AUGUST 2016
LIFE LINE The Newsle er of the Interna onal Mari me Rescue Federa on (IMRF)
News • Experience • Ideas • Informa on • Development In this issue: • The IMRF at the IMO • Horizontal Rescue Ques onnaire • Future Technologies • News from the UK, New Zealand, Finland • and more!
IMRF holds Future Technology Panel Will Roberts, Innova on Manager with the Royal Na onal Lifeboat Ins tu on (RNLI), writes: The technology landscape is constantly changing – more so now, than ever. It is somewhat vital, therefore, that as a group of organisa ons dedicated to saving lives at sea, we have an understanding of what these changes mean for our opera ons and our lifesaving and preven on capabili es. Due to the velocity and wide-ranging nature of these changes, no one organisa on can feasibly invest the necessary me and resource to asking 'What If?' about each and every development that appears on the horizon. With this in mind, a small collec ve of IMRF members met in May 2016 to discuss how we may improve co-opera on and collabora on between IMRF members in the applica on of innova on and emerging technologies to lifesaving and preven on. Representa ves from the following organisa ons were present: • RS Sea Rescue Academy (RS) • Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Ins tu on (KNRM) • Icelandic Associa on for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR) • Royal Na onal Lifeboat Ins tu on (RNLI) • Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS) • Estonian Volunteer Rescue Associa on
Notes were shared on current innova on projects and cri cally, the challenges, opportuni es and ques ons that emerging technologies currently pose. The broad array of subjects included future communica ons, UAVs, boat design, wave predic on and mobile applica ons. A er some debate and vo ng, the following topics were
iden fied as being of par cular interest and those that we should focus future effort on: • Unmanned Air Systems. • Exploring the 'White Space' – the unknown unknowns (horizon scanning). • Big Data and predic ve analy cs for realis c simula on. • Advanced technologies for finding people at sea. The group commi ed to immediately developing a culture of sharing any new and emerging insights along these themes with their IMRF colleagues. This is a small step, but one that ensures we move forward together, learning as a community. Before the mee ng closed, the team discussed ways of working and how to best share knowledge; the team commi ed to openly share at least one of their projects on 'Surtsey' – a website that is currently being prototyped by SSRS to allow the publishing of innova on project outcomes and calls for proposals - again, a small step, but one towards our vision of increased co-opera on, transparency and improved collabora on. The group will now spend the next six months developing a suitable approach to tackling each of the areas of interest and developing the essen al culture of sharing and collabora on for mutual benefit. The day-long event was found to be of great value to a endees and it is very much hoped that the founda ons of las ng, valuable rela onships were formed. All IMRF members are also encouraged to contribute at h p://www.surtsey.org/ and are invited to post interes ng projects that they feel may benefit other organisa ons. Should you wish to par cipate in the next IMRF FTP mee ng in November, please contact Will Roberts ( will_roberts2@rnli.org.uk ) and Fredrik Falkman (fredrik.falkman@ssrs.se).
The Interna onal Mari me Rescue Federa on is a registered company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom and registered as a charity in England and Wales Patron: E himios E. Mitropoulos KCMG, IMO Secretary General Emeritus Registered office: IMRF West Quay Road Poole BH15 1HZ United Kingdom • Company Registra on Number: 4852596 • Charity Registra on Number: 1100883 www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
AUGUST 2016
LIFE LINE EDITORIAL
CONTENTS
Welcome to the August Edi on of LIFE LINE. Search and Rescue…I hear that there's an app for that… Since the last edi on of LIFE LINE, some of the world has become obsessed with Pokémon GO! This loca on-based, augmented reality game allows players to capture, ba le, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on your phone screen as if they were in the same real-world loca on as the player. This has led to a number of players ge ng themselves into trouble on the coast and in the UK a group of 20 teenagers even stole a small boat from a marina and rowed out into Liverpool Bay in search of a rare virtual beas e. Luckily this incident did not end in tragedy, however, this type of disregard for safety (and the law) in the face of Pokémon hun ng has led to many SAR authori es issuing safety advice on the ma er, the UK Coastguard kept their advice simple: “Have fun playing Pokémon GO but be careful”. Here at the IMRF Secretariat HQ we are not chasing a 'Poliwag' around the office but technology and apps are redefining the way we work and interact with each other and many IMRF members are taking technology on board in their daily opera ons. In this edi on of LIFE LINE we take a look at some of the ways technology is suppor ng SAR and how social media and apps can actually help prevent loss of life in the world's waters. From a virtual coastguard geofence in New Zealand (see page 10) to a passage repor ng app in Norway, the Netherlands and beyond (see page 9). As technology evolves so does search and rescue, and vice versa, and all IMRF members are encouraged to share their technological knowledge on the Surtsey website as detailed on the front page of this edi on. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish IMRF member organisa on, RS Redningsselskapet (Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue), a very Happy 125th Birthday. When RS began on the 9th July 1891 search and rescue would have been very different and, 125 years later, they are one of the organisa ons who have released an app, the ar cle on page 9 explains more. Finally, for those of you who don't know what a Poliwag is, here is a picture of one chilling on the RS boat "Einar staff sr", presumably wai ng for some birthday cake...
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The IMRF at the IMO Do you use GISIS? Telemedical Assistance Services Ques onnaire Mari me Incident Response Groups Members Assis ng Members: Horizontal Rescue - IMRF Ques onnaire IMRF's Mass Rescue Opera ons project – an update Le Boréal Mass Rescue Opera ons in the Arc c In the dark Norway and the Netherlands Join the SafeTrx Community A world-first digital campaign creates a Virtual Coastguard IMRF Bookshop I AM SAR University Project: Design of a Mul purpose Arc c Emergency Rescue and Response Vessel
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DATES FOR THE DIARY China Interna onal Rescue and Salvage Conference
22-23 September 2016 QingDao, China for more informa on email admin.aprc@imrf.asia
IMRF Crew Exchange 2016
24 September - 1 October 2016
IMRF European Regional Mee ng
October 2016: dates and venue to be confirmed: watch www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org or email info@imrf.org.uk
ICE-SAR Rescue 2016
14-16 October 2016 see www.rescue.is/conference
Reykjavik, Iceland
MIRG Seminar and Exercise
26 -28 October on a cruise ship depar ng from Turku, Finland. See Page 5
World Mari me Rescue Congress
5-8 August 2019 details in due course!
