LIFE LINE The Newsletter of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF)
April 2015 December 2010
December News… Experience… Ideas… Information… Development… 2010 In this issue:
the huge SAR challenges presented by unsafe mixed migration by sea more on the World Maritime Rescue Congress coming up in June news from Sweden, Ireland, Iceland, Estonia, Indonesia, China & Sri Lanka and more!
Disaster in the Mediterranean
December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010
December 2010who More than 3000 people died in the Mediterranean in 2014. They were not passengers on cruise ships or airliners, photo courtesy Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS)
we would hear more about. They were people the authorities call ‘mixed migrants’, meaning that, at least while they were out there on the water, their legal status was uncertain. But they were trying to escape war, abuse, poverty. They photo were the unlucky ones: more than 200,000 others were rescued. It’s a risk ratio that more and more desperate people are willing to chance.
December 2010
The picture above is, perhaps, symbolic: throwing bottles of water across a gap – a gap in SAR capability, a gap in international policy. “The current search and rescue system,” says Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, “Is not designed for this scale of mass rescue.” Some see a threat to the very principles of maritime SAR. Mr Sekimizu is determined to address the problem. The IMRF supports his efforts. See page 6.
December 2010
The International Maritime Rescue Federation is a registered company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom and registered as a charity in England and Wales Patron: Efthimios E. Mitropoulos KCMG, IMO Secretary General Emeritus
December 2010
Registered office: IMRF West Quay Road Poole BH15 1HZ United Kingdom Company Registration Number: 4852596 Charity Registration Number: 1100883
www.international-maritime-rescue.org
December 2010
LIFE LINE
April 2015
Editorial
Contents
Welcome to the latest edition of your newsletter.
Disaster in the Mediterranean
The IMRF Secretariat are now fully engaged, with a small band of enthusiastic helpers, on the detailed planning for the World Maritime Rescue Congress in June, and the SAR exhibition and IMRF Quadrennial General Meeting that accompany it. We very much hope to see you there. You can read more about it on pages 3 & 4 – and do not miss our CEO’s summary of the IMRF’s strategy for the next four years on page 5. Discussion of this strategy will be one of the key parts of the QGM. If you are in an IMRF Member organisation it really is important that you attend and have your say on what we should be doing next. And if yours is a Full Member organisation, it is vital that you are formally represented at the QGM so that you can vote on the revised IMRF constitution and elect the Board of Trustees who will guide us through to 2019! You can find much more on this on the IMRF website, at www.international-maritimerescue.org/index.php/homewmrc
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Editorial
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Dates for the Diary
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The World Maritime Rescue Congress ...
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IMRF’s Quadrennial General Meeting ...
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The IMRF in the next quadrennium
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Busy year planned in Asia-Pacific
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Migrants in distress at sea: time to act ...
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A survivor’s view
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Saving lives through education
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ICE-SAR
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News from Estonia
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A SAR plan for East Asia
There’s a great deal more in this edition of LIFE LINE than Congress & QGM, though, important though they are, for the main work of the IMRF has not stopped! As usual there are articles about our Members’ activities from around the world, and there are reports from our Asia-Pacific Regional Centre and on our work at and with the IMO. The latter includes our engagement on what is clearly one of the most important SAR issues of modern times – the response to unsafe mixed migration by sea. Thousands of people are dying. This must be addressed by the international community. And you can be sure that the IMRF will play its part. See page 6. Dave Jardine-Smith news@imrf.org.uk
www.international-maritime-rescue.org
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McMurdo Group partners the IMRF
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NCSR2
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Sunbird
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Keep in touch!
