We have a hand held Recco detector in all of the top shacks at the resort where I patrol. We practice with it periodically but it usually stays in the top shack unless it is required for a search. On the other hand, we are required to wear our beacons, shovel and probe at all times on the mountain and we practice beacon searches almost every day. We can respond most places on the mountain very quickly with beacon searches since every patroller wears one. It would sometimes take longer to get a Recco detector in place for a search. Our patrol is very proficient with beacon searches and Recco searches are more difficult. Recco is useful for finding lost items containing metal and I found a quest's lost GoPro in the POW last season. We removed the Recco reflectors that came in our uniform ski pants since they potentially can interfere with a Recco search and a beacon search will be quicker if we get caught in a slide. Bottom line - beacons are your best bet if you want to be found quickly.