Photo Credit:RS Redningsselskapet
Rebecca Jeffries news@imrf.org.uk
www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
Vancouver, Canada
If you are planning a SAR event of interna onal interest which you would like to see listed here, please send the details to news@imrf.org.uk
F E D E R AT I O N page 2
LIFE LINE The IMRF at the IMO As IMRF Members and regular readers of LIFE LINE will know, the IMRF is the only non-governmental organisa on dealing with SAR to hold consulta ve status at the Interna onal Mari me Organiza on (the IMO – the United Na ons' specialised agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the preven on of marine pollu on by ships). As such we are o u r m e m b e r organisa ons' representa ves and the 'voice of mari me SAR' at the UN level Our work at the IMO is part of our 'advocacy and influencing' work. It helps fulfil our objec ves of represen ng the global SAR community effec vely and pushing for the comple on of the global SAR plan envisaged under the relevant interna onal Conven ons – the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Conven on, the Mari me SAR Conven on, and the United Na ons Conven on on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The IMO is a large and complex organisa on, with a very wide range of subjects on its agenda. It handles its workload through a number of Commi ees and technical Sub-Commi ees, each mee ng at its headquarters in London for a week or more's hard work by the Member State and NGO delegates and the representa ves of other Intergovernmental organisa ons a ending. The IMO does not move quickly – and this is generally a good thing: rushed regula on is o en flawed. Items for debate have first to be proposed to and agreed by the relevant parent Commi ee – in the case of SAR ma ers, the Mari me Safety Commi ee – and will then usually be passed to one of the technical Sub-Commi ees for detailed discussion. The Sub-Commi ee may take one or more annual sessions to complete a work item – which is then passed back to the parent Commi ee for final approval or (occasionally) otherwise. It can thus take two or three years for even non-binding guidance to be developed and agreed, and longer s ll for new or significantly amended regula ons. 'Slow but, hopefully, sure' is the watchword! It is certainly no easy ma er to introduce new subjects or react quickly to innova on, which can be a li le frustra ng – but the need to achieve consensus across 171 Member States requires pa ence and careful thought; and those are good things. The main Sub-Commi ee dealing with SAR ma ers is NCSR – the Sub-Commi ee on Safety of Naviga on, Communica ons and Search and Rescue. NCSR meets once a year, and usually has a very full agenda indeed. So it
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AUGUST 2016 in turn delegates detailed items of SAR work to an expert Joint Working Group on SAR established by the IMO and its sister body, the Interna onal Civil Avia on Organiza on (ICAO). The Joint Working Group also meets for a week each year. Among other things it acts as the edi ng body for the Interna onal Aeronau cal and Mari me Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual. The IMRF is always represented at mee ngs of NCSR and the Joint Working Group, and a ends the Mari me Safety Commi ee and other IMO mee ngs when the agenda requires it. IMRF Members may find reports of the IMO mee ngs in the Library on our website. But we also include summary reports in LIFE LINE – so let's have a look at some of the work done by NCSR when it met earlier in the year, and some of the work the IMRF is now involved with on behalf of the Joint Working Group. Availability of IMO documents The IMO publishes a great deal of useful guidance, either for sale or made freely available – but hard to locate on the extensive IMO website. A list prepared by the IMRF of material relevant to SAR organisa ons is now being published by the IMO Secretariat. (Note that IMO publica ons are available from the IMRF's online bookshop, at a 20% discount to IMRF Members, and the freely available guidance may also be found on our website, at www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org/homeimo.) Global Aeronau cal Distress and Safety System (GADSS) GADSS, developed by ICAO in the wake of the MH370 disaster, addresses all phases of flight, including distress situa ons. The GADSS Concept of Opera on details the sequence of events before and a er an accident, and has poten al impact on mari me SAR. Mari me SAR authori es are therefore encouraged to coordinate closely with civil avia on authori es, and each should invite the other to SAR workshops etc. ICS guidance on 'Large scale rescue opera ons’ The Interna onal Chamber of Shipping have published the second edi on of their guidance on 'large scale rescue opera ons at sea', which focusses on the rescue of migrants and asylum-seekers. NCSR has encouraged its dissemina on as widely as possible. The document may be found on the IMRF website, at www.imrfmro.org/mrolibrary-planning-download/file/741-large-scale-rescueopera ons-at-sea-the-ics-guide. Vessel Triage SAR authori es are urged to visit www.raja.fi/vesseltriage, where full details of Finland's mari me emergency risk assessment process are available, and to trial the system. SAR coopera on plans Under the SOLAS Conven on, SAR coopera on plans must be developed between passenger ships trading interna onally, their operators and relevant SAR services. Guidance on how this should be done is contained in MSC Circular 1079 (available at www.interna onal-mari merescue.org/homeimo.) The aim is to facilitate early and good communica on between the main par es responding to passenger ship emergencies. However,
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LIFE LINE although the system generally works well for ferries, it does not always work for ships trading through many SAR regions, such as cruise ships. NCSR has been tasked with proposing amendments to the guidance, and has now asked the Joint Working Group (mee ng in September) to consider the ma er further and prepare redra ed guidance. The IMRF is fully involved in this work. Review of the GMDSS T h e i n i a l d eta i l e d review of the Global Mari me Distress and Safety System has now been completed. The next ac on is the development of a modernisa on plan by a correspondence group coordinated by the United States. The IMRF's chief role in this process so far has been to emphasise that vessels which are not themselves part of IMO's remit – such as fishing vessels and small cra – s ll require distress aler ng and communica ons systems which, ideally, will be covered under the GMDSS without requiring expensive equipment fits or refits. We also want to ensure that any revision will not impose undue financial burdens on developing SAR States. Mass rescue opera ons Tu r n i n g t o t h e ICAO / IMO Joint Working Group, which will meet in Berlin in S e p t e m b e r, t h e I M R F has been asked to consider the current guidance on mass rescue opera ons in the IAMSAR Manual, comparing it with the guidance developed as part of our own project (see www.imrfmro.org), and to propose amendments as necessary. IAMSAR Volume III Volume III of the IAMSAR Manual is the 'Mobile Facili es' volume, meant to be carried aboard interna onal shipping and aircra . It has grown by accre on over the years, and is not very user-friendly. The IMRF has suggested that its contents should be reorganised so that users can find the informa on they need more readily in an emergency. We are now working with Joint Working Group colleagues on a revised framework, to be introduced in the 2019 edi on. (The 2016 edi on of IAMSAR has now been published and more informa on can be found on page 11.) LEDs and NVGs The problem of some LEDs in safety and rescue equipment being invisible to light-intensifying equipment such as Night Vision Goggles has recently been brought to the IMRF's a en on – see page 8 'In the Dark' in this edi on of LIFE LINE. We will be bringing it to the Joint Working Group's formal a en on in September.
