SUB-COMMITTEE ON
RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS AND SEARCH
AND RESCUE
4th session
Agenda item 8
COMSAR 4/8/11
14 May 1999
Original: ENGLISH
MATTERS CONCERNING SEARCH AND RESCUE, INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO THE 1979 SAR CONFERENCE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GMDSS
Reception of a distress alert from outside own Search and Rescue Region
Note by Norway
SUMMARY
Executive summary: This document proposes procedures for a (M) RCC upon reception of distress alerts.
Action to be taken: Paragraphs 12 and 13
Related documents: IAMSAR Manual
Introduction
1 Reception of distress alerts from distant areas is not a new phenomena. Such alerts have become a daily experience for (M) RCCs due to the use of satellite communications and the implementation of the GMDSS.
2 The alerting systems within the GMDSS have different characteristics and are routed to (M) RCCs differently; i.e. distress alerts via the Inmarsat system are routed to one (M) RCC via a Coast Earth Station (CES), while a DSC distress alert is received by several (M) RCCs or Coast Radio Stations (CRS) and ships.
3 Sometimes ships seem to rely on one particular (M) RCC independent of how far it may be from own position or if it responsible for co-ordinating SAR services in the area of distress. The reason, among others, may be that SAR services are not established in the actual area or it has not been possible to communicate with the local CRS or (M) RCC.
4 Whatever the reason might be (M) RCCs receiving a distress alert are obliged to act even if the alert comes from areas outside own Search and Rescue Region (SRR). It seems to be a need for guidelines on how to proceed in such situations.
Discussion
5 Normally (M) RCCs are responsible to act upon distress alerts from within own maritime and aeronautical SRR, as agreed by IMO and ICAO. The position of the ship in distress normally determines which (M) RCC should be responsible for SAR services, independent of how the distress alert was received.
