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Ø Briefly explain the UK SAR organisation and its function

In UK search and rescue operations are carryout by the UK navy, airforce andcoastguard. They have the facility to, communication, training, navigation system,SAR data providers, magical assistance, aircraft landing fields, and faultymaintenance, refuelling services.

Royal Air Force Search and RescueThe RAF maintains a year-round, 24-hour search and rescue (SAR) service covering the whole of theUnited Kingdom and a large area of the surrounding sea. The service exists primarily to assist militaryand civilian aircrew who get into difficulty, although a large proportion of its work involves assistingshipping or people who find themselves in a wide variety of difficulties, both on land and at sea.RAF Sea King rescue helicopters of Nos. 22 and 202 Squadrons operate from six locations, with RoyalNavy and Coastguard helicopters available at a further six. For land rescues, the RAF can also callupon the the services of its five Mountain Rescue Teams (MRTs), each manned by a core of permanentstaff supported by about thirty volunteers.Always on standby is a specially equipped Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft, based at RAF Kinloss inScotland, which can be at the scene of an emergency quickly and act as an on-scene coordinator forhelicopters or ships involved in the rescue operation.

The Rescue Coordination CentreIn most rescues the RAF Aeronautical Rescue Centre (ARCC) at Kinloss, which controls all aerialresources, works closely with the emergency services. The ARCC watches over an area extending fromthe Faeroes in the North, the English Channel in the South, about halfway across the Atlantic Oceanand halfway across the North Sea. The area generates around 2,000 scrambles a year, providingassistance to about 1,500 people.The ARCC is permanently manned by experienced personnel, the majority of whom have served onmaritime patrol aircraft or SAR helicopters. It has direct data and voice links with rescue assets in theUK and Europe. Detailed maps and charts are combined with and intimate knowledge of UKtopography to enable controllers to match resources to tasks quickly and coordinate the rescueoperation.

SAR Operations (By royal navy)In addition to its military taskings, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm also provide Search and Rescuecover to large sections of the United Kingdom coastline, 24 hours a day and 365 days per year,typically at 15 minutes notice. Based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and Prestwick in Scotland, RoyalNavy helicopters are constantly available and fly missions that are as varied as they are far-reaching. Inrecent months, missions have included long range medical evacuation from ships at sea, assistance tovessels in distress, cliff fallers, swimmers, divers and surfers. Additionally, several hospital-to-hospitaltransfers from Cornwall to other parts of the country have been flown. Often missions are internationalin nature - the rescue of foreign mariners, assistance to foreign flagged vessels, even recoveries in bothFrance and the Republic of Ireland.

In Scotland coverage spans southern Scotland to Edinburgh, 200 nautical miles west of the Irish coast,

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as far north as Ben Nevis and as far south as the Lake District. It offers a much needed service in thehazardous Highlands and the isolated Hebrides as well as providing maritime SAR in the cruel seas ofthe Scottish coast. In Cornwall coverage extends over the equally hazardous and extremely busy areasof Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, the Western English Channel and the Southwest Approaches.

Search and Rescue ( HM Coastguard)HMCG co-ordinates Search and Rescue (SAR) through its network of Maritime Rescue Co-OrdinationCentres (MRCC) and Maritime Rescue Sub-Centres (MRSC), of which there are now nineteen aroundthe UK coast following the closure of MRSC Tyne Tees and the opening in Jan 2002 of LondonCoastguard on the river Thames. Each MRCC or MRSC is responsible for SAR operations, includinginitiation of counter pollution measures, and the day to day running of an allocated District.Within each Coastguard District there are many declared SAR resources such as;

· Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRT) capable of search, cliff and mudrescue

· Lifeboats provided by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)and Private Rescue Organisations

· Search and Rescue helicopters under contract to HM Coastguard andthose provided by the military

There are also other resources ("additional" resources) which although not declared for SAR purposes,may be available to assist in any search and or rescue as required; examples of "additional" resourcesinclude vessels in the vicinity of a distress or lifeguard units etc.

Areas of ResponsibilityThe UKSRR is an area bounded along the English Channel and North Sea median lines (midpoints), tothe north by the parallel 62 North, to the west by the meridian 30 West (in the Atlantic Ocean) and tothe south by the parallel 45 North. Within this area, HMCG's responsibility includes the mobilisation,organisation and tasking of adequate resources to respond to persons in distress at sea or to persons atrisk of injury or death on the cliffs or shoreline of the UK. As SAR co-ordinator, HM Coastguardformulates search plans, requests and tasks dedicated SAR resources made available by otherauthorities, and additional facilities such as other vessels in the vicinity at the time of a distress.