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Radios at last
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Send us your news & pictures
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Dates for the Diary
Or, if you have questions, please contact us at info@imrf.org.uk or on +44 (0)1569 767405. *
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SAR Europe
Portsmouth, UK
21-23 April 2015
For details, see www.searchandrescueeurope.com
Australia and New Zealand SAR Conference Jupiters Gold Coast, Australia 6 May 2015 For details, see sar.anzdmc.com.au
World Maritime Rescue Congress Bremerhaven, Germany
1-4 June 2015
IMRF’s global congress and quadrennial general meeting: see page 3
IMRF Regional Mass Rescue Operations Workshop Singapore
19-21 August 2015 For details, email info@imrf.org.uk
International Civil Aviation Organization / International Maritime Organization Joint Working Group on SAR Trenton, Ontario, Canada 14-18 September 2015 For details, contact d.jardinesmith@imrf.org.uk If you are planning a SAR event of international interest which you would like to see listed here, please send the details to news@imrf.org.uk
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LIFE LINE
April 2015
The World Maritime
Rescue Congress 2015
Subject-matter experts, managers, coordinators, rescue unit crews and other professionals from the maritime SAR community around the world will be discussing issues ranging from migrants, social media and training to unmanned systems, funding, casualty care and organisational development at the
World Maritime Rescue Congress in Germany in June. This major event, to be held from 1 to 3 June 2015 at the Atlantic Hotel Sail City, magnificently situated beside the River Weser in the centre of the old port city of Bremerhaven, will be hosted by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS), and is a must for maritime organisations involved, or likely to become involved, in SAR on the world's waters. Organised by the IMRF, which has 112 member organisations from around the world, the Congress is held every four years. The last one, in Shanghai, China, in 2011, was a great success. The Bremerhaven Congress is expected to be just as good, and the biggest yet with 60 presenters and 16 workshops planned, together with a major SAR exhibition and other events linked to the celebrations of the DGzRS’s 150th anniversary. The Congress will be followed, on 3-4 June, by the IMRF’s Quadrennial General Meeting which all Congress delegates are very welcome to attend – see page 4. Altogether, you won’t want to miss these four days! www.international-maritime-rescue.org
Efthimios Mitropoulos, SecretaryGeneral Emeritus of the IMO and IMRF Patron; Paul Boissier, Chief Executive of the UK and Ireland’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution; and Martin Xuereb of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station will be keynote speakers at the 2015 Congress. There will also be plenary presentations on issues of central importance to the IMRF over the last four years and a look at the challenges ahead. The majority of the Congress, however, will be given over to workshops, running in three parallel work-streams for delegates to choose from: SAR organisation & management; SAR coordination; and SAR operations. The talks planned under each heading are listed here.
There will be a Fundraising and budget allocation workshop, including talks on: o Is it possible to cut 15% of revenue costs in 2 years and deliver a better service? o Governmental & nongovernmental model of funding SAR service support o How growing support from the public has strengthened the Swedish Sea Rescue Society’s role in society; and o Publicity and storytelling: the power of stories, pictures and social media to build understanding and support And an ‘organisational culture’ workshop will consider: o Building an organisational culture o Leadership and innovation in high-risk teams o In harm’s way: volunteers in rescue service organisations; and o Safety: get on board
- SAR organisation & management A ‘prevention’ workshop will include talks entitled: o To significantly impact the global drowning figures, do we need to look beyond just rescue organisations? o Water safety training for children o The application of risk identification and black spot models which target specific behaviours that place people at risk and high risk locations; and o Boating education A ‘development’ workshop will consider: o Ferry safety in the developing world o From a charity to a social business o Is there a more effective structure to deliver SAR than the traditional departmental approach? o Creating a 200-year-old start-up; and o Quick response to maritime and riverine emergencies in Brazil
- SAR coordination This work-stream begins with a ‘mass rescue operations’ (MRO) workshop: o The IMRF’s MRO project o Unconventional solutions in improving MROs: the Pella incident o Prioritising operational procedures in MROs o Cooperation in MROs: the role of the Local Incident Coordinator o The importance of processoptimised communication in complex incidents; and o The FIRST mass rescue project A ‘databases’ workshop will look at: o An international SAR portal o Data on the high rate of death due to drowning in Africa o Modelling maritime casualty investigation; and o Surtsey: an open source for projects, ideas and innovations (continued on page 4) page 3
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(continued from page 3)
A ‘special cases’ workshop will examine: o An International Committee of the Red Cross Commentary on Article 27 of the 1949 Second Geneva Convention o Treaty provisions in times of conflict – a SAR view o Migration and loss of life at sea; and o The ‘mixed migration’ problem And a ‘communications’ workshop: o The evolution of SAR in the maritime world o MEOSAR and second generation beacons o A close scrutiny of the global maritime distress system o Communication issues related to SAR for MRCCs and provision of SAR-related information to ships o SAR operations: requirements in the Global Navigation Satellite System; and o Crisis communication management in the world of social media - SAR operations This work-stream has an ‘unmanned systems’ workshop: o How might a SAR organization benefit from using a system where a central operator could remotely launch and control small aircraft? o Role of an unmanned aircraft system in SAR operations; and o Use of unmanned aircraft systems in sea rescues A ‘decision-making’ workshop will consider: o Research results: decision making in maritime SAR; and o Vessel triage: a new method to enhance situational awareness
