Australia National Search and Rescue Manual
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National Search and Rescue Manual Published by AMSA on behalf of the Australian National Search and Rescue Council © This publication is copyright. The reproduction of this work in whole or in part is invited for search and rescue purposes other than commercial purposes provided due acknowledgment is given to the Australian National Search and Rescue Council. For further information contact the Council Secretary at: Secretary National Search and Rescue Council GPO Box 2181 Canberra ACT 2601 Version 0501 – 30 November 2005 i This page intentionally blank ii Foreword Foreword Search and Rescue (SAR) comprises the search for and provision of aid to persons who are, or are believed to be in imminent danger of loss of life. The two operations – search and rescue – may take many forms, depending on whether they are both required or not, on the size and complexity of the operation and on the available staff and facilities. Search and rescue does not include salvage or the saving of property except where the action is indivisible from that of safeguarding life. Dedicated SAR assets are limited in Australia and when necessary, other government, private and commercial assets are diverted from their primary function by charter, arrangement and request. It is necessary that the available resources are organised and coordinated so that effective and expeditious search and/or rescue operations can be assured. The Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for search and rescue response in Australia signed an Intergovernmental Agreement on National Search and Rescue Response Arrangements (IGA) that came into force in June 2004. The IGA reiterated the National Search and Rescue Council’s role as the national coordinating body for search and rescue operations with a function, among others, of sponsoring the National Search and Rescue Manual. The National Search and Rescue Manual is the standard reference document for use by all Australian Search and Rescue authorities and promulgates the agreed methods of coordination through which search and rescue operations are conducted within Australia. The manual is supplemented by various legal, informative and instructional documents used within and between organisations concerned with search and rescue. The manual is consistent with the relevant International Conventions to which Australia is a party. It has been developed with due regard to the International Aviation and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual (IAMSAR). For more detailed information on land SAR operations, readers should refer to the Land Operations Manual produced by Emergency Management Australia. A search and rescue operation requires a single SAR Authority to have overall coordination for a SAR event. This manual envisages a requirement for the coordinating authority to seek assistance from another, e.g. the coordinating authority of a marine operation seeking an air search or police seeking assistance in a search for lost hikers. In providing a search and rescue response, nothing in the content of the manual precludes properly qualified officers from using their initiative in providing a SAR response in circumstances where these procedures are judged to be inappropriate. In so doing, however, officers’ actions should conform as closely as possible to those instructions contained in the manual most closely pertinent to the circumstances and keep all other parties involved informed. When developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) at the organisational level, care should be taken to ensure that procedures are written in accordance with the National SAR Manual. Should an SOP be identified that would benefit the SAR community, it is recommended that the issue is raised with the National SAR Council so that inclusion of the procedure into the National SAR Manual can be considered. Users are encouraged to offer suggestions for the improvement of this manual. Furthermore, it is the users’ responsibility to notify any perceived errors to: The Secretary of the National SAR Council, AusSAR GPO Box 2181 Canberra ACT 2601 At the same time, the manual must be interpreted with common sense, for no set of instructions can answer every SAR situation. The practicality of every proposed amendment should be assessed against the need for a functional procedure in a realistic situation. Any amendment that does not meet this standard would serve no other purpose than to cloud the issues and confuse matters. This manual is promulgated on the Internet for the use of all search and rescue practitioners. The Internet version is the controlled document and is the latest version of this manual. It should always be referred to as it contains the most up to date