LIFELINE February 2015 - English

LIFE LINE The Newsletter of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF)

February 2015 December 2010

December News… Experience… Ideas… Information… Development…

2010 In this issue:    

more details of the forthcoming World Maritime Rescue Congress updates on IMRF projects: rescue boats, crew exchanges, mass rescue operations news from Morocco, China, Estonia and Finland and more!

December 2010 December 2010 December 2010

The Congress is coming!

December 2010

In this, our first edition of 2015, we would like to wish all our readers all the very best for the New Year: calm seas and successful SAR!

December 2010

The central event of this year, of course, is our fouryearly World Maritime December Rescue Congress, to be held 2010 in Bremerhaven, Germany, 1st - 4th June. And it’s not just ‘central’ in date: we hope that it will be central to your planning too. Everyone in the SAR world D is e welcome. cember The Congress will be organised around three broad themes, loosely based on the IAMSAR Manual 201and, 0 between them, covering every subject from setting up a SAR organisation to running a rescue boat. There will be full discussion of all the IMRF’s recent projects (shown in yellow above), and an exciting SAR December exhibition too: lots to interest everyone! You can read more about the Congress, and the accompanying IMRF Quadrennial General Meeting, on pages 4 & 5, and at www.international-mariitme-rescue.org.

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

February 2015

Editorial

Contents

Welcome to the latest edition of your newsletter.

The Congress is coming!

Now that the calendar says ‘2015’ the detailed planning of the World Maritime Rescue Congress (see page 4) and the IMRF’s Quadrennial General Meeting that accompanies it is at full ahead.

As our Chairman writes (see page 3), the Congress is a great gathering of the global SAR community, and we very much hope to see you there. The QGM – which is also open to all – is the principal meeting of the IMRF membership, where we review the last four years and plan for the future. Some important QGM papers have already been distributed to the membership; the rest will be sent out this month. It is particularly important that every Full Member appoints an authorised representative for the QGM, who will vote for them on various issues, including the election of a Board of IMRF Trustees for the 20152019 quadrennium. See page 5.

World Maritime Rescue Congress

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4

Quadrennial General Meeting

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5

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6

In this edition of LIFE LINE we have updates on several of the IMRF’s current projects. The development of IMRF rescue boat guidelines (page 10) and of guidance on mass rescue operations (page 11) will culminate at the Congress with formal launches of the material painstakingly developed by our subject-matter expert teams.

Neither project finishes in June, though. Both are dynamic and will continue to develop in the light of experience and new initiatives. Our crew exchange project (page 10) and the collection and sharing of water safety education materials (about which read more in our April newsletter) are also continuous – and so, of course, are the various other SAR development projects which define the IMRF: sharing with and learning from each other. See Dirk Stommel’s account of his own experience in this respect on page 8.

The IMRF has done a great deal in the past four years. Now, with Congress and QGM coming over the horizon, we look to the future.

We hope that you will be a part of the IMRF’s future.

Together we are stronger. See you in Bremerhaven!

Dave Jardine-Smith

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1

Editorial

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2

Dates for the Diary

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2

Our Chairman’s New Year Message Looking to the Future

SAR Matters

Moroccan Maritime SAR

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3

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3

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SAR development in N & W Africa

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8

SAR sharing

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8

News from China

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News from Estonia

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9

Crew Exchange

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10

Rescue Boat Guidelines

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10

Mass Rescue Operations

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11

Case studies sought ...............................

12

The IMRF Bookshop ...............................

12

IMO bravery awards ...............................

12

Send us your news & pictures

12

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Dates for the Diary IMO Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications, and Search and Rescue London, UK

9-13 March 2015

For details, contact d.jardinesmith@imrf.org.uk

SAR Europe Bournemouth, 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

The IMRF’s global congress and quadrennial general meeting.

See pages 4 & 5.

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

news@imrf.org.uk www.international-maritime-rescue.org

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LIFE LINE

A New Year Message from the IMRF Chairman Dear friends, writes Michael Vlasto, Chairman of the IMRF Board of Trustees: 2015 got off to a bad start with several high profile incidents at sea ranging from the Italian ferry Norman Atlantic, on fire in the Adriatic and resulting in the loss of several lives, to the loss of the entire crew of the cement carrier Cemfjord in storm conditions off Northern Scotland, and everyone aboard the Air Asia flight that crashed in the Java Sea. These incidents provide a reminder, if a reminder is needed, of the need to maintain and improve maritime SAR all around the world – which is what the IMRF is all about. We will reinforce our endeavours to assist and support our members and all involved in the provision of an efficient and effective SAR response. Our thoughts are with the families of those who have been lost.