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It's clear that there is a great deal going on at the IMO, and t h e I M R F – i n ke e p i n g w i t h o u r f u n c o n s a s representa ves and advocates – is fully involved in it whenever required. IMRF Members are more than welcome to join in. If you would like to observe a mee ng you can apply to join the IMRF delega on, and if you have a par cular interest in any of the subjects under debate the IMRF team will be glad to hear from you: email David Jardine-Smith (d.jardinesmith@imrf.org.uk) for more informa on.
Do you use GISIS? 'GISIS' is the IMO's Global Integrated Shipping Informa on System, much of which is freely available online. All you have to do to access it is register: go to www.imo.org and scroll down un l the link appears on the le . Once in, you will find that one of the modules is, at present, tled 'Radiocommunica ons and Search and Rescue', and gives informa on on the availability of SAR services. You will find informa on here on na onal SAR authori es, rescue coordina on centres and telemedical assistance services. The IMO secretariat intend to rename this as the 'Global SAR Plan' module and will develop new modules on Mari me Assistance Services and the Global Mari me Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). They will also enable the addi on to the database of SAR Regions' geographical limits. GISIS thus contains the IMO's repository of informa on on SAR services globally. It is very important that the informa on in it should be complete and up-to-date. This is the responsibility of the individual Member States, not the IMO secretariat: States update the database direct. So: if you see that some informa on is missing or incorrect in your country's entry, you might want to bring it to the a en on of your SAR Authority!
Telemedical Assistance Services ques onnaire Medical advice can be obtained at sea by calling specially selected telemedical assistance services, or 'TMAS', usually via a rescue coordina on centre. The IMO's MSC Circular 960 provides guidance on these services. Now the IMO is seeking to determine the status of i m p l e m e nta o n o f T M A S , a n d h a s p re p a re d a ques onnaire accordingly. Member States are being urged to complete the ques onnaire and to review and, if necessary, update their TMAS informa on in the IMO's online Global Integrated Shipping Informa on System (GISIS – see www.imo.org, and ‘Do you use GISIS?’, above). Both MSC Circular 960 and the ques onnaire may be found on our website at www.interna onal-mari merescue.org/categoriesimo/medical
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LIFE LINE Mari me Incident Response Groups The Bal c Sea Mari me Incident Response Group (MIRG) Project, led by the Finnish Border Guard, has finalised the report of its Work Package 2 "Bal c Sea MIRG Project 20142016: Ship Fire Incident Analysis". You can download the report from the I M R F's M I R G Library: see h p://imrfmirg.org/.
AUGUST 2016 interested par es are welcome to par cipate in the seminar. If you wish to par cipate in the event or have any ques ons about the Bal c Sea MIRG project, please contact the project personnel by email at MIRG@raja.fi.
Work Package 2 involved analysing seven past ship fires in which MIRG teams or other forms of external assistance were or could have been deployed. The report recommends that coastal countries should be ready to dispatch MIRG teams to provide external help for ship's crew in firefigh ng opera ons. The report includes a short sta s cs sec on where the main results of Kiersten Sander's work for the IMRF, Search & Rescue Response to Ferry Accidents; Common Problems, Poten al Solu ons & Good Prac ce, are presented. The Project has also been developing appropriate guidance materials, including on common risk assessment, the role of MIRG Opera on Commander, and the role of MIRG/Fire Liaison Officer. The team have discussed radio communica on during interna onal MIRG opera ons, the comple on of opera ons, aborted opera ons, and coopera on between the MIRG Opera ons Commander and the master of the vessel too. The Finnish Border Guard are now organising a MIRG seminar, to be held in October 2016. The seminar will bring together ship fire experts and emergency responders to discuss how preparedness for ship fires has been developed recently and how this work should con nue in the future. A key aspect of the seminar is the presenta on of the results of the Bal c Sea MIRG project, which includes joint opera onal guidelines developed for MIRG opera ons for use by authori es par cipa ng in ship fire incidents as well as shipping companies. The seminar will also include discussion on the ship fires in Europe by a number of interna onal lecturers. The seminar will be held from 27 to 28 October on a cruise ship depar ng from Turku: • 27 October: departure in the morning on a cruise, TurkuStockholm-Turku. The programme includes a full-day seminar and dinner for the par cipants. • Overnight stay on the ship and return to Turku on the morning of 28 October. Those who wish can also par cipate in the following event that will be organised before the seminar: • 26 October: MIRG exercise on a ship at the port of Turku to test the opera onal guidelines developed in the Bal c Sea MIRG project. One can sign up for the exercise as an observer or par cipant (incl. MIRG teams). Mari me search and rescue authori es, representa ves of emergency services, shipping companies and other
Members Assis ng Members: Horizontal Rescue – IMRF ques onnaire The IMRF has published a ques onnaire on horizontal rescue online. We hope that as many SAR organisa ons as possible will answer it, to help improve and spread knowledge of life-saving techniques. The more informa on we can collect and disseminate on this vitally important subject the be er. The ques onnaire may be found at www.interna onalmari me-rescue.org /horizontal-rescue-imrfques onnaire. It is a tool for obtaining informa on about the commonly used systems for rescuing a casualty from the water; and about related procedures and experiences. It is also intended to evaluate the prac cability of the various systems under different condi ons. These data will enable rescue services to share their experience with each other and make improvements overall. It will be par cularly helpful if pictures accompany ques onnaire returns. Pictures may be simply uploaded as the ques onnaire is completed. Survivors in the water suffer from a decrease in circula ng blood volume, and from an impaired cardio-vascular func on. It must be assumed that they also suffer from hypothermia. Their manual dexterity, handgrip strength and swimming performance are reduced, and it is most likely that they cannot assist in their own rescue. The risk of a 'circum-rescue collapse' is of paramount importance at all stages of the rescue procedure. Survivors in the water should be li ed in a horizontal or