www.international-maritime-rescue.org
April 2015
A ‘training’ workshop will include: o An R&D project: ‘Maritime Simulators Network’ o The use of simulators in training of lifeboat crews and onshore staff o Managing the risks of high speed navigation during SAR operations o Drills versus reality: stress exposure training o Training for rescue and recovery in low cost and low technology environments o The IMRF crew exchange project o A resuscitation course for rescue craft crews; and o An intuitive first-aid assistance application for mobile devices This leads into a ‘casualty care’ workshop considering: o What happens during drowning and how does this affect resuscitation o Development of an integrated approach to Casualty (Patient) Care; and o Medical support by SAR crew, strategic considerations Finally, there are presentations on: o KNRM Helps: an innovative mobile app to help keep boaters safe o Responding to floods in lowincome countries: the development of training materials for rescue and humanitarian organisations o The experience from a liferaft exercise o Mitigating the effects of Whole Body Vibration on RNLI Lifeboats; and o China Rescue & Salvage - a wellestablished trinity of response to major marine incidents The only real difficulty lies in choosing between these fascinating and varied talks and workshops! If you haven’t already registered for the Congress, do so now at: www.international-maritimerescue.org/index.php/homewmrc
The IMRF’s Quadrennial General Meeting The World Maritime Rescue Congress (see page 3) is also when IMRF members gather for our Quadrennial General Meeting, to discuss progress over the last four years and to plan for the next four. If you are an IMRF Member, this is your opportunity to have your say on what we do next. Everyone is welcome to attend the QGM, and all IMRF Members are encouraged to contribute to the debate. As well as discussing our strategy for the next four years and beyond (see Bruce Reid’s article on page 5), the QGM is also the place where the IMRF conducts its most important administrative business. In 2015 this includes the proposed adoption of revised Articles of Association, and the election of a new Board of Trustees. (For more information, see www.internationalmaritime-rescue.org, including the February edition of LIFE LINE, in the newsletter archive.) It is particularly important that our Full Members should read and respond to the QGM paperwork which has been distributed to them, and which is also available on the website. It is our Full Members who are entitled to vote on IMRF business, including the revised Articles and for the Board who will guide the IMRF through the next quadrennium. It is essential that all Full Member organisations complete and return a ‘Member’s Representative Authorisation’ form before the QGM begins. If you are your organisation’s IMRF contact, please don’t forget! And if you have any questions about the QGM, the paperwork or your membership status, please email info@imrf.org.uk without delay! page 4
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April 2015
The IMRF in the next quadrennium As promised in our last edition, IMRF Chief Executive Bruce Reid here introduces the draft strategy for the Federation’s next few years.
I wrote in February (see the newsletter archive at www.international-maritimerescue.org), that the IMRF is an
evolving organisation, very different to what it was when this quadrennium began, in Shanghai in 2011. Together, we have achieved a very great deal. But I also noted the significant challenges that remain. Over the last year our Trustees have conducted a challenging and fundamental review, seeking to define exactly what the IMRF should aim to achieve and how it goes about that task: our vision, purpose and strategy. The new Board to be elected at this year’s QGM (see page 4) should be given a clear agenda to work on. A strategic plan will be circulated to our Members in the coming weeks to allow QGM attendees to absorb the direction and strategic approach recommended by the current Trustees. It is important to note that the vision and purpose of the IMRF have not changed. We continue to seek to prevent loss of life on the world’s waters, to promote safety and to provide relief from disaster throughout the world by: o promoting cooperation, exchange of information, research and development, advice and consultancy between the maritime SAR services of the world; o encouraging and promoting the formation and development of maritime SAR services throughout the world; and o promoting public education and awareness regarding safety on water. www.international-maritime-rescue.org
Busy year planned for IMRF in Asia-Pacific What will change is how we go about achieving these vital objectives. We believe that the most effective way to achieve our vision is to focus on our core area of skill: maritime search and rescue. We can achieve our aims through a combination of policy influence and SAR capacity building, supported by a high quality knowledge database and by prevention initiatives. To do this the new strategy will be supported by “five pillars”: Increased representation, advocacy and influence Support and development for our members and the global maritime SAR community Sustainable funding Commercial consultancy services on maritime SAR, helping global and regional organisations, States and maritime SAR organisations to design, equip and test maritime SAR solutions provided where possible through IMRF members. An effective IMRF with structures that will support the development and growth laid out in this strategy. The plan is to align the increased activity of the IMRF with a structured strategy, prioritising the key work flows and building resource to deliver more to our members and the maritime SAR community worldwide. The IMRF has a unique position in the world of maritime SAR, unhampered by borders or politics. There is now an opportunity to influence and drive positive change to make the world’s waters safer. The greater the support we can generate from and for SAR organisations the more effective we will be. Together, we are stronger.