2015 is the year for our next World Maritime Rescue Congress, being held in Bremerhaven from 1st to 4th June (see page 4). Our colleagues in the German Maritime SAR Service, the DGzRS, who are hosting the Congress, are also celebrating their 150th Anniversary at this time. It will be a great gathering of the maritime SAR family and the Congress programme should cater for all disciplines and interests. I look forward to seeing as many as possible of you there.

During the Congress we will be holding the IMRF’s Quadrennial General Meeting (QGM). This will review the IMRF’s business over the past four years, and will help set our course for the next four (see page 5).

At the QGM our Members will be tasked with electing a new Board of Trustees, our board of directors. I cannot emphasise the importance of this task enough. I have already written to the membership outlining what is required, and the secretariat will soon be distributing the necessary paperwork to all our Full Members, to enable this process to take place. I would urge all Full Members to complete the necessary returns as soon as you can.

Over the last few months the current Board has carefully reviewed the good progress the IMRF has been making and have been developing an updated strategy, for discussion at our QGM in Bremerhaven. You will be hearing more of this from our Chief Executive, Bruce Reid (see right).

2015 will be a particularly exciting year for the IMRF. Best wishes and a very Happy New Year to you all. www.international-maritime-rescue.org

February 2015

Looking to the Future IMRF Chief Executive Bruce Reid on the developing strategy for the next quadrennium: The IMRF today is a different organisation to that which reported at Shanghai in 2011. We have much to be proud of. However, significant challenges remain for a small organisation operating on a large global stage. We must define exactly what it is that we are seeking to achieve and how we go about it.

As our Chairman notes (left), the Trustees have taken on the challenge of reviewing the fundamentals of why the IMRF exists, its vision and its purpose, so that the new Board to be elected in June have a clear initial agenda.

Financially, we have improved our income-raising ability substantially since 2011 and our reliance on the major donors is declining. However, we still do not have a sustainable funding approach for the IMRF of 2015, let alone the aspirational IMRF of 2020.

The IMRF is a growing family, with 112 members spread across the globe; but these only represent a small proportion of the potential. Our subscription structure can make it difficult for potential members to join; and our history gives us a bias towards NGOs – although much of our growth over the past two years has come from Government organisations. It can be said that we represent all maritime SAR organisations internationally through our consultative status at the IMO – but encouraging more organisations to become IMRF members is important for the funds and – more importantly – to increase our leverage and presence.

So, with a vision of a global maritime SAR environment where all in distress can be rescued, the Trustees stepped back to get a clearer picture of the issue.

Globally, safety and SAR issues tend to be defined around transportation (ferries etc), labour (working on the water), and personal safety (leisure activities). The SAR system is designed for the assistance of anyone in distress at sea, whatever their reason for being there.

The IMRF should be similarly comprehensive in outlook and, so far as possible, in activity. The Trustees believe that we can promote our core area of skill and concern – maritime SAR – through a combination of policy influence and capacity building supported by a high quality knowledge database and targeted project work.

The Board will look for endorsement of this planning at the QGM in June (see page 5) and I will be able to give you more details in the April edition of LIFE LINE. page 3

LIFE LINE

The IMRF’s World Maritime Rescue Congress, held every four years, meets in Bremerhaven, Germany, 1-4 June. If you are involved in maritime search and rescue, in any capacity, you should be there.

February 2015

The World Maritime Rescue Congress

As this issue of LIFE LINE goes to press the Congress planning team are reviewing the papers and suggestions for workshops and other activities which have been submitted

by IMRF Members and other interested parties. They will be fitting this material into the planned Congress structure to ensure a vibrant and beneficial mix of topics.

The world’s SAR guidebook is the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual. This comes in three volumes (and is available at a discount from the IMRF bookshop! See page 12).

As in the past the Congress will be organised around a number of strands (see right). These will run concurrently, so that delegates will be able to choose between several sessions to attend. You can ‘tailormake’ your own conference, making sure that everything you take part in is relevant to you.

Organisation

And taking part is what it’s all about.

The IMRF has developed a reputation for keeping people alert and interactive at our conferences, and the 2015 Congress will be no exception!

There will be presentations from specialists, designed not to be just listened to but to generate real discussion. There will be themed workshops, tackling difficult issues with the clear aim of ensuring that we don’t just talk about SAR but that we make real progress too. And there will be plenty of other activities – as well as the invaluable opportunity to meet SAR colleagues and friends from all over the world, to compare and share experience and to learn from each other.