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LIFE LINE near-horizontal posi on if possible – for example, by means of any kind of rescue or scramble net or in two strops or loops; one under the arms, the other under the knees – to minimize the risk of shock induced by sudden transfer from the water and possible hypothermia. This procedure is recommended if the person has been exposed for more than 30 minutes or shows signs of hypothermia; and if the li will take more than a few seconds. However, especially for short li s, do not delay if the survivor's airway (mouth/nose) is threatened by, for example, backwash from the rescuing vessel; or if moving him into a posi on which would allow horizontal rescue would submerge his head. If such threat exists, li the survivor by the quickest method. Persons who have been dri ing in, for example, a lifera for an extended period of me are also likely to be lacking body fluid, and it must be assumed that they are suffering from hypothermia. They too should be rescued in a horizontal posi on whenever possible, and they should be handled with care! The importance of preven ng hypothermia and early applica on of adequate insula on is one of the cornerstones of pre-hospital primary care. The removal of wet clothing or the addi on of a vapour barrier will reduce heat loss effec vely and is of great importance in prehospital rescue scenarios in cold environments. A simple procedure to accomplish this is to use plas c film (or any other moisture-proof layer) applied closest to the skin; over that insula on material and then finally a windproof layer (the so-called Hibler's method). The rescue of a vic m from the water is a rare event. The procedures should be trained regularly, including under adverse condi ons. If possible a heavyweight dummy (90 kg / 200 lbs) should be used. As stated, there is always the risk of circum-rescue collapse. The transfer to a place of safety should be performed as carefully as possible, and preferably in a horizontal posi on.
IMRF's Mass Rescue Opera ons project – an update The IMRF's MRO Project con nues to develop. Our guidance is being updated, in light of con nuing experience, and new items are being added to the suppor ng online library of informa on. You can find both at www.imrfmro.org. And you can add your own experience there too. The e-book version of our guidance, Mass Rescue Opera ons, is now available in a 2nd Edi on from the IMRF's online bookshop: see www.imr ookshop.org. While the same material may be freely downloaded from our MRO website as individual guidance papers, we make a small charge for the book, to help fund the con nuing
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project. It's not expensive, though. Why not buy a copy…? We con nue to offer our MRO workshop package too. There are two versions of this. The first is designed for stakeholders at a na onal or local level, and is intended to help people and organisa ons who will have to work together on a mass rescue opera on to consider the issues they are likely to have to face, and poten al solu ons to them. The second version of the workshop is more general, for par cipants from across a wider region, not necessarily connected with each other opera onally. It too is designed to enable considera on of MRO ma ers in depth. You can download our workshop guide at www.imrfmro.org/mro-library-train-test-learndownload/file/775-imrf-mro-workshop-guide. Finally, as the year progresses, the IMRF's project team will be developing an audit process intended to help States and SAR organisa ons assess their readiness for these most difficult of mari me SAR opera ons. We'll keep you posted on progress in LIFE LINE.
Le Boréal In September 2015 emergency planners from a number of Bri sh Overseas Territories gathered in Miami for an interisland MRO planning workshop organised by the Bri sh Consulate: see 'Mass rescue in the Caribbean' in the October 2015 edi on of LIFE LINE, which you can download from the newsle er archive at www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org. The Falklands Islands / Islas Malvinas*, is a group far from the Caribbean indeed, but with similar concerns about the mass rescue opera ons (MRO) 'capability gap', as the IMRF refer to it and, just 7 weeks a er the Miami workshop, the cruise ship, Le Boréal, got into difficul es on passage from Grave Cove to South Georgia. Andrew Almond-Bell, the recently appointed Director of Emergency Service for the Falkland Islands Government, who had a ended the conference in Miami, has kindly shared his report with the IMRF. In the early hours of Wednesday 18 November, the cruise ship Le Boréal, issued a MAYDAY call while about four miles north of the islands. Fire in the engine room had led to a complete loss of power, leaving the ship adri in gale force condi ons with a 3-4m swell running. There were 347 people aboard. Le Boréal's master decided on an evacua on of passengers and non-essen al crew. It was immediately clear that a full-scale marine, air and land response would be required from the remote and sparsely inhabited islands. All the necessary authori es were alerted, and lines of communica on were
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Three SAR and three passenger helicopters – a mix of military and civilian units – were available, and a fleet of emergency service vehicles and buses were despatched to Cape Dolphin. Provision for the recep on and care of people landed was being set up simultaneously, with a recep on centre at Mount Pleasant. An environmental protec on plan was also being set in place, but Le Boréal succeeded in anchoring two miles offshore, lis ng but stable. The fire was reported contained. The ship was subsequently towed to Mare Harbour. Meanwhile the SAR helicopters winched people from Le Boréal's deck and from the lifera s, to land them at Cape Dolphin. 78 people were brought to safety in this way. The passenger aircra took them on to the recep on centre. A warship, HMS Clyde, arrived on scene, but due to the sea state it was determined that it would be unsafe to a empt to take people aboard immediately. Le Boréal's sister ship, L ' Au st r a l, wa s a ls o heading for the scene, with an ETA of 0900. For her to take the people o n b o a rd f ro m t h e lifeboats it was necessary to seek shelter in White Rock Bay. HMS Clyde escorted the lifeboats and L'Austral to the Bay, supplying water and fuel to the lifeboats on the way – no mean feat in itself in the prevailing condi ons. As is so o en the case in mass rescue opera ons confusion arose over numbers of people recovered. Those landed by helicopter at Cape Dolphin could be carefully accounted for, but there were two versions of the ship's manifest in circula on, and transfer of people into L'Austral was 'uncontrolled' in this respect. Aerial and land searches of the incident area and nearby coastline had to be carried out as a result, and it was some 18 hours before it could be confirmed that everyone had been accounted for. L'Austral landed the 258 people she had recovered at Port Stanley. The evacuees were accounted for on arrival against the
