Overview
The Australian Government maintains a commitment to professional Search and Rescue (SAR) capabilities through the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). This service is provided through the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) located in Canberra.
There are three levels of management within this system:
- Overall Management of SAR responsibilities by SAR authorities
- Management of individual SAR incidents by SAR Mission Coordinators (SMCs)
- Direction of SAR activities at the scene of an incident by On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs)
With regards to Lifesaving, SAR authorities are generally the Police Service in each state or territory.
SAR is a core function of powercraft operations that an RWC Operator, IRB Driver and IRB Crewperson may perform at the request of a Duty Officer, Patrol Captain/Water Safety Coordinator/Powercraft Coordinator.
Where a beach patrol is in place, this activity will normally initially be led by the Patrol Captain or alternatively by a senior lifesaver such as a Duty Officer.
In the event that a person is reported missing in the water, ensure all necessary information is gathered to commence appropriate actions within the first 2 minutes. Keep the informant with the Patrol Captain or other suitable team member.
There are five broad stages to effective management of a SAR incident. The Patrol Captain will be responsible for the first two stages, Police are responsible for stages 3 and 4 – with assistance from SLS personnel and the final stage (conclusion) will be managed by the Police enabling SLS personnel to return equipment to rescue ready status in accordance with local SOPs. The SAR briefly outlined in this module is to provide a basic understanding only.