The Trustees for the IMRF’s Asia Pacific Regional Centre have approved an ambitious work plan for the next 12 months. “After completing registration last year we are now looking to build maritime SAR support activity in the Region,” says Captain Song Jaihui, APRC Chairman. “The plan will bring together many of the SAR organisations in the AsiaPacific region for workshops and combined training, delivering on the APRC commitment made at last year’s regional meeting.” The year is off to a busy start with the IMRF participating in an IMO Regional Development meeting in Indonesia (see page 10) and CEO Bruce Reid giving a presentation at the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Maritime SAR Forum in Singapore. These events provided opportunities to discuss with senior maritime SAR officials the type of support the APRC can provide. Two themes came through in particular: preparedness for mass rescue operations (MRO), and maritime SAR management, administration and coordination training. The APRC is already advancing three MRO workshops, with the Philippines Coast Guard offering to host an “in country” workshop, and regional workshops in Singapore in August and in China in the last quarter of 2015. Add to this up to three SAR training courses and a regional development meeting. The IMRF is working hard in the region! For more information on the MRO workshops contact Mr Gu Yiming – gu.yiming@imrf.asia – and for SAR training Ms Qiu Jing: qiu.jing@imrf.asia. page 5
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Migrants in distress at sea: time to act The IMRF has the mission of "preventing loss of life in the world's waters". One of our principal concerns at the moment is the pressing need to introduce more effective SAR services to save the lives of the increasing number of migrants in distress at sea. The immediate cause of these incidents is unsafe and overloaded vessels and failure to follow conventional safety procedures. The underlying causes are increases in pressures that lead to migration – it is said that one in seven people in the world is a migrant – and the tactics adopted by callous smugglers, who are essentially placing thousands of people in distress, knowing that international law requires their rescue. The IMRF recently made representations at a special inter-agency meeting on the implications of unsafe mixed migration by sea, hosted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Our key points were: Over 3000 lives were lost in 2014 – a figure that could have been much higher – and 200,000 people in distress were rescued by Governmental and nonGovernmental SAR organisations and merchant ships Indications are that the number needing to be rescued will escalate: the risks are apparently seen to be acceptable to people desperate to migrate Governmental funding of SAR services has reduced, meaning that merchant ships had to save 42,000 people during 254 rescues in 2014 The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Convention on Maritime SAR are not being honoured sufficiently: this is of major concern to all IMRF members Ships’ masters are required by SOLAS to rescue people in distress if they can, yet people are deliberately being placed in a position of distress, to trigger a rescue response: this obviously places ships’ masters in an invidious position The current pressure on merchant vessels – vital SAR facilities where there are no, or not enough dedicated SAR units – is unsustainable and coastal States, and States responsible for SAR in the regions where migration takes place, must do much more to help SOLAS and the SAR Convention place clear responsibilities on coastal States; in particular the State responsible for the SAR Region in which the rescue is carried out The unsafe mixed migration issue can only be addressed ashore, at State and international level – SAR services and merchant ships are caught in a problem they cannot solve alone. www.international-maritime-rescue.org
April 2015
Referring to the inter-agency meeting in his opening address to the Navigation, Communications and SAR Sub-Committee at the IMO in March (see page 11), Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu said: “The situation in the Mediterranean is really worrying. If the rate of growth was to follow the ratio from 2013 to 2014, this year we would face 400,000 to 450,000 migrants calling for rescue at sea. The current system is not designed for that scale of mass rescue. Without additional measures, ships cannot cope.” The relevant UN agencies have agreed to establish a new mechanism to address the issue; not duplicating the efforts and functions of the UN’s Global Migration Group, but complementing its work. The target areas are the maritime phase of migration, aiming to: o create a database on migrant smugglers; o create an information sharing system for sea migration incidents; and o prepare information materials on the danger and risks of unseaworthy sea passages, to be circulated among migrant populations. “The United Nations alone cannot solve the problem,” said Mr Sekimizu. “The key is willingness and actions to be taken by Governments,” coordinated by the IMO. “I will raise this issue with IMO Member Governments with a view to considering with them what can and should be done by IMO – in particular, those issues falling within the responsibility of this Organization, such as preparation of necessary manuals and guidelines for the shipping industry in dealing with mass rescue operations, a common understanding of the definition of persons in distress, the possibility of considering a better system to ensure predictable disembarkation places, the cost to the shipping industry, the legal aspects of mass rescue of migrants, etc.” It is abundantly clear that international bodies need to work together with their member States to address these issues positively and urgently. We must have: Prompt and predictable disembarkation procedures Consistency on what amounts to ‘distress’ Reinforcement of the existing obligations to rescue people in distress at sea – especially State obligations Proper management of migration, to tackle the black market for 'people smuggling' Increased support for coastal States who are struggling with the numbers involved Shared information, including vessel tracking. The IMRF will continue to contribute to this work as and when it falls within our remit to do so. See also ‘MOAS launches urgent fundraising appeal’ on www.international-maritime-rescue.org. page 6
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April 2015 photo: Jeff Flindt