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available manifest. They were provided with welfare facili es comprising of medical screening, washing facili es, food, clothing, companionship, and informa on. Some couples had been separated during the evacua on process which, understandably, resulted in heightened anxiety. 13 evacuees were treated at the medical centre for superficial injuries. Access to a means of communica on to contact family and friends at home was provided and gratefully received. Accommoda on prior to repatria on was a challenge. There is limited hotel space in the islands and, although there was some military and oil explora on company accommoda on available, not all could be housed in these ways. The local radio sta on and Facebook were used to broadcast appeals for assistance, and the popula on responded admirably, providing clothing and food as well as beds. Overall, says Andrew, “SAR opera ons can be considered to have been successful. The whole complement of 347 passengers and crew were accounted for, and there were no significant injuries. Indeed there were only minor injuries – minor smoke inhala on, a sprain and small cuts that necessitated plasters. This was testament to the professionalism and resilience, reinforced by training, of everyone involved.” Andrew's report contains a very useful 'lessons learned' sec on. We will provide a summary of this in the October edi on of LIFE LINE. "A dispute exists between the Governments of Argen na and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas. The IMRF uses the term agreed at the United Na ons to describe the islands.” Photo credits: Courtesy of MOD (Crown Copyright)
Mass rescue opera ons in the Arc c An Arc c mass rescue opera ons workshop was organised in Copenhagen in June by IQPC, and was led by the IMRF's David Jardine-Smith. The workshop considered the specific challenges associated with delivering an MRO in the Arc c region. Par cipants discussed planning processes and the specific capabili es required to make such opera ons successful. The workshop's conclusions were as follows. Challenges iden fied · Distance and therefore me: remoteness from SAR facili es. · Environment: weather, sea states, cold water, fog, snow/ice cover – effects on survivors and on SAR units. · Communica ons, especially with survival cra .
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courtesy United States Coast Guard
established. A situa on report was received from MRCC Falmouth in the UK, who had received the ini al distress alert, and, using AIS, a picture of the evolving incident was formulated. Island government, military and private sector assets available were iden fied and tasked. An ini al landing point was established at Cape Dolphin, close to the scene. A C130 aircra was appointed On Scene Coordinator. At 0440 Le Boréal advised that the passengers and crew had commenced evacua on to two lifeboats and two lifera s.
AUGUST 2016
LIFE LINE · In some circumstances, loca on of the emergency. · Command / control / coordina on, including on scene. · Consequence management versus crisis management: risk of senior officer 'mission creep' from strategic to tac cal or opera onal areas. · Local 'places of safety' are very likely to be inadequate, with limited support resource available. And its deple on may lead to problems of re-supply for the communi es themselves. · Towing, and finding ports of refuge / safe havens. · Long-term planning required with ship / operator: ac ve SAR coopera on planning. · Border security, foreign affairs, public health & environmental concerns. · Public rela ons: news media, families & friends, social media. · Wealthy / VIP passengers may have their own emergency response systems: this would complicate the response overall. Considera ons · What is the nature of the emergency? · Evacuate or not? Can people be retained aboard the ship (the 'best lifeboat')? · It's important that the master / ship's operator understands the SAR service meline: how quickly can units arrive and what capabili es will they have? · Other ships can, in some circumstances, assist with onboard support. · The ship's operator is responsible for passengers & crew once they have been delivered to places of safety: it's vital for the RCC to liaise closely with the operator. · Should ships have escorts (as will Crystal Serenity, which will traverse the North West Passage in August & September 2016, the first cruise ship to do so) or be 'paired', as envisaged in the IMO guidance; that is, nearby ships are each other's first responder? · Which RCC leads? This is covered by the Arc c Council SAR Agreement, with bilateral agreements. · We must talk to the 'neighbours' beforehand, at the planning stage, as regards sharing resources, facilita ng cross-border responses, etc. · Air assets can be used for ini al assessment, but ships will be required for rescue of large numbers of people. · A suppor ve communica ons network is required: the RCC should work with the ship's operator in joint support of the master. · Accident preven on / mi ga on are the best sorts of SAR! Improvements proposed · Conduct a GIS-based capability study of high-risk zones in remote areas, and link with SAR coopera on planning: this should be an interna onal, collabora ve study, and might lead to different safety rules for different areas. · Operators should pre-plan / contract with poten al assistance vessels able to provide 'first aid' assistance, towing capability, etc. · The offshore oil/gas industry maintains stockpiles of emergency equipment for rapid deployment: deploy 'rescue packs' similarly, especially during cruise seasons. · Pre-posi on SAR units seasonally: a responsibility shared interna onally and/or funded by poten al users. · Should the cruise industry take more responsibility for establishing / improving emergency response provision in
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· · · ·
· ·
· ·
'adventure cruising' areas? It was noted that the best operators are doing this already: the Crystal Serenity might establish a 'gold standard for the industry, which insurers can then use as a benchmark. Interna onal 'subsunk' collabora ve arrangements are in place, sharing the load between States: follow this example? Establish and maintain a website showing emergency response assets actually available. Improve black box-type data-streaming to operators ashore. Deploy UAVs / Remotely Piloted Aircra to improve communica ons and tracking, and provide eyes on scene in an emergency: cheaper than manned op ons and able to remain on task significantly longer. Plan forward deployment of aircra , including refuelling. Con nue to develop the Arc c Council SAR Agreement, which requires interna onal coopera on, command/control/coordina on agreement, sharing of assets etc but does not yet detail how these things will be done. Deal with poten al problems – for example, border control issues – now, not at the me of an incident. Develop IMO's Polar Code, based on experience.
