Search and rescue

Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.^[1]

History

One of the world's earliest well documented SAR efforts ensued following the 1656 wreck of the Dutch merchant ship Vergulde Draeck off the coast of Australia. Survivors sent for help, and in response three separate SAR missions were conducted, without success.^[2]

Types of Search and Rescue

Mountain Rescue

Mountain Rescue relates to search and rescue operations specifically in rugged terrain such as mountains, desert and forest. Also referred to as wilderness search and rescue which includes areas such as sea, lakes, rivers or caves.

Urban search and rescue

Urban search and rescue (Also known as Suburban Search and Rescue as USAR Teams often relates to structural collapses and other technical rescue) operations are Search and Rescue operations conducted in a city.

Combat Search and Rescue

Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) is a function of special military units during wartime. CSAR consists of operations carried out to retrieve, rescue and provide assistance to downed aircrews or allies behind enemy lines.

Air Sea Rescue

Air Sea Rescue (ASR) specifically can refer to both the use of aircraft to search for and locate or recover personnel lost at sea and the recovery of downed airmen at sea.

Definitions of Search and Rescue

There are many different definitions of search and rescue, depending on the agency involved.

Standards

With or without formal underlying foundations, numerous SAR organisations develop their own proprietary training curricula and operational protocols, which are available and applicable only to their own members.

In the US SAR standards are developed primarily by ASTM International and the US NFPA which are then used by organizations such as the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA), the US National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), and the US NFPA to develop training that will meet or exceed those standards.^[5]

Within ASTM International, most standards of relevance to SAR are developed by Committee F32 on Search and Rescue. Formed in 1988, the committee had 85 current members and jurisdiction of 38 approved standards.^[5]

International Divisions of Search and Rescue Responsibility

International Waters

International waters are divided into various regions according to the SOLAS convention. See the map provided by the IMO ocean atlas

SAR by nation

Australia

AusSAR, which is part of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), provides a national search and rescue service.^[6]

AusSAR operates a 24 hour Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) in Canberra and is responsible for the national coordination of both maritime and aviation search and rescue. AusSAR is also responsible for the management and operation of the Australian ground segment of the Cospas-Sarsat distress beacon detection system. The service that spans the nation and covers 52.8 million square kilometres of the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans.^[6]

AusSAR's RCC is staffed by SAR specialists who have a naval, merchant marine, air force, civil aviation or police service background. The RCC also coordinates medical evacuations, broadcasts maritime safety information and operates the Australian Ship Reporting System (AUSREP).^[6]

State Police in many states operate state-based search and rescue squads, such as the Victoria Police Search and Rescue Squad, which provides specialist expertise, advice and practical assistance in land search and rescue on most terrain including snow and vertical cliff search and rescue.^[7]

Belgium

Denmark

SAR-services in Denmark started in 1957 with seven Sikorsky S-55. Their radial engines only had limited horsepower (550 hp) fuel capacity, so their operational area was also rather limited. To gain more operational area, it was decided to add some Pembroke two engine aircraft for search. These aircraft would then localize the distressed person(s) and the S-55's would then fly out to that location for rescue. Originally the only SAR-service performed, was for crashed fighter-planes (79 aircraft crashed, with 62 dead, in the period 1950-1955)^[13], but today also civilan SAR-duties are taken care of.

In 1962 eight ship-based Alouette III was received. These was primarily ment for the ships patrolling in the North Atlantic, but also supported the S-55's. In 1964 - 1965 the seven S-55 was replaced with eight Sikorsky S-61A helicopters^[14]. This helicopter, was originally inteded for - and constructed as such - anti-submarine warfare. On this Danish variant, the heavy sonar equipment was removed and instead extra fuel storage was added. This gave these helicopters a very large operational area. In 1977 radar-equipment was installed and in 1990 a FLIR was added. Further avionics and navigational systems (such as GPS) has also been added through time.

In 1977 the naval air squadron was exfilled and created as an independent squadron in the navy and began replacing the Alouette III's with Westland Lynx helicopters. Their primary operational area was still the North Atlantic, but they continued their (much lesser since the introduction of the S-61) support roles. In 2006, the first of the S-61 was replaced by one of 14 new AugustaWestland EH-101 "Merlin" helicopters.