And, let’s face it: it will also be fun!

See you in Bremerhaven… www.international-maritime-rescue.org

This year’s Congress will follow the three broad themes covered by IAMSAR: SAR organisation, SAR coordination and SAR operations.

Subjects will include:  SAR development  Structure and governance  Funding and fundraising  Continuous improvement  Communications

Coordination  RCCs and on scene coordination  International cooperation  Standard operating procedures  Mass rescue operations  Migrants and conflict  Planning and exercises

Operations  Rescue boat guidelines  Training and equipment  Crew exchange programmes  Water safety education  UAVs and other innovations  Casualty care

As well as the Congress itself, Bremerhaven will be the venue for the IMRF’s Quadrennial General Meeting (see page 5) – and a major SAR exhibition, as well as a parade of SAR craft of all kinds. It promises to be a real SAR feast!

Manufacturers and suppliers will have a unique opportunity to discuss market requirements with key decision-makers from the world’s SAR services, and will be able to demonstrate new equipment on the River Weser, right next to the Congress and Exhibition venue.

To find out more about the excellent exhibition, demonstration and sponsorship opportunities available at the World Maritime Rescue Congress, visit the website and follow the links.

So: let’s talk, and move SAR forward.

And we can join our good friends in the German Maritime SAR Service – die Seenotretter – in celebrating their 150th birthday, too!

Do not miss this! Reserve your place now to avoid disappointment, and follow the developing Congress programme at www.international-maritimerescue.org/index.php/homewmrc page 4

LIFE LINE

February 2015

The World Maritime Rescue Congress (see page 4) is also the venue for the IMRF’s Quadrennial General Meeting, when IMRF members gather from all over the world to discuss progress over the past 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.

The IMRF’s Quadrennial General Meeting, 2015

seconded by Full Member organisations (though they do not otherwise have to be associated with those organisations) and they must meet a number of legal and other criteria.

These criteria, and the nomination and voting processes, are fully explained in the package of material to be distributed shortly.

Everyone is welcome to attend the QGM, and all IMRF Members may contribute to the debate; and are very much encouraged to do so. The IMRF is developing quickly – and we need to ensure that we are heading in the right direction. We want to hear from you.

there will be at least two important votes at the 2015 QGM in Bremerhaven.

Another very important piece of business to be conducted at the QGM concerns our constitution – our ‘Articles of Association’.

As well as discussing our strategy for the next four years and beyond (please see Bruce Reid’s article on page 3), the QGM is also the place where the IMRF conducts its most important administrative business, as required by our constitution and the legal framework we operate under.

The IMRF Secretariat distributed the first batch of QGM papers to our Members in October. The second, and final, batch will be distributed during February.

If your organisation is an IMRF Member, and especially if you are the nominated contact for IMRF purposes, please look out for these mails! It is very important that you read them, and that you respond as appropriate.

The IMRF is directed by a Board of seven Trustees, who support the Secretariat and ensure that the strategy agreed by the Members for the IMRF is implemented. The Board is elected for a four-year term at each QGM – and the 2015 QGM is, of course, no exception.

Not all of the present Board (pictured below) will be standing for reelection in Bremerhaven. They have served the IMRF long and well – and have earned our thanks – but some will now be handing over the helm.

New helmsmen and helms-women are therefore required!

Nomination forms and all the associated paperwork will be sent to all IMRF Members in February.

Please study the details when you receive these papers. Prospective IMRF Trustees must be proposed and

If you think that you should have received the October mailing, but did not, please let us know as soon as you can by emailing info@imrf.org.uk.

It is particularly important that our Full Members read, understand and respond to the QGM paperwork.

It is our Full Members who are entitled to vote on IMRF business, and www.international-maritime-rescue.org

A fine body of men...

The Board of Trustees elected at our 2011 QGM, whose period of service is now coming to an end. From left: Brooke Archbold, Hamish McDonald, Michael Vlasto, Udo Fox, Jorge Diena, Rolf Westerström & Song Jiahui

Changes in UK law, under which we operate, require some technical amendments, and we have taken the opportunity to propose some more substantial changes too, making it easier to elect the best Trustees, for example, and opening up a potential new funding route.

To make these important changes requires approval by 75% of our Full Members. We hope, of course, that all our Full Members will be with us in Bremerhaven – but you also have the option to appoint a representative to vote for you.

Again, this process is explained in the QGM paperwork.

