Encl (2) to COMDTINST 16010.8
Search and Rescue - Lives Saved
Why We Act
Over 50,000 search and rescue cases occur
annually. These cases involve the Coast
Guard saving the lives of approximately
5,000 mariners in imminent danger, and
providing some form of emergency
assistance to nearly 100,000 mariners. No
other government agency or private
organization has the expertise, assets, and 24
hour-a-day on-call readiness to conduct
search and rescue missions in all areas of the
maritime region.
Key Factors
Several factors compound the difficulty of
conducting a successful response: untimely
distress notification, incorrect or unknown
information about the distress, poor
communications with the mariners in
distress, severe weather at the distress
location, and severe injuries which reduce
the chances of mariner survival. The
number of recreational and commercial
marine users continues to rapidly grow as
more people move to coastal regions, and
global trade increases. Current Coast Guard
search and rescue readiness will be strained
to meet future demand.
Strategies
The Coast Guard seeks to prevent distress cases from occurring by conducting safety
boardings, Coast Guard Auxiliary courtesy safety examinations, and public service
campaigns that serve to improve mariner knowledge and skills. The Auxiliary conducts
about 40,000 classes for 240,000
boaters each year. To maximize survival chances in incidents that do occur, we maintain
a continuous response capability in coastal and deepwater areas using shore stations,
boats, cutters, and aircraft. We operate a VHF-FM distress network providing extensive
coverage of inland and coastal waters. Our search and rescue personnel are experts in
search techniques, and rescue procedures. We employ advanced search sensors and search
planning models and require mariners to carry effective distress locating and survival
equipment. We work with the international search and rescue community to implement new
technology such as the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System that will greatly
improve the ability of mariners to notify others of their distress. We also maintain
AMVER, a vessel tracking system that allows us to divert nearby commercial vessels to
render assistance.
Coordination
The Coast Guard partners with international, national, state, and local agencies that
have response expertise and responsibilities. We work with the International Maritime
Organization to implement standards that improve the survival chances of mariners in
distress. At the federal level, the Navy and Air Force also maintain limited rescue
capabilities. Each agency assists the others depending on need, and the best response
capability for a particular location and situation.
6 Safety
Previous Page