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Ø State the masters obligation responsibilities and procedure forassistance at sea . what conditions if any consider it unreasonableto attend distress .

Every seagoing vessel at sea shall render assistance to anyone at sea or danger or

being lost under maritime convention act 1911. Master of the ship responsible

assistance and organise onboard preparation for assistance. Master or his

representative (Duty officer) is legally obliged to and respond to that signal. If the

distress vessel is not in the close area, allow some time to acknowledge another vessel

in closer area. High priority should give to aircraft evacuation.

Procedure

Navigator – Plot the distress position and A/C positions and monitor ship’s position

by alternative fixing method. Rendezvous time

Engine room - Speed to be reduced during search period according to visibility, sea

state weather condition.

Bridge – Double watch keepers, radar operation, long range scan lookouts, & relieves

records and log VHF listing watch.

Radio communication officer – Standby transmit search result progress report and

debrief OSC and MRCC listening watch over operating frequency.

Subsiquent action by deck party – Prpare boats , rescue nets , hospital ,

Master is relived from his obligation to assist distress vessel if

· There has been one or more ships requisitioned and they are attending.

· The vessel in distress says he is not needed.

· Another vessel that has reached the distress vessel says he is not needed.

· He is unable to attend ( In this case Master should give good excuse in the

inquiry )

Ø Briefly what functions are carried out by the SMC and OSC (On

satiation)In search and rescue & rescue operation SMC (SAR mission cordinator) is appointed

by the organisation or local SAR service for purpose of local SAR service with OSC

(onscreen cordinator) in particular channel .SMC is a shore based person collect

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information in particular incident and organise the shore based facilities for particular

SAR operation.

OSC (On scene cordinator) appointed by RCC (Rescue coardinating centre) for the

purpose of cordinating the cordinating the on scene activities .The vessel of on scene

cordinator specially considering about weather it’s cable to perform it’s duties

considering the climate, topography and physical characteristics of the area. Also

OSC should have good communication ability, navigation facility for service,

equipment and capable staff.

Ø High light the information required by the SMC from OSC (On

station).

· Latest situation

· Detail of each vessel involving SAR operation including , name of the vessel , call

sign , port of registry ,Name of the master ,

· Establish the position and status of all search vessels ( ETA , speed , course ,

endurance , rescue medical facility )

· Advise search area carried out by each vessel, type of search, search pattern, track

space.

· Detail of log ( times , dates , positions , results of outcomes )

· Request resources ( Helicopter , assistance , survival equipment )

· Communication channels and frequencies

Ø Show how you would calculate a search area for , 25 man life raft

( with drogue) . Tide 320 X 1.2 kts, wind NE force 5 , ETA 2.5 hrs ,

original fix of distress obtain by radar .

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In this scenarion original datum postion obtain from RADAR and the If the life raft

transmitting a SART most prudent action is head the ship towards SART and search

withing the area near SART , Otherwise according to the sketch on previous page

make a paralel search .

Reason for parallel search , -Its cover uniform area , its fater than sector searching and

expanding squre search for known drift and wind direction . if oveboard crew member

or derilic the moast probable direction of shift is towards the resultant force of wind

and current .

Factors determining track space

· Target size

· State of visibility , rain , fog , mist , snow

· Sea state

· Quility of radar

· Number of search units employed

· Height of eye lookout

· Speed of vessal search operation

· Recommendation of MRCC

· Masters experience

Ø Suggest and draw a search pattern that would enable yourself

(1500 dwt) and a sister ship a high probability of success.

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Ø You successfully conclude the search, however there is need to

evacuate 2 survivors by helicopter, what precautions and

preparations would you ensure were carried out for transfer.

· Not activating any pirouette

· Good communication should establish with helicopter

· If highline pay out make sure it touch the sea before it comes to life raft in order to

discharge static electricity

· When make fast harness to survivor, make sure it’s properly tight.

· Before heave up make sure highline is not attach to the life raft

How would the search be terminated

BibliographyNavigation for masters (D.J.House)

IAMSAR manual

Maritime law at sea ( F.Cader )

Web sights HM coast guard