It is essential that all Full Member organisations complete and return the ‘Member’s Representative Authorisation’ form before the QGM begins.

The authorisation form has already been distributed to each Full Member. If you have not received it, or if you are uncertain of your membership status, please do not hesitate to get in touch, preferably by emailing info@imrf.org.uk.

The Quadrennial General Meeting is very important. Please ensure that you are fully represented! page 5

LIFE LINE

February 2015

SAR Matters This column provides a forum for LIFE LINE readers worldwide to contribute to debate on any relevant SAR issue. Have a look at previous discussions in our Newsletter Archive, online at www.internationalmaritime-rescue.org: every Life Line since 2010 is available there for free download. You can join in the debate by emailing news@imrf.org.uk. It’s good to talk!

In this edition IMRF CEO Bruce Reid considers how

Instant media put pressure on maritime SAR Media pressure, and particularly the posting of unverified stories on social media, has become a significant factor in major maritime search and rescue events. We talked about this issue at the second Asia Pacific Regional Development Meeting last year (see LIFE LINE December 2014 – available from the newsletter archive on the IMRF website). Attendees at the Regional Meeting agreed that they needed to be prepared for the media onslaught that accompanies SAR incidents and exercises.

Never before has the maritime SAR sector been as exposed or visible as it is today. Seconds after incidents occur texts are sent, photos uploaded and opinions posted.

The challenge we face is that social media are becoming the first source of news. This is a problem, because there is risk that what is posted is difficult to authenticate; provides only a snapshot of a small part of what are complex operations; and, most importantly, creates information flows that can hinder the search and rescue effort. Political pressures fed by misinformed social media campaigns can have deleterious effects.

The events surrounding the tragic sinking of the Korean ferry Sewol were an example that supports this view. The public pressure and scrutiny from the first minute of this accident was unprecedented and should be reviewed by every authority responsible for coordinating incidents on this scale to ensure they have the structures and plans in place to handle this sort of exposure.

There is no problem with scrutiny and visibility, but in the middle of a major incident the last things the rescue authorities need are social media posts being quoted as facts, 'experts' providing opinions from a world away, and politicians pressuring their response authorities while the search and recovery is still under way.

Communications experts speak of a typical timeline of confusion, then control, and then criticism in response to incidents of all kinds – including, of course, major maritime accidents. These phases are sometimes referred to as ‘mayhem’, ‘mastermind’, and ‘manhunt’.

In the early stages of an incident which attracts global attention there will inevitably be some confusion. SAR people know that that all too often applies at the operational level. But as news of the incident spreads – which it does very rapidly in these days of instant worldwide communication – there will certainly be mayhem as news agencies scramble for facts, and even greater mayhem in the social media fields.

Unsubstantiated rumours can spread like wildfire, disguised as ‘facts’.

Control can be established at one level if a good relationship can quickly be established with the formal news media (which means prior planning). But then 'experts' begin to pop up everywhere, and the hunt for people to blame begins. Social media users naturally feed off this. The criticism will begin within a day or two at most, and will often gain ground even if unjustified.

We can all think of campaigns – well-meant, of course – to keep a search going, for example, even when the experts consider it an unnecessary risk to search crews.

Planning and preparation remain the key to successful SAR, especially in complex incidents. This includes planning how to deal with the pressures imposed by the news media – and by the new media. And the first thing to accept here is that we cannot prevent inaccurate reporting, speculation and comment. We can only hope to counter it, with careful explanation of the facts.

Instant media are now a fact of life. We must plan specifically to engage with them.

www.international-maritime-rescue.org

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LIFE LINE

February 2015

Member Focus: The Moroccan Maritime SAR Organisation IMRF Regional Coordinator for North and West Africa Mohammed Drissi writes: Complying with the relevant international Conventions, the Kingdom of Morocco is committed to developing its maritime SAR structure to cover a strategic area of over one million square kilometres, within which operates an important fleet of merchant and fishing vessels and sailing craft.

The multiple shipping risks make safety a concern for the Moroccan government, which has established a developed national SAR organization in terms of assets and skilled human resources for planning and coordinating operations at sea.

The creation of a Regional Committee and focal points in each country helps a lot. We meet regularly and build regional ability to coordinate SAR operations. A regional SAR plan has been adopted, with a monthly communication test between the MRCCs. We are also improving cooperation with the West African group led by Liberia.