Summary · Responses should be pre-planned generically. · Agree coordina on arrangements. · Agree to share resources, and facilitate this process. · Improve awareness of addi onal facili es that might be used. · Plan to extend survival mes. Above all it is vital to work together, communica ng effec vely before any incident as well as during it – and a er incidents too, to disseminate lessons learned.
In the dark A worrying issue concerning the increasing use of lightemi ng diodes (LEDs) in safety and rescue equipment, replacing tradi onal incandescent lightbulbs, has been brought to the IMRF's a en on by SAR colleagues in Denmark. Some of these lights, it turns out, cannot be seen by search crews using light-amplifica on equipment. Capt Ole V Henriksen of the Royal Danish Air Force says: “As users of night vision goggles (NVG) in the SAR community in Denmark, we have no ced that certain LED lights are invisible when using NVG, although bright and clear to the naked eye. During an exercise and tes ng of new rescue equipment, we found that a new type of 'electronic distress flare' was only faintly visible when we used NVG. However, according to the manufacturer, the electronic flare was: “a safe and long-las ng solu on to visual signalling in an emergency, [giving] excellent visibility for [SAR] aircra .”” Crew using night vision equipment primarily 'see' in the near-infrared spectrum. Most visible light is blocked by the equipment to prevent cockpit and other nearby ligh ng satura ng the imaging system. Unlike tradi onal bulbs, LEDs have a narrow band of emission and do not emit
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LIFE LINE infrared energy. Although they are clearly visible to the naked eye, they can 'disappear' in night vision equipment. The blocking filters have the unintended effect of making some LED lights invisible.
The problem has been raised by some avia on authori es as regards flight safety equipment, but does not seem to have been addressed interna onally as regards equipment that may be used in distress situa ons. Transport Canada and the United States' Federal Avia on Administra on (FAA), for example, have issued warnings regarding obstruc on lights. An FAA Safety Alert For Operators "advises operators u lizing NVGs that certain LED ligh ng systems fall outside the combined visible and near-infrared spectrum of NVGs. [...] Avia on Red light ranges from about 610 to 700 nanometers (nm), and NVGs approved for civil avia on (having a Class B Minus Blue Filter) are only sensi ve to energy ranging from 665 to about 930 nm. Because LEDs have a rela vely narrow emission band and do not emit infrared energy like incandescent lights, it is possible for them to meet FAA requirements for Avia on Red but be below the range in which NVGs are sensi ve". The problem has been addressed by some manufacturers. 'NVG-friendly' technology has been included in some LED ligh ng. One safety light manufacturer, for example, has solved the issue by introducing an 850 nm infrared 'peak intensity', which renders the LEDs visible to night vision systems.
AUGUST 2016 Norway and the Netherlands Join the SafeTrx Community SafeTrx arrives on Norwegian shores and rolls out the enhanced version of the mobile vessel tracking solu on to the Netherlands SafeTrx, the tried and trusted mobile vessel tracking solu on, con nues to grow with the release of the RS Redningsselskapet (Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue) 'RS SafeTrx' Smartphone app in Norway. With approximately 1,500 volunteers, 43 rescue vessels and 25 rescue sta ons across the country, the Redningsselskapet will seek to use SafeTrx to help promote safe, responsible recrea onal boa ng in Norway's coastal waters and inland navigable waters. Available on both Android & Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad), SafeTrx monitors a journey, alerts designated contacts should a journey go overdue and provides a Webbased user interface for the Search and Rescue (SAR) service to rapidly assist in loca ng an overdue vessel. A Mobile Mari me Safety Pla orm ‘RS SafeTrx' uses all the standard SafeTrx 2016 vessel tracking and aler ng features in addi on to significant func onal enhancements which have been added to this year's SafeTrx upgrade. The Redningsselskapet SafeTrx implementa on is available in Norwegian and English, and includes a variety of loca on-based informa on from lifeboat sta ons and local VHF channels, to details on ports and harbours in the surrounding area. The live loca ons of the Redningsselskapet rescue vessels can also be tracked using the lifeboat loca on tracker within the app.
Similar responses are needed for distress signalling equipment u lising LEDs. “A simple solu on from a user perspec ve,” says Ole Henriksen, “Would be to ensure that LEDs used in rescue equipment are 'NVG Conver ble', emi ng energy in the 665-930 nm range. Not all LEDs are invisible to NVG, and tests of other rescue equipment have revealed that LEDs used in some lifejackets were visible.” We need to ensure that this is the case in all such equipment – but for this to be the case, the problem must first be widely known. It appears not to be known by the manufacturer of the 'electronic flare' men oned above, for example, and a quick survey of IMRF members has shown that several were unaware of the issue. Denmark has raised the ma er in the SAR Working Group of the North Atlan c Coast Guard Forum, and the IMRF will be submi ng a paper on the subject to the Interna onal Civil Avia on Organiza on / Interna onal Mari me Organiza on Joint Working Group on SAR when it meets in September, asking the two organisa ons to consider the issue further and take appropriate ac on. In the mean me, if you use night vision equipment, be aware: some LEDs can leave you in the dark!