A Survivor’s View experiences from a two-day life raft exercise Matthew Fader of IMRF Members the Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS) writes: Last May, the SSRS, together with Chalmers Institute of Technology’s Maritime Human Factors department, embarked on a unique life raft exercise. The purpose was to study a prolonged stay in a SOLAS 12-person raft by filling it with 11 people and leaving them in the raft offshore, dressed in immersion suits, simulating the time for a normal rescue operation in distant waters of approximately 24-48 hours. A date was chosen for the exercise regardless of weather and sea-state conditions on the day which added to the realism. It was what it was. This varied throughout the two day project. At the time of the life raft launch there were sunny skies, smooth rolling seas and a gentle breeze with an air temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and approximately 11 degrees in the water. The following morning was cool, 6 degrees ambient temperature, gusty 28 knot winds and violent short-period meter-high waves. Participants selected were physically fit and had adequate maritime safety training. The most important criterion for selection, however, was having a healthy curiosity and a desire to experience several days in an emergency situation so that one may apply this knowledge when teaching others. The test began aboard a boat sailing outside the Gothenburg archipelago with a simulated alarm to abandon ship. When the alarm sounded there was a maximum of 15 minutes to be dressed in the survival suits and be inside the life raft. The boat became the surveillance ship for the remainder of the exercise. The raft was then left without any external impact until the search exercise began some 30 hours later. There were several major concerns when the risk analysis was performed prior to the exercise. The outcomes varied somewhat from the original pre-conceived ideas of what might happen. o Dehydration related to vomiting & sea sickness. All participants except one took the anti-motion sickness tablets that were available in the SOLAS A-Pack as a prophylactic after entering the raft. Surprisingly few participants, 6 of the 11, became ill with motion sickness to the point that they needed to vomit and all managed to vomit outside the raft. It would have been a completely different environment and outcome if participants had vomited inside. The lack of precipitation also allowed one of the canopy doors to be open, making www.international-maritime-rescue.org
it easier to orientate to the horizon. The amount of water in the SOLAS pack was more than adequate to maintain healthy hydration levels for the 30 hours. o Collision with larger vessels. Due to wind, wave and current direction, the raft was anchored. This was to prevent drifting through the heavily trafficked shipping lanes between the West coast of Sweden and Denmark. o Difficulty relieving oneself. Since this was not a real life-threatening situation the participants tried to maintain their personal hygiene by not urinating in the suits, instead relieving themselves over the side of the raft or in the baling container. Most were successful but others had difficulty relaxing due to closeness with other people and the motion of the ocean. This caused quite a bit of discomfort and pain, even forcing one participant to leave the exercise prematurely. o Cramped conditions onboard. The lack of available space for each person was surprising even to those who have experienced life rafts before. All 11 participants were piled together will the equipment making movement extremely difficult. Every time someone had to move, it required coordination and team effort. The experiences of the claustrophobic conditions were perhaps the biggest “take away” from the exercise. The perception that the life raft cannot fit the amount of people stated can perhaps be extrapolated to larger survival craft. These vessels feel too small before they are even filled to capacity. The keys to success were teamwork, leadership and positive attitude. It was impossible to duplicate the psychological stress of a real emergency situation and not knowing if one was going to be rescued at all. So a positive attitude and lust for life was easily maintained throughout the duration of the exercise. The leadership onboard the raft was essential for the crew´s well-being. By assigning tasks such as watch shifts and bailing water, a sense of purpose was reinforced in every individual that also strengthened the team feeling. After 30 hours onboard the raft in various conditions, half the crew was “rescued” by the Swedish Maritime Administration SAR helicopter and the other half by the Swedish Sea Rescue Society´s lifeboats, demonstrating multi-unit cooperation and coordinated efforts. page 7
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Can our rescue organisations do more to save lives through education? I certainly feel that we can, writes John Leech of Irish Water Safety (IWS). A large part of the work in saving lives that IWS does is through education. The simple diagram of a drowning triangle below highlights the greater number of lives that can we saved at the bottom of the triangle through prevention strategies rather than through rescue or treatment interventions.
In our rescue organisations the main focus of what we do is obviously on rescue. Those involved as volunteers very much enjoy the buzz of the great work that they do and the sense of fulfilment that it brings to their own lives. There are many countries worldwide that do not have any structured water safety education programme for members of the public, or indeed any programme at all. I feel that it is good for us to look at our organisations and see if we can spend some time and small investment in education. Your efforts are likely to save more lives through education than you will through rescue. Education is a broad term and can mean a lot of things to different rescue organisations. Here in Ireland, we have managed to have water safety placed on the Primary School syllabus within our Department of Education. In time, all children who have attended school will have a basic knowledge of drowning prevention, survival, rescue and swimming skills. In an island nation with thousands of rivers, lakes, canals, streams, quarries, reservoirs and wetlands these are essential life skills that everybody should have.
April 2015
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela Bulgaria examined our system a few years ago and now have a similar system of education in place which is also endorsed by their Government. Each country and rescue organisation faces its own individual challenges but any effort made at all in terms of the advancement of education, no matter how small or basic, will save lives. It may not be as exciting as driving a lifeboat into the teeth of a gale in the middle of the night to effect a rescue but it can save more lives than that lifeboat can. As rescue organisations we very often take the view that education is somebody else’s responsibility when in fact we should all share that responsibility and contribute in whatever way we can to educate members of the public in water safety education. Measuring the effectiveness of education is very much long term as you slowly see the number of drownings decline in your own countries over a period of five to ten years. There are also opportunities for profiling the work of your organisation and in some countries developing income streams from this work through fundraising. So perhaps in the run up to our quadrennial meeting in Bremerhaven you might consider what your organisation can do to advance water safety education in your country. I will be very pleased to discuss the matter with you and help you make progress – every little effort in education save lives.