MRCC Rabat, and Moroccan SAR units

The Marine Fisheries Department is responsible for establishing, developing and maintaining maritime SAR organizations in Morocco, dealing with policy, international agreements and conventions, and operational matters. The Department coordinates, liaises, trains, equips, staffs, maintains, prepares finance, develops procedures and plans, and conducts exercises and operations, collaborating with other stakeholder agencies.

The administrative structure is:  National SAR Committee chaired by the Chief of the Government  National SAR Coordinator: the Minister in charge of Marine Fisheries  SAR Technical Committee, including the Marine Fisheries Department, Royal Navy, Royale Gendarmerie, Royal Air Forces and Civil Protection  National MRCC of Rabat The organization is centred on a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) based in Bouznika (35 km south of Rabat) and a fleet of 42 specialized SAR units.

According to the provisions of the Regional Conference on SAR and the GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System), which took place in Florence in October 2000, www.international-maritime-rescue.org

2000, Morocco hosts the Regional Centre covering the maritime SAR areas of Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau. In this role of regional coordinator, Morocco, with great support from IMO and IMRF, has made the North West African region a dynamic one with an accelerated establishment of SAR capability (see page 8).

The challenges facing the maritime community nowadays are mainly safety of life, shipping security, and environmental protection. The management of crises at sea has two aspects, civilian and military, that are complementary and interdependent because they have the same goal: bringing back sailors and ships safely to port. To reach this goal, civilian and military cooperation is key to success.

Recent operations have confirmed the essential role of the armed forces in crisis management in terms of saving lives, law enforcement, security and safety at sea.

The existing cooperation between Marine Fisheries and the military in the surveillance of the fishing has been extended to include the SAR mission. Seminars and workshops provide the opportunity to participate and develop confidence, while exercises and training are the best way to involve the military organizations and to build the relationship. To change the situation from departmental competition to complementarity, we need to know each other’s problems and capabilities.

A distressed person does not care who the rescue boat belongs to: he will just say “Pick me up!!!” Now, as a result of this cooperation, the MRCC manned by Marine Fisheries is reinforced by officers from the Royal Navy and medical advice and assistance from the Royal Gendarmerie. The MRCC’s mission is easier, with military units for SAR cases just a phone call away. page 7

LIFE LINE

February 2015

IMRF project:

SAR Sharing

SAR Development: North and West Africa

Dirk Hinners-Stommel, Chief of MRCC Bremen in Germany, reflects on the training he has delivered in Morocco:

IMRF Regional Coordinator Mohammed Drissi (see page 7) continues to drive cooperation and collaboration in the North & West and West Africa regions, with a series of meetings over the past few months.

In January 2013 a first North & West African SAR Region training week, on ‘mission coordination’, was held at the Fishing Academy in Agadir. The course was organised jointly by the IMRF and IMO. Delegates from Morocco, Senegal, Cap Verdes, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia and Mauretania participated. I was course instructor.

In the autumn he hosted a visit by the Minister in charge of SAR in Congo, the Minister of Merchant Marine, who was impressed by the developments Mohammed has led in Morocco and the regional work he has been coordinating. It is hoped that Congo will join the regional meetings, increasing to 12 the number of African States coming together to discuss SAR, with three European countries attending as observers.

World Maritime Day followed, with IMO Secretary-General Mr Koji Sekimizu visiting the Maritime SAR Services display, part of the exhibition held at the Parallel Event hosted by Morocco to recognise the progress made in the region’s maritime sector.

The Minister in charge of SAR in Guinea Bissau has also visited the Moroccan MRCC in Rabat and confirms that he will support any action regarding the development of SAR in his country, within the cooperation framework built in the North and West Africa SAR region.

The training closely followed the IMO’s SAR Mission Coordinator model course, focusing on:    

the worldwide SAR System interaction between involved parties duties and tasks of SMC, OSC and ACO situation reports / visualizing the situation / tactical symbols  capabilities of SAR units (suitability and limits)  basics of search area determination and effort allocation  communication and its challenges / communications planning  the problem of false alerts  the concept of the ‘first RCC’ and proposed actions  awareness of the SAR system / SAR stages and phases Mohammed Drissi points out a feature of the SAR exhibition to Koji Sekimizu (above);  rescue (planning and operation) / and Dirk Stommel with some of his class conclusion of SAR operations / debriefings

Mohammed has worked hard to get more of the SAR organisations in the region communicating and working together. Over the past three years, working with the IMO and the IMRF to coordinate regional meetings and training, the momentum has been growing.

