Textbook of Maritime Medicine

5.12.1    The International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue 1979  – the SAR Convention 

In 1979 the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue was adopted at a conference in Hamburg. This convention aims at developing an international SAR plan, so that, no matter where an accident occurs, the rescue of persons in distress at sea will be co-ordinated by a SAR organization and, when necessary, by cooperation between neighbouring SAR organizations.

The SAR Convention is a further development of the earlier obligations of ships to go to the assistance of vessels in distress, belayed in customary international law, tradition and in international treaties, like the SOLAS 1974 Convention and the UN Law of the Sea.

There was, however, no international system covering SAR operations, before the SAR Convention entered into force in 1985.

The technical requirements of the SAR convention include the establishment of SAR regions, pooling of facilities, establishment of common procedures, training and liaison visits, and even expedite entry into each party’s territorial waters of rescue units of other parties. Preparatory measures, including the establishment of rescue coordination centres and sub-centres are described. Reporting systems, under which ships report their position to a coast radio station is described, reducing the interval between loss of contact with a ship and the initiation of a SAR operation and permitting rapid determination of vessels in need of assistance, including medical help.

5.12.2        The SOLAS Convention and SAR operations

The SOLAS convention also contains regulations of importance to SAR operations. The most obvious are

• Life saving appliances are dealt with in Chapter III
• Radio-communications are dealt with in Chapter IV

A lot of other provisions will directly or indirectly affect the SAR systems and their operations. Hence SOLAS convention is an important cornerstone for the SAR systems, even if we have a convention dealing only with SAR matters.

5.12.3     The development of an International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual – the IAMSAR Manual

The implementation of the SAR convention was rather slow the first years, leading to a complete revision process starting in 1995, leading to amendments adopted in 1998, harmonizing the provisions from IMO and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Since then, the convention has been amended also in 2004, (into force 2006), dealing with persons in distress at sea.

A common approach for maritime and aviation search and rescue operations has been developed, based on the three conventions:

• Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) –Annex 12
• International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR)
• International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), Reg. V/33.

The IAMSAR manual consists of three volumes, each of which written as stand-alone documents, containing:

VOL I: Organization and Management

- discussing the global SAR system concept, establishment and improvement of national and regional SAR systems, and co-operation with Neighbouring States to proved effective and economical SAR services.

VOL II: Mission Co-ordination

- intended to assist persoonel who plan and coordinate SAR operations and exercises

VOL III: Mobile facilities

- intended to be carried aboard rescue units, aircrafts and vessels to help with performance of a search, rescue, or on-scene co-ordinator function and with aspects of SAR that pertain to their own emergencies.

The IAMSAR manual is a valuable tool for every maritime physician connected to the SAR system, regardless of working on an organizational, administrative or operational level, and every maritime physician should at least be familiar with an overview of the field.

5.12.4     The Global SAR Plan and Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Master plan of Shore Based Facilities (GMDSS Master Plan)

A global SAR plan is developed, defining detailed responsibilities for each member nation and lists their

SAR Authorities

• MRCC – Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre
• MRSC – Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre
• ARCC – Aeronautical Rescue Coordiniation Centre
• JRCC – Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (joint aeronautical and maritime)
• JRSC – Joint Rescue Sub-Centre
• RCC – Regional coordination centre
• SRR – Search and rescue regions
• CES – Coast Earth Stations
• CS – Coast Stations
• MCC – COSPAS-SARSAT Mission Control

The Global SAR Plan is a necessary and practical tool for SAR operations.

A GMDSS Master plan is also developed.  The Conference that adopted the SAR convention in 1979 and passed the resolution calling for the IMO to develop a global search and rescue, also called for the development by IMO of a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) to provide the communication support needed to implement the SAR plan.

The plan is based on both satellite and terrestrial radio services, and has changed international distress communications from being primarily ship-to-ship to primarily ship-to-shore, the Rescue Coordination Centres (RCCs) playing a major role in the communication and coordination.

The GMDSS Master Plan contains all information necessary for such communication.