Enclosure (4) to COMDTINST 16000.27
Coast Guard SAR Procedures
in Relation to the National Incident Management System
Ref:
(a) National Incident Management System (NIMS), 1 March 2004
(b) United States Coast Guard National Incident Management System (NIMS) and National
Response Plan (NRP) Implementation Plan, 29 December 2004
(c) National Search and Rescue Plan, 1999
(d) U.S. Coast Guard Addendum to the National SAR Supplement (CGAD), COMDTINST
M16130.2 (series)
(e) National Response Plan (NRP), December 2004
1. PURPOSE. This enclosure prescribes the procedures that apply for Search and Rescue (SAR)
operations in relation to the National Incident Management System (NIMS), reference (a).
2. BACKGROUND. The procedures that applied to SAR operations were previously included in Coast
Guard Incident Command System Implementation Plan, COMDTINST M3120.15, that was superseded
by reference (b).
3. DISCUSSION. The procedures specified in paragraph 4 replace those that were incorporated in
COMDTINST M3120.15 and provide continuity with applicable treaties, rules, regulations and
practices.
4. PROCEDURES.
a. SAR operations must be carried out in accordance with reference (c), which adopts international
SAR terminology and procedures of the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and
Rescue Manual and other pertinent documents used worldwide, and of the interagency U.S.
National SAR Supplement to the IAMSAR Manual. These documents have their basis in
international law that U.S. SAR services are obligated to follow, and have practical benefits that
are intended to maximize the effectiveness of SAR operations. These advantages apply to daily
SAR operations, but may be particularly critical when working with other military services, SAR
authorities of other nations and with ships or aircraft at sea. In addition, provisions of the Coast
Guard Addendum, reference (d), apply to the SAR mission.
b. SAR personnel should be trained to routinely use standard SAR terminology and procedures
regardless of the scope of the SAR incident. SAR operations primarily include actions related to
locating and assisting persons in actual or apparent distress.
c. When an emergency warrants responses in addition to SAR, including urban search and rescue
(US&R) under the National Response Plan (NRP), reference (e), the NIMS Incident Command
System (ICS) will be used for overall response management, and responsible SAR personnel
should simply designate an appropriate representative (e.g., ICS SAR Group Supervisor or
subject matter expert) to help coordinate SAR operations with the designated Incident
Commander (IC). Activities other than SAR could include salvage, body recovery, pollution
response, investigation or other operations that are sometimes closely associated with SAR, as
well as support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for US&R.
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