Purpose
To provide guidelines regarding concluding a SAR operation.
Policy
Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) provides the following guidelines to assist personnel in effectively performing their duties.
Procedure
General
SAR operations enter the conclusion stage when:
- The target is located and the survivors are rescued;
- Information is received that the target is no longer in distress;
- All known persons on board are accounted for;
- The SAR authority determines that further searching has no significant chance of succeeding and either suspend or terminate the search;
- The Lifesaving Incident Commander (Duty Officer/Lifeguard Supervisor) deems conditions are too dangerous for personnel;
- There are not sufficient lifesaving services available to safely continue operations.
The authority to end a search rests with different levels within the SAR organisation, depending on the circumstances.
In particular, the SAR authority is responsible for deciding when to suspend or terminate an unsuccessful search where lives were known to be at risk.
Suspension of a search when the target is not found
When it is determined that further search would be of no avail, the Incident Controller shall consider recommending the suspension or termination of the SAR operation. However, search action shall not be suspended or terminated, nor the distress phase cancelled without the specific concurrence of the SAR authority.
The decision to suspend a search shall not be made until a thorough review of the search is conducted. The review will focus on the probability of there being survivors from the initial incident, the probability of survival after the incident, the probability that the survivors were in the search area, and the effectiveness of the search.
The review should:
- Examine search decisions to ensure that proper assumptions were made and that planning scenarios were reasonable;
- Reconfirm the certainty of initial position and any drift factors used in determining the search area;
- Re-evaluate any significant clues and leads;
- Examine datum computations and data calculations;
- Confirm that all reasonable means of obtaining information about the target have been exhausted;
- Review all intelligence material to ensure no information had been overlooked;
- Examine the search plan to ensure that:
- assigned areas were searched;
- the probability of detection was as high as desired; and
- compensation was made for search degradation caused by weather, navigational, mechanical or other difficulties; and
- Consider the survivability of the survivor/s taking into account:
- time elapsed since the incident;
- environmental conditions;
- age, experience and physical condition of (potential) survivors;
- survival equipment available;
- studies or information relating to survival in similar circumstances; and
- Consider the rescue plan to ensure that:
- best use was made of available resources;
- contingency plans were sufficient to cater with unexpected developments; and
- coordination with other agencies was effective in ensuring best treatment of survivors.
Before an unsuccessful search is suspended or terminated, the SAR authority shall make arrangements to ensure that the next of kin are fully briefed on the complete search effort, including conditions in the search area, other salient operational factors and the reasons for proposing the suspension or termination of the search.
Consideration may be given to notifying the decision to suspend or terminate search effort at least one day prior to suspension of operations allowing next of kin at least one more day of hope while giving them time to accept that the search cannot continue indefinitely.
When a lifesaving service SAR response is discontinued or a search is suspended, the Incident Commander (Duty Officer/Lifeguard Supervisor) shall inform the Incident Controller and all authorities, units and facilities that have been activated and/or alerted.
On occasions, after the suspension of a search, it may be necessary for the Police to continue to search for bodies and/or aircraft/vessel wreckage. In such cases the SAR authority that had responsibility for the coordination of the search and rescue operation may, where possible:
- Provide briefings on the path of the aircraft/vessel prior to disappearance, last known position, area searched and related intelligence;
- Review intelligence to assist search;
- Source aircraft for transport or search purposes; and/or
- Provide drift information.
Should any other organisation wish to continue with or initiate an independent search, the SAR authority that had responsibility for the coordination of the search and rescue operation should ascertain whether there is any new intelligence that provides grounds to resume or continue the search. Under the circumstances where there is new intelligence, it should be evaluated and if considered valid the search should be continued or resumed.
Where there is no new intelligence, then the SAR authority may assist the requesting organisation by:
- Briefing the aircraft/vessel’s path prior to disappearance, splash/crash point, area searched and related intelligence;
- Advising the possible location of suitable search aircraft; and/or
- Providing drift information.
Reopening a suspended search
If significant new information or clues are developed reopening of a suspended case should be considered. Reopening without good reason may lead to unwarranted use of resources, risk of injury to searchers, possible inability to respond to other emergencies, and false hopes among relatives.
Records and Reports
Records relating to search and rescue operations, including air searches on behalf of other organisations, shall be retained for periods as required under the relevant legislation and regulation.
When a search has been terminated without locating a missing aircraft or its occupants, all records, charts etc. shall be retained and be accessible to SAR staff to allow easy resumption of search activity should further intelligence be received.
Reports on SAR actions shall be generated as required for Coroners inquiries, management purposes and for training requirements.
Incident Debriefs
Following an incident, the conduct of a debrief of agencies and groups involved should be considered. The purpose of incident debriefs is to establish opportunities for improvement in the operation of the national SAR system.
Incidents worthy of debrief may include those where:
- Lives have been lost unexpectedly;
- Large and complex searches have been conducted;
- Multi agency involvement occurred; or
- Where coordination, communication or response challenges were experienced during the incident.
This list is not exhaustive and the conduct of a post incident, multi-agency debrief is at the discretion of the SAR authority in overall coordination of the incident with mutual agreement of other SAR authorities and agencies involved.
Post incident debriefs should be used to:
- Establish opportunities for improvement in the operation of the National SAR System; and
- Ensure current policies and procedures are appropriate. The SAR authority with overall coordination is to:
- Decide the need for a debrief in consultation with other SAR participants;
- Organize and host the debrief unless otherwise agreed by the participants;
- Establish a venue that maximizes opportunity for participation in, and learning from, the debrief; and
- Capture and share the opportunities for improvement arising.
Participation at debriefs may be restricted to particular SAR authorities and agencies depending on the issues that are likely to arise and would be a decision for the SAR authority with overall coordination for the incident.
SAR authorities that participate in the debrief will meet their own attendance costs, unless otherwise agreed by the participants.
The debrief should include the opportunity for all significant parties involved in the incident to contribute and learn from it.
Reference
Critical Incident Support
Critical Incident Management Support Procedures