most—without false positives or missed events.

 

Not Dependent on Mobile Coverage

 

One of the biggest challenges in agriculture is coverage. While many products—including Apple Watch, Garmin, and SPOT—require either cellular service or Bluetooth pairing, AirAgri works on low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity.

This means:

  • No dead zones. You’re covered anywhere on the property, even beyond the back fence.
  • No phone pairing needed. The device works independently from your mobile or tablet.
  • No reliance on third-party platforms. Your alerts go where they should—not through general-use apps that can delay or drop signals.

 

Privacy-Preserving and Flexible Assignment

 

Most other safety devices are assigned to a single user or require personal logins. This creates challenges for farms with rotating workers, seasonal teams, or family helpers.

AirAgri gives you options:

  • Assign devices to individuals when needed.
  • Allow shared use without login. Ideal for visitors or one-off jobs.
  • Maintain privacy and simplicity. No tracking off-duty, no need to onboard every short-term worker.

This flexible model supports the way farms operate—efficiently and respectfully.

 

History and Insight Before the Incident

 

Unlike crash detection solutions that only capture the moment of impact, AirAgri logs the timeline leading up to an incident. This offers vital insight for:

  • Post-incident reviews.
  • Insurance and WorkSafe reporting.
  • Learning and process improvement.

This proactive documentation makes safety smarter—not just reactive.

 

No Immediate Escalation to Emergency Services

 

A key frustration with Apple and Garmin crash detection is the automatic call to emergency services, even when it’s not required. This clogs up services and creates unnecessary panic.

AirAgri’s escalation path is controlled by you. It can:

  • Alert internal farm personnel first.
  • Allow time to cancel or verify.
  • Only escalate to 000 when truly necessary.

This layered approach respects emergency services and avoids false alarms.

 

SLA-Backed Uptime and Enterprise-Ready Billing

 

AirAgri is designed not just for families, but for enterprise farming operations and government clients. That means:

  • Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that guarantee uptime, response speed, and support quality.
  • Consolidated billing and fleet management for multiple devices across properties.
  • Admin dashboards to track usage, alerts, compliance, and device health.

Other consumer-grade solutions offer no SLA, no billing flexibility, and limited support for multi-user environments.

 

More Than Just SOS: A Full Feature Suite

AirAgri’s bush beacon platform includes:

  • Automated fall detection
  • No-movement alarms
  • Check-in and check-out flows
  • Visitor and contractor registration
  • Weather alerts tied to your actual property
  • Property mapping and asset coordination

No other solution on the market combines these capabilities in one integrated platform.

 

Built by Farmers, for Farmers

At its heart, AirAgri is led by people who know the land. Our founding team includes third-generation farmers, agribusiness professionals, and technologists who understand the daily challenges of life on the land.

That’s why every feature is practical, every button is intentional, and every outcome is focused on one thing: bringing people home safely.

 

Don’t Settle for ‘Close Enough’ Safety

 

The gap between urban-designed safety tech and what farmers truly need is wide. And widening. While other devices were built for trails, roads, or cities, AirAgri is the only bush beacon built for farms—and everything that comes with them.

Whether you’re a family farm, a corporate operation, or a government department overseeing rural teams, AirAgri delivers what others can’t:

  • Safety that adapts to your property.
  • Alerts that are smart, flexible, and respectful.
  • Privacy-preserving, cost-effective deployment.
  • A system of intelligence, not just a sensor.

Choose the system that understands your land as well as you do.

Choose AirAgri.

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