www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
The aim of SafeTrx 2016 is to enhance the exis ng SafeTrx product so that it becomes a 'mobile mari me safety pla orm', a prac cal tool that helps reduce the risk of mari me accidents and the loss of human lives at sea. With this in mind, 'RS SafeTrx' mobile app users will be able to receive mari me safety messages and marine no ces directly from Redningsselskapet through the app and SMS. Informa on on weather alerts, gale warnings and marine no ces can be sent via this channel. To facilitate trip planning, 'RS SafeTrx' includes loca onbased weather through the yr.no online weather provider. The app allows the boater to choose a loca on and returns the hour-by-hour weather forecast over the next three days for that loca on. 'SafeTrx 2016' Live in the Netherlands As SafeTrx extends to other countries, its usage con nues to
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LIFE LINE grow in exis ng communi es. This summer saw the release of the 2016 version of the SafeTrx app in the Netherlands with the Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij ( Ro y a l N e t h e r l a n d s S e a R e s c u e Ins tu on). Now a central part of the volunteer organisa on's preven on program, the SafeTrx app (labelled 'KNRM Helps' in the Netherlands) has over 23,000 end users and over 15,000 trips recorded in the Netherlands since its launch last year. The updated KNRM SafeTrx app displays the live loca ons of the KNRM Search and Rescue (SAR) vessels and can be tracked using the lifeboat loca on tracker on the map. K N R M have partnered with the relevant na onal organisa ons to send weather alerts, nau cal warnings and nau cal obstruc ons applicable to their working area. Mobile app users will receive such alerts via the SafeTrx app and SMS messages. Staying Relevant The design of the 2016 SafeTrx applica on marks a departure from previous versions of the product. The establishment of an interna onal SafeTrx User Group (SUG) has allowed the development team to work directly with those that are providing life saving services at sea. Such coopera on and involvement with SUG ensures the product stays relevant and is always fit-for-purpose. The app con nues to flourish in individual countries. More than 8,000 people now use the SafeTrx app implemented by Salvamento Marí mo, Spain's na onal mari me rescue organisa on. A recent ar cle (available at www.safetrxapp.com/news#396) featuring tes monials from the boa ng community aims to promote the benefits of the app from different point of views. Miguel Félix Chicón, Head of Salvamento Marí mo's Regional Rescue Coordina on Centre in Palma explains the benefit to the MRCC, “This tool will save us so much me searching and loca ng, which has a posi ve impact on the effec veness of the rescue teams”. Ibiza's Mari me Captain, Luis Gascón agrees, “It is also for kayaking, fishing, windsurfing ac vi es… vessels that don't carry a communica on system”. He adds, “It's important to know that you are not alone”. Luis Ballet uses the app when dinghy sailing in Barcelona, “It's able to locate you wherever you are, send a warning message and guide the rescue opera on to your loca on”, he comments. Likewise, Juan Oliver, an experienced canoeist based in Palma de Mallorca, notes “It is essen al in the case of an emergency”. He adds, “Reac ng to an emergency as soon as possible is cri cal to the preven on of loss of life, and there is no doubt that this app will save a lot of me searching and loca ng”. Developed in co-opera on with SAR and Coast Guard organisa ons, SafeTrx is now the standard solu on in mobile applica on vessel tracking in Australia with the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard and Marine Rescue
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Queensland; in Spain with the Salvamento Marí mo; in South Africa with the Na onal Sea Rescue Ins tu on; the Netherlands with the Koninkijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij; in Norway with Redningsselskapet; in Ireland with the Irish Sailing Associa on and in the UK with the Royal Yach ng Associa on.
A world-first digital campaign creates a Virtual Coastguard One thing that social media and mari me SAR have in common is the constant need to develop through innova on and technology. Mari me New Zealand have put this connec on to good use and have partnered with Google and Facebook in a ground breaking digital campaign. Vince Cholewa, Senior Media and Communica ons Advisor for Mari me New Zealand, explains further: In a world-first digital campaign, New Zealand's government mari me agency, Mari me New Zealand, has partnered with Google and Facebook to create “Virtual Coastguard”, a mari me safety ini a ve that geo-fences an en re country. A geo-fence is a zone of coordinates that any smartphone's GPS can read. Mari me NZ's stretches 15km out from every coastline in the country, ensuring anyone se ng out on the water will pass through on it.
This innova ve campaign won the 2016 Communica on Agencies' Associa on of New Zealand awards for “best use of mobile” and “best in show”, for the top campaign of the year, and was a finalist at the Cannes Lions interna onal adver sing awards out of 41,500 entries. It was created for Mari me NZ by its adver sing agency FCB Media. Mari me NZ's communica ons manager Pania Shingleton said: “Over 3 million lifesaving adverts were delivered through 'Virtual Coastguard' last summer. The campaign boosted click through engagement to our website up to 700% more than when land-based prompts were used.” “Last summer there were only 4 boa ng fatali es, down from 20,” she said. The idea behind the campaign was to deliver a safety message to boa es to get their lifejacket on as close to the me as they were going boa ng as possible – in this case while out on the water.
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LIFE LINE All boa es had to do was have their mobile and GPS on; and when they crossed the digital geo-fence around New Zealand's coastline, a lifejacket advert was pushed out to the boa es automa cally reminding them to “Get it on or it's no good”. The other way they received the life-saving prompt was through accessing a marine weather mobile app. This free app has been downloaded more than 120,000 mes and is now used more than 236,000 mes a month. Mari me NZ lifejacket and safety messages are delivered through the app 760,000 mes a month. On average about 17 boa es die each year in New Zealand. “More than 1 in 3 New Zealanders get out on the water. We are a boa ng na on with a small 4.5 million popula on, using about 960,000 recrea onal cra , and having a huge 15,000km coastline,” said Ms. Shingleton. So far, this use of the new digital ini a ve and the weather app has meant boa es around New Zealand's coastline have received more than 21.9 million messages while they are either going on the water, or checking a marine weather forecast. Every one of those messages reminds them to 'wear your lifejacket'. A well as recogni on in the adver sing industry, Virtual Coastguard has also sparked interest among boa ng safety organisa ons all over the world. Mari me NZ is happy for others to take up this idea and build their own geo-fence systems. “Virtual Coastguard” is an ini a ve by Mari me NZ supported by its safety partners Coastguard NZ and the NZ Safer Boa ng Forum. Watch Mari me NZ's video to get a clear, visual descrip on of how the system works h ps://vimeo.com/175756890/b576f88cf7#at=0. If you wish to contact Mari me NZ about Virtual Coastguard, then please email media@mari menz.govt.nz
IMRF Bookshop I AM SAR The Interna onal Aeronau cal and Mari me Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual is the primary interna onal guidance on se ng up and running a SAR service and managing SAR opera ons. It is essen al reading for anyone involved in SAR.