There are details of our Primary Aquatics Water Safety Programme at www.iws.ie/education/consumer-alertnotifications.262.html. With our permission, organisations are very welcome to use it or adapt it as they see fit. (Please note that we do not use hyperlinks in LIFE LINE: some firewalls don’t like them. To access John’s link, cut and paste into your search engine.) www.international-maritime-rescue.org
Local boys in Galway learning at an early age the importance of wearing a lifejacket page 8
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April 2015
Member Focus:
ICE-SAR Jón Svanberg Hjartarson, CEO of the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR) writes: Following frequent maritime accidents and loss of life around Iceland the National Lifesaving Association of Iceland was founded in 1928 with a focus on maritime rescue. The first formal rescue team was founded in 1918 in the Westman Islands, at that time the largest fishing community in Iceland. The association grew and prospered in the local villages that had experienced first-hand the perils at sea. In 1932 the first rescue team with roots in the boy-scout movement was founded and in 1950 after the successful rescue of the crew and passengers from a crashed airliner on a glacier in Iceland the first Air Ground rescue team was founded. From their inception rescue teams in Iceland have been driven by the passion and initiative of volunteers and in 1999 the three rescue associations merged and founded ICE-SAR. Today all rescue teams in Iceland operate under the ICE-SAR umbrella. The role of volunteers in SAR is well established internationally, but Iceland has developed an ambitious and successful model where the ICE-SAR rescue teams deal with all aspects of search and rescue from the bottom of the ocean to the highest peaks on land. Iceland has a relatively small police force and coast guard, and does not have a military, so many conventional community services usually provided by such entities are handled by ICE-SAR. In fact ICE-SAR is the backbone of the civil protection system in Iceland. Harsh natural elements and the unforgiving and destructive geological forces in frequent seismic activities, volcanic eruptions and floodings provide ICE-SAR with ample challenges in addition to conventional civil protection subjects. There are 94 ICE-SAR rescue teams, all around Iceland. The teams vary in size and capabilities but most handle, in one way or another, a wide range of challenges and maritime rescue is an important part of team activities. ICE-SAR owns and operates 13 Lifeboats, most of them ex-RNLI Arun-class. All the Lifeboat crews are volunteers. The ICE-SAR teams have technical authority over their crews but the Lifeboats operate under the legal authority of the Icelandic Coast Guard, whose own resources consist of three patrol vessels, a fixed-wing Bombardier Dash and three Super Puma helicopters. www.international-maritime-rescue.org
ICE-SAR has played a key role in accident prevention at sea, operating the Maritime Safety and Survival Training Centre since 1985. Its goal is to promote safety and survival training, and according to Icelandic law, it is mandatory for all seafarers and fishermen to attend courses there. The knowledge imparted by the Centre has, among other things, resulted in a considerable decrease in the number of serious accidents and fatalities at sea in recent years in Iceland, declining to a record low. In 2008, 2011 and 2014 none occurred. That is a great achievement for a maritime nation when compared to the great number of people who perish at sea globally, according to WHO statistics. Many Icelandic seafarers and fishermen say that they owe their lives to the Centre and the training provided. ICE-SAR is proud of the role the association has played. The key to the success of the Icelandic rescue teams, both on land and sea, is that they are “owned” and run by the volunteers. Iceland is populated by 320,000 people: there are 4,000 ICE-SAR volunteers on roster 24/7/365. For a volunteer organisation of this size to thrive community support is of upmost importance. In Iceland most employers provide the ICE-SAR volunteers with leeway, either by allowing absence on pay or flexibility to attend to callouts. The general public is also very conscious of the importance of ICE-SAR and is supportive, both financially and morally. The rescue associations that form IMRF vary in size and function, ranging from fully volunteer to fully paid professionals. It is my opinion that for the next four years IMRF focus should be on the volunteers and how to develop and grow volunteer-based SAR capabilities worldwide. IMRF should lead such initiatives, for example with consultation on financing and fundraising, crew exchange programs, information exchange etc. The opportunities are out there and we all can contribute, to the benefit of all who use the sea. page 9
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News from Estonia Ene Kalmus, Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Voluntary Maritime Rescue Organisation, writes: The voluntary non-governmental umbrella organisation, Estonian Voluntary Maritime Rescue, was created in April 2010 in cooperation with 6 voluntary maritime rescue stations (Toila, Käsmu, Lohusuu, Mustvee, Pärnu, Paatsalu) and the Adult Training Organisation Teave. By January 2015 we had 18 voluntary units that are able to offer independent and fast support services on the Baltic Sea (within 30 miles from base), on Lake Peipsi (to the Russian border) and on inland Lakes Saadjärve, Võrtsjärve and Kuremaa. Altogether we have 350 volunteers. The newest member of the organisation is the Tallinn SAR Team, established by three local yacht clubs in Tallinn. The Estonian Yachting Union is also in the process of joining the organisation, further expanding our cooperation with the leisure boating community.
