Many States have accepted the obligation to provide aeronautical and maritime SAR co-ordination and services on a 24-hour basis for their territories, territorial seas, and where appropriate, the high seas.

• To carry out these responsibilities, States have established national SAR organizations, or joined one or more other States to form a regional SAR organization associated with an ocean area or continent.
• A search and rescue region (SRR) is an area of defined dimensions associated with a rescue co-ordination centre (RCC) within which SAR services are provided.
  • SRRs help to define who has primary responsibility for co-ordinating responses to distress situation in every area of the world, but they are not intended to restrict anyone from assisting persons in distress
  • the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regional air navigation plans (RANPs) depict aeronautical SRRs
  • the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Global SAR Plan depicts maritime SRRs.

SAR Co-ordination

The SAR system has three general levels of co-ordination:

• SAR co-ordination (SCs)
• SAR mission co-ordination (SMCs)
• On-scene co-ordinators (OSCs).

SAR Co-ordinators

• SCs are the top level SAR managers; each State normally will have one or more persons or agencies for whom this designation may be appropriate.
• SCs have the overall responsibility for:
  • establishing, staffing, equipping and managing the SAR system
  • establishing RCCs and rescue sub-centres (RSCs)
  • providing or arranging for SAR facilities
  • co-ordinating SAR training
  • developing SAR policies.

SAR Mission Co-ordinator

• Each SAR operation is carried out under the guidance of an SMC. This function exists only for the duration of a specific SAR incident and is normally performed by the RCC chief  or a designee. The SMC may have assisting staff.
• The SMC guides a SAR operation until a rescue has been effected or it becomes apparent that further efforts would be of no avail.
• The SMC should be  well trained  in all SAR processes,, be thoroughly familiar with the applicable SAR plans, and:
  • gather information about distress situations
  • develop accurate and workable SAR action plans
  • dispatch and co-ordinate the resources to carry out SAR missions.
• SMC duties include:
  • obtain and evaluate all data on the emergency
  • ascertain the type of emergency equipment carried by the missing or distressed craft
  • remain informed of prevailing environmental conditions
  • if necessary, ascertain movements and locations of vessels and alert shipping in likely search areas for rescue, lookout and/or radio watch
  • plot the areas to search and decide on methods and facilities to be used
  • develop the search action plan and rescue action plan as appropriate
  • co-ordinate the operation with adjacent RCCs when appropriate
  • arrange briefing and debriefing of SAR personnel
  • evaluate all reports and modify search action plan as necessary
  • arrange for refueling of aircraft and, for prolonged search, make arrangements for the accommodation of SAR personnel
  • arrange for delivery of supplies to sustain survivors
  • maintain in chronological order and accurate and up-to-date record
  • issue progress reports
  • determine when to suspend or terminate the search
  • release SAR facilities when assistance is no longer required
  • notify accident investigation authorities
  • if applicable, notify the State of registry of the aircraft
  • prepare a finel report.

On-Scene Co-ordinator

• When two or more SAR facilities are working together on the same mission, one person on-scene may be needed to so-ordinate the activities of all participating facilities.
• The SMC designates on OSC, who may be the person in charge of a:
  • search and rescue unit (SRU), ship, or aircraft participating in a search, or
  • nearby facility in a position to handle OSC duties.
• The person in charge of the first facility to arrive at the scene will normally assume the OSC function until the SMC arranges for that person to be relieved.