In 2007 the Danish Defence held a public display in Horsens, to raise awareness about resuce services and maritime safety (Denmark has a relative large amount of costal line)^[15]^[16].

Today the SAR-components in Denmark are eight EH-101's, one or two Lynx's, 34 naval home guard vessels and 21 rescue vessels^[15] as well as the naval vessels at sea. The EH-101's are operates from bases in Aalborg (EKYT), Skrydstrup (EKSP) and Roskilde (EKRK). In rough weather aircraft are also posted on the island of Bornholm (EKRN) in the Baltic Sea. The Lynx's operates from KARUP (EKKA). The maritime vessels are spread out through the entire coastline and on islands. The S-61' and EH-101's has a crew of six: Two pilots, a navigator, a medic, a physician and a rescue swimmer.

Germany

Search and Rescue in German waters is conducted by the German Navy, the German Coast Guard or the Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger DGzRS (literally translated: German Society for the Saving of Shipwrecked, more common: German Maritime Rescue Service GMRS). Besides the offshore Search And Rescue services, the German Air Force provides such as well, using Bell UH-1D "Huey" helicopters.^[17]

Iceland

Search and Rescue operations in Iceland are mainly handled by the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg) which operates numerous vehicles and boats across the country, along with the Icelandic Coast Guard which operates SAR helicopters and patrol vessels.^[18]

The unique thing about Iceland Association for Search and Rescue is that it is operated almost solely on volunteer's contribution. The rescue units are more than 100 in total and are located in almost every part of the country. All the units contain groups of specially trained individuals.^[19]

Ireland

SAR services are provided by a civilian body, the Irish Coast Guard.^[20] It has responsibility for the Irish Search and Rescue Region.^[20]

The Royal National Lifeboat Instiution RNLI provide the waterborne element of Search and Rescue around the coast of Ireland from 43 lifeboat stations including inland stations at Enniskillen and Lough Derg.

Malta

The responsibility for SAR at sea in the Malta Search and Rescue Region falls under the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM). It is carried out by maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters and vessels under the co-ordination, command and control of the Rescue Co-ordination Centre.^[21]

The AFM, in close collaboration with the US Coast Guard, also runs a Search and Rescue Training Centre for International Students[1] in Maritime SAR Mission Co-ordination and Planning.^[22] To date more than 30 foreign students from 15 countries including Albania, Cameroon, Croatia, Equatorial Guinea and Kenya have attended these courses.^[23]^[24]

Malta is also in talks with Libya about enhancing SAR cooperation between the two countries.^[25]

Netherlands

New Zealand

Land-based search and rescue operations (called LSAR, for Land Search and Rescue), such as for lost hikers, are controlled by the local police. Maritime search and rescue, as well as reports of overdue aircraft, fall under the control of the National Rescue Coordination Centre, based in Wellington, which coordinates response from local coastguard, helicopter operators, merchant marine, air force and naval resources.^[27]

South Africa

The South African Search and Rescue Organization (SASAR), is a voluntary organization that functions under the auspice of the Department of Transport. SASAR is responsible for the aviation and maritime incidents or incidents. The main function of the organization is to search for, assist and where applicable effect a rescue operation for the survivors/military civilians of aircraft or vessel accident.

Depending on the nature of the accident, the RCC's (ARCC or MRCC) coordinate the search and rescue missions.

These operations are carried out by other government departments, non governmental organizations, commercial/private organizations and voluntary organizations.

United Kingdom

In the UK, maritime search and rescue is coordinated by HM Coastguard, while land-based operations are usually coordinated by the local Police force. The operation itself is carried out with aircraft from the Royal Navy, RAF or Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats and police, military or volunteer mountain rescue or ALSAR (Association of Lowland Search and Rescue) teams. Aircraft coordination is carried out by the UK Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) based at RAF Kinloss in the north of Scotland. The centre is responsible for tasking and coordinating all of the UK's search and rescue helicopter and RAF mountain rescue teams.^[28]

In 2006, the government announced controversial plans to effectively privatise provision of search and rescue helicopters in order to replace the aging Sea Kings currently in use, although they have suggested that crews may, at least partially, still be made up of military personnel.^[29]

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