April 2015
partnership in maritime rescue. It gives us possibilities to participate in the development of various strategic plans in Estonia, and to have some state financing. We have a busy schedule for 2015 – seminars, at least 5 basic safety training groups, trainer-training courses, participation in the Tallinn Boat Show, a maritime rescue competition, and regional sea fairs and festivals. Our organisation will also be the official safety partner for two large sailing events this year – and we would like to participate fully in IMRF activities too; the World Maritime Rescue Congress in Germany and the European regional meeting in Åland. Unfortunately we do not have any regular financing yet. Only minor funding is provided by the State for training and equipment, therefore we depend a lot on projects. This year will see the completion of a small cooperation project with Finland and Denmark under the Nordplus programme, and the IMRF Crew Exchange project financed under the
A SAR Plan for East Asia The International Maritime Organization (IMO) held a regional seminar on the implementation of the Global SAR plan in East Asia in Jakarta, Indonesia, in February. The event was hosted by the Indonesia SAR Agency, BASARNAS. The IMRF were represented at the event. Representatives of government organisations with SAR responsibility from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Viet Nam each gave a presentation explaining their SAR systems and challenges. IMO speakers explained SAR obligations, the current state of ratification of the SAR Convention and the delimitation of SAR regions in East Asia; gave updates on GMDSS and the Cospas-Sarsat system; and discussed SAR cooperation, maritime awareness, the harmonisation of aeronautical and maritime SAR, and other international developments. Other speakers discussed the pros and cons of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) approach; the AirAsia crash; the ongoing search for Malaysia Airlines’ MH370; and the IMRF’s Mass Rescue Operations Project.
During 2009-2013 our rescuers had 155 missions, rescued 132 people from life threatening situations and provided technical assistance to 458 persons. In 2014 the volunteers responded to 42 calls and organised over 130 different safety and educational activities. On 14 January we signed an agreement with the Ministry of the Interior as a document of official www.international-maritime-rescue.org
Leonardo programme. We are also eager to participate in a new training project under Erasmus+. Finally, we have started to prepare a new project application to the Central Baltic programme on development of cooperation between small ports and maritime rescue organisations – and we are happy to have a partner in this: the Åland Island Lifeboat Society.
The States represented agreed a number of recommendations in conclusion, including ratification of the SAR Convention and informing the IMO of SAR and communication capability; establishing bilateral and multilateral SAR agreements as appropriate; developing training and exercise programmes; and requesting technical assistance as necessary to assess existing capability and provide recommendations for improvement, including as regards SAR training. page 10
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McMurdo Group partners the IMRF McMurdo Group, the global leader in end-to-end SAR and maritime domain awareness solutions, has become the first search and rescue technologies and solutions provider to join the IMRF as an Associate Member. By partnering with the IMRF and our members around the globe, McMurdo will be able to help develop a more cost-effective rescue capability to meet ever-growing challenges, especially those presented by mass rescues at sea.