www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
The Manual is revised and republished every three years by the Interna onal Mari me Organiza on (IMO) and the Interna onal Civil Avia on Organiza on (ICAO). The 2016 edi on is now out – and IMRF members can save 20% of its list price by buying from the IMRF online bookshop. Visit www.imr ookshop.org now! The primary purpose of the IAMSAR Manual, says its foreword, “is to assist States in mee ng their own SAR needs, and the obliga ons they accept under the Conven on on Interna onal Civil Avia on, the Interna onal Conven on on Mari me Search and Rescue, and the Interna onal Conven on for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).” Its three volumes “provide guidelines for a common avia on and mari me approach to organizing and providing SAR services. States are encouraged to develop and improve their SAR services, co-operate with neighbouring States, and consider their SAR services to be part of a global SAR system. “Each volume is wri en with specific SAR system du es in mind, and can be used as a stand-alone document, or, in conjunc on with the other two volumes, as a means to a ain a full view of the SAR system. Depending on the du es assigned, it may be necessary to hold only one, or two or all three volumes. Volume I, 'Organiza on and Management', “discusses the global S A R system concept, establishment and improvement of na onal and regional SAR systems, and coopera on with neighbouring States to provide effec ve and economical SAR services.” Volume II, 'Mission Co-ordina on', “assists personnel who plan and co-ordinate SAR opera ons and exercises. And Volume III, 'Mobile Facili es', “is intended to be carried aboard rescue units, aircra , and vessels to help with performance of a search, rescue, or on-scene coordinator func ons, and with aspects of SAR that pertain to their own emergencies.” Also available from the IMRF Bookshop, among many IMO other tles, are the Ac on Cards associated with IAMSAR Volume III. Have a look at the IMO's pocket guides to Recover y Techniques and Cold Water Survival, too. There are other very important books in the Bookshop. Drowning: preven on, rescue, treatment is one of these. Its second edi on, published in 2014, “will help all those ac ve in the field of drowning preven on, rescue and treatment
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LIFE LINE to further lower the number of vic ms of drowning” – which is, as the World Health Organiza on has reported, one of the world's leading killers: “the third leading cause of uninten onal injury death worldwide”.
Ini ally we looked at the opera onal area around Greenland, considering factors such as ice coverage, marine traffic density, port loca ons and restric ons. Combining this research and collabora on with Arc c Technology Specialists from Lloyd's Register we were able to determine ini al design requirements for the vessel.
Drowning is available at a very significant discount in the I M R F Bookshop, with a further 20% off for IMRF members!
Our design process then followed a three phase process with preliminary design, further design and advanced design stages. This itera ve process saw the proposed vessel design develop from an ini al hullform genera on, incorpora ng preliminary engineering systems, to a final concept design. This design took into account many considera ons such as seakeeping, vibra on, added resistance and final ou i ng. In addi on to typical Search and Rescue opera ons the vessel is equipped with oil spill response facili es and this was developed to match the changing design of the vessel.
And, as noted elsewhere in this edi on of LIFE LINE, the second edi on of the IMRF's e-book, Mass Rescue Opera ons, is also now available. Don't wait: visit www.imr ookshop.org today!
University Project: Design of a Mul purpose Arc c Emergency Rescue and Response Vessel
Due to the proposed opera onal area of the vessel, significant design was carried out in several areas where the harsh weather could cause poten al problems. These areas included the hullform, HVAC (Hea ng, ven la on and air condi oning), propulsion, and deck winterisa on.
The IMRF Secretariat are always pleased to hear of innova ve research so we were delighted when, earlier this year, a group of 6 students from Newcastle University approached us with a project they were working on. John Dalziel, an IMRF individual member, kindly assisted the group throughout their project with advice on weather condi ons, current vessel technologies as well as examples of search and rescue missions around Greenland. Jack Jones of Newcastle University writes: We are a group of 6 students studying for a Master's degree in Marine Technology at Newcastle University and this year, as part of our course, we were tasked with designing a vessel for a current mari me need. A er some considera on we focused on Search and Rescue in the Arc c as there has been significant growth in marine traffic around this region. Greenland relies heavily on support from the Danish Navy and we therefore proposed the opera onal area of our vessel to be around Greenland in order to provide an addi onal rescue force.
Dimension
Value
Length O.A.
66.27 m
Breadth
14.5 m
Design Draught
6m
Displacement
3459 m3
Maximum Speed
18.5 knots
Speed in Ice
5.0 knots
Survivor Capacity
300 persons
Installed Power
16.66 MW (1 x 12.9 MW Siemens SGT-400) (2 x 1882 kW Wärtsilä 6L26)
Propulsion
2 x ABB Azipod VI1600A
Although this project only looked at the design of a vessel, we are very aware that just one vessel would not be sufficient to deal with the vast waters around Greenland, and that a fleet would be necessary to provide adequate capabili es so given further me, we would have liked to have given more thought as to how this vessel may be incorporated into a fleet of vessels that could be used to provide SAR capabili es along the Greenland coast. This project has opened our eyes to the importance of the Search and Rescue sector and highlighted the importance of the industry that so many take for granted. It is worth men oning that we are very grateful of the help that we have received from industry and individuals who have been willing to give their me and advice with this project.
And finally... Project group from le to right:Sam Williamson, Ioannis Mavris, Jack Jones, Alex Steel, Harry Frith, Vincent Barrelet.
www.interna onal-mari me-rescue.org
We hope that you have found this issue of LIFE LINE informa ve and interes ng. If you would like to contribute ar cles and pictures about your news, projects, events, ideas or lessons learned, please contact news@imrf.org.uk. page 12