information. iii AL1/04 Amendments Amendments The amendment process for the National Search and Rescue Manual is based on an annual cycle culminating in the ratification of the annual list of amendments at the meeting of the National Search and Rescue Council each year. Proposed amendments should be notified to: The Secretary of the National SAR Council, Emergency Response AMSA GPO Box 2181 Canberra ACT 2601 or by Email to: [email protected] Members of the Manual Amendments sub-committee established by the National SAR Council will consider proposed amendments. These officers will be required to take a whole of government approach to considering the proposals and ensure that the Senior Officers of their organisation are in agreement with the proposed amendments before they are tabled at the annual meeting of the National Search and Rescue Council. The proposed amendments will only be published if agreed by a consensus of the National Search and Rescue Council. A bar in the left margin shows latest amendments to the Manual and pages affected will be annotated with the amendment list number of the latest amendment on each page affected in the lower right hand corner. Record of Amendments No. Date Applicable 1/04 30 November 2004 2/05 30 November 2005 AL1/05 v This page intentionally blank vi Contents Contents Title page Foreword Amendments Contents Abbreviations and Acronyms Glossary Chapter 1 – Search and Rescue System 1.1 Organisation and Arrangements 1.2 SAR Management 1.3 SAR Responses and Coordination in Australia 1.4 Search and Rescue Resources 1.5 Provision for entry of foreign aircraft during SAR operations 1.6 Public Relations Chapter 2 – Communications 2.1 Overview 2.2 Distress and Emergency Signals 2.3 Global Maritime Distress and Safety System 2.4 Emergency Signalling Devices 2.5 COSPAS-SARSAT Distress Beacon Detection System 2.6 Inmarsat-E (L-Band) EPIRB 2.7 Radar SAR Transponder (SART) 2.8 Communications in support of SAR operations 2.9 Communications Facilities Chapter 3 – Awareness and Initial Action 3.1 Awareness and Notification 3.2 SAR Stages 3.3 SAR Incidents 3.4 Emergency Phases 3.5 Awareness Stage 3.6 Sequence of SAR Events 3.7 Communication Checks 3.8 Intelligence Gathering and Assessment Chapter 4 – Search Planning and Evaluation 4.1 Overview 4.2 Search Planning Steps 4.3 Datum Definition 4.4 Search Stages 4.5 Factors Affecting Initial SAR Response 4.6 Basic Search Planning 4.7 Determination of Search Areas 4.8 Coastal Search Planning Chapter 5 – Search Techniques and Operations 5.1 Overview 5.2 General Guidelines for Searches 5.3 Search Area Coverage 5.4 Search Patterns 5.5 Visual Search 5.6 Flare Searches 5.7 Electronic Searches 5.8 SAR Unit Selection and Characteristics 5.9 Search Unit Allocation 5.10 SAR Crew Briefing 5.11 SAR Crew Debriefing Chapter 6 – Rescue Planning and Operations 6.1 General 6.2 Preparation 6.3 Medical assistance 6.4 Crashed Aircraft 6.5 Rescue on land vii Contents 6.6 Rescue at sea 6.7 Supply dropping and delivery of survival equipment Chapter 7 – Conclusion of SAR Operations 7.1 General 7.2 Conclusion of a successful SAR action 7.3 Suspension of a search when the target is not found 7.4 Reopening a suspended search 7.5 Records and reports 7.6 Case studies 7.7 Performance improvement Chapter 8 – Training and Exercises 8.1 General 8.2 National Training Framework 8.3 Search and Rescue Exercises 8.4 Training of search and rescue units 8.5 Photographic Records 8.6 Liaison Visits Chapter 9 – Emergency Assistance and Services, other than Search and Rescue, provided by RCC Australia 9.1 General 9.2 Safety Information 9.3 Unlawful Acts Appendix A – Australian Search and Rescue Region Appendix B – Search and Rescue functions and responsibilities Appendix C – Commonwealth/State Arrangements Appendix D – Transfer of Coordination Appendix E – Distress and Emergency Signals Appendix F – Maritime SAR Recognition Code (MAREC) Appendix G – Plotting symbols Appendix H – Sighting & Hearing (SHR) Techniques Appendix I – Tables and graphs Appendix J – Probable errors of position Appendix K – Worksheets Appendix L – Aircraft accident site precautions Appendix M – Tier capabilities Appendix N – RAAF SAR equipment and aircraft capabilities Appendix O – RAN response viii Abbreviations and Acronyms Abbreviations and Acronyms A area or search area ACA Australian Communications Authority ACFT aircraft AFTN aeronautical fixed telecommunications network ADF Australian Defence Force ALRS Admiralty List of Radio Signals AM amplitude modulation AMVER Automated Mutual-assistance Vessel Rescue AMSA Australian Maritime Safety Authority ASRK Air Sea Rescue Kit (RAAF) ATA actual time of arrival ATC Air Traffic Control ATD actual time of departure ATS Air Traffic Services ATSB Australian Transport Safety Bureau AUMCC Australian Mission Control Centre AULUTE Australian