McMurdo Managing Director Justine Heeley (seen here accepting an IMRF plaque from Bruce Reid) says: "In 2014 alone we saw a large number of incidents costing the lives of thousands of people. As a business, we share the same goal as the IMRF and are proud to be able to contribute to the goal of 'preventing loss of life in the world's waters'.” * Our new partnership with the McMurdo Group is an example of the way the IMRF seeks to bring together all aspects of the SAR world, to everyone’s mutual benefit. We remain just as focussed as we have always been on the real roots of SAR – people saving lives as best they can, with whatever equipment they can afford – but we need to keep in touch with the other parts of the SAR spectrum too. Techno-Sciences Inc, for example, part of the McMurdo Group, announced in January that it had been selected by several more governments to deploy www.international-maritime-rescue.org
NCSR 2
SAR network infrastructure solutions and next-generation MEOSAR (Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue) systems worth nearly €5m. When fully deployed, MEOSAR will provide improved emergency beacon coverage and reliability. TSi customers now include organisations making major MEOSAR installations around the world. * Some readers will be aware that the IMRF recently assisted McMurdo Group and another IMRF Associate Member, Transas (a major provider of marine navigation and professional training systems), with a market research project on the potential use of simulation in planning and training for mass rescue operations and other complex maritime incidents, and for testing that planning and training. This project was a worked example of one of the ‘pillars’ of the strategy our CEO refers to on page 5: the provision of commercial consultancy services, both as a means of improving maritime SAR – our primary aim – and of generating some income to help support the work we do. The IMRF Secretariat takes this opportunity to thank those Members who took part in the research project. Its results are now being considered by the principals; and will remain confidential, as agreed with all concerned, including the many respondents. The IMRF will only engage in projects such as this when we see a clear potential gain for SAR: improved major incident response in this case. The results will often be for others to implement, as here.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is not renowned for giving its organs catchy titles – but the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR) is the highest technical body dealing with SAR at the international, United Nations level. The IMRF represents the world’s maritime SAR community there, having IMO consultative status – and we attended the second meeting of the recently restructured Sub-Committee in March. This session approved amendments – several of which had been proposed by the IMRF – to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual, the next edition of which will be published in 2016. IAMSAR is the central international guidance on establishing, managing, coordinating and carrying out SAR services. It is important to get it right! We will let you know when the new edition is published. And remember that, like any IMO publication, IMRF Members will be able to buy it (in hard-copy or electronic formats) at a 20% discount through our online bookshop, at www.internationalmaritime-rescue.org. Among a great deal of other work, NCSR 2 also considered the ongoing review of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System – the GMDSS; something else which is vital to SAR people’s work. There is concern that some existing GMDSS systems are outdated. The IMRF is keen to ensure that, as they are reviewed and improvements are proposed, it must be the user who is kept clearly in mind: the person in distress or needing safety information, and the person who responds to those needs. User-friendly communications are essential! page 11
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Sunbird
Keep in touch!
Radios at last
Working out of the IMRF office in Shanghai recently, CEO Bruce Reid had the opportunity to discuss the emerging challenge the China maritime rescue services are facing with recreational boating.
There are now even more ways to keep in touch with what is happening in the world of maritime SAR and the activities of the IMRF.
Bruce met Sunbird Yacht Manufacturing Company General Manager Mr Mingyi Wu, in Zhuhai in the southern province of Guangdong. As well as building commercial and recreational craft Sunbird have just registered a Foundation to establish a volunteer rescue service. This decision was made because of the increasing number of recreational boats on the local waters.
In February we moved onto Facebook, building our community through regular updates including “Flashback Fridays” when we share the results of trawling 90 years of archives to bring to the surface interesting moments for SAR, the IMRF and our predecessor, the International Lifeboat Federation.
Readers with long memories may recall that, some three years ago, IMRF Members the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency kindly donated over 100 handheld VHF radios for distribution through our ‘Members Assisting Members’ scheme. Many of these units have been helping save lives around the world ever since. But not quite all of them.
Zhuhai has ideal conditions for recreational boating. It has an average temperature of 23 degrees Celsius, allowing for the use of boats almost throughout the year. There are 146 islands and a coastline of 690 kilometres. It is close to Macao and Hong Kong, which have more than 10,000 registered yachts, and is in the Pearl River Delta, one of the richest areas of China. With the increasing traffic on the water, there is pressure on the current maritime emergency response services, so establishing a volunteer service to assist the authorities is seen as a priority by Mr Wu. It is early days for the Foundation and they are keen to join the IMRF to take advantage of the knowledge our members have in building a volunteer organisation and also the training of volunteers to respond to recreational boaties in distress. With the support of Sunbird the wheels are in motion.
Our first Flashback Friday told of the IMRF’s humble beginnings as a quadrennial International Life Boat Conference supported by the RNLI. In 1932 that conference was held in Holland. One of the items in the conference report can be seen on our Facebook page. Communicated by Sir George Shee, it is a message to all lifesavers from the Pope and Benito Mussolini (!) who were both impressed by the universal reach and importance of the lifeboat services of the time. Get on line, read the piece, ‘like’ us and we will keep you informed with new snippets now and then. The IMRF can also be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn, and all of this is supported by our updated website and of course this bi-monthly newsletter, LIFE LINE, which comes to your in-box as a pdf or can be downloaded from the site, and also appears in edited form on-line, translated into 6 languages. But if all else fails, email us or give us a call. We are here to help!
Sometimes bureaucracy can be a slow business – and radios are subject to quite a lot of border bureaucracy! But we get there in the end, usually. We recently heard from Asanka Nanayakkara, SecretaryGeneral of the Life Saving Association of Sri Lanka, letting us know that the 11 units allocated to LSASL have finally been delivered. The arrival of the radios, wrote Asanka, “really sent a buzz through the entire team and everyone connected with our association. The generous support of fellow IMRF Members helps us continue in our mission and to assist those in danger in our community.” People say that ‘a little goes a long way’. And so it does – eventually!
And finally... We hope that you have found this issue of LIFE LINE informative and interesting. If you would like to contribute articles and pictures about your news, projects, events, ideas or lessons learned, please contact news@imrf.org.uk
LIFE LINE www.international-maritime-rescue.org
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