Currently the IMRF is working on a draft regional plan for 2015-2016 that will hopefully include a mass rescue operations workshop, two regional and joint regional meetings, and a range of maritime SAR training. All this activity is aimed at building greater operational capability across the whole of North and West Africa. www.international-maritime-rescue.org

Generally, the lessons were performed in group work and exercises.

Participants from different countries worked together in groups and shared their experience and knowledge. A final discussion led to an overall result.

A year later, in February 2014, I led an advanced course at the same venue.

Fortunately, the majority of the previous year’s delegates were able to attend.

The focus of this course was ‘exercise and training’. The group developed different table-top and simulator scenarios, which were played during the week. Introduction, conduct and debriefing were led by the group that created the exercises.

Both courses have had a very good feedback from the delegates, who showed a high motivation to acquire and keep a good level of SAR knowledge, in accordance with our common aim: “to rescue life at sea”. page 8

LIFE LINE

February 2015

News from China

News from Estonia

Michael Vlasto, IMRF Chairman, and Captain Song Jiahui, President of China Diving and Salvage Contractors Association and IMRF Trustee, visited local Chinese Maritime Safety Administrations (MSAs) and Rescue Bases operated by IMRF Members China Rescue and Salvage (CRS) in the cities of Dalian and Tianjin during Michael’s trip to China to attend the third IMRF AsiaPacific Regional Centre (APRC) board meeting in December.

On the initiative of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board a conference entitled “Maritime rescue - quo vadis? [Where are you going?]” was held at Tallinn Maritime Museum late last October. There were presentations on the history of maritime rescue in Estonia, and an emotional account by Ain-Alar Juhanson of his escape from the doomed ferry Estonia, 20 years ago. IMRF CEO Bruce Reid gave an overview of the international situation, and future plans for Estonian SAR were introduced. The activities of volunteer maritime rescuers in Estonia were outlined too.

When visiting the MSAs, our Chairman was given a general introduction to the organizational structure, emergency plans, coordination procedures and SAR assets in the Bohai Bay area of the North China Sea. He said how much he appreciated the effort and contribution which China has made in the development of maritime SAR. Noting the IMRF’s consultative status at the IMO, he hoped that the IMRF and Chinese SAR organisations will continue to work together to promote global SAR capability and save more lives at sea.

When visiting the rescue bases of CRS, Michael – recently retired Operations Director of the UK & Ireland’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution – was interested to see the former RNLI Arun and Tyne class lifeboats imported to China nearly 10 years ago. He noted the high standard of their maintenance

by CRS since. Capt Song said that the cooperation between CRS and RNLI, including the introduction of the Michael Vlasto and Song Jiahui aboard one of the Tyne class lifeboats, had been a lifeboats operated by CRS major factor in CRS’s Bruce Reid among the progress over the audience in Tallinn last decade.

The APRC Board Meeting agreed a number of actions for the Centre’s 2015 work plan, to help the IMRF to develop its business in the Asia-Pacific region. The APRC will work closely with IMRF members and other maritime SAR organisations in the region to help improve the regional response and coordination capability. A regional meeting, maritime SAR training, and a mass rescue workshop and seminar are the key projects that APRC will promote in 2015. Watch www.international-maritime-rescue.org/ index.php/homeaprc for details. www.international-maritime-rescue.org

Leif Kalev, Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior, opened the conference. The underlying keyword in his speech was “co-operability” between all involved in SAR, including volunteers. He also mentioned the issues of various agencies’ different equipment and the need to harmonize the relevant legislation. He highlighted the growth in the number of volunteer sea rescuers and pointed out that volunteers promote local community life as well as being a major benefit to the SAR system.

Elmar Vaher, Director General of the Police and Border Guard Board, emphasized that whoever is closest to the scene should go to the rescue. Rescue response must take place via the shortest chain of information: there is no room for hindered cooperation. In his assessment a volunteer is the spreader of a certain way of thinking in the community. He admitted that sadly ‘people’ are often overshadowed by ‘things’ – more attention is sometimes paid to equipment than to the development of personal skills.

Bruce Reid explained the IMRF’s current projects and international activities. He stressed the importance of sharing knowledge, ideas and experience, through workshops, regional meetings and seminars. He also talked about capacity building with the help of training courses and exercises, and by sharing experience of equipment and procedures.

The conference ended with a debate on maritime rescue’s visibility, legislation and funding. It was agreed that it is essential to think about resources – people as well as equipment – and that raising people’s awareness is key. Prevention of accidents and knowing how to get help continue to be important aspects. And work processes need to be aligned, to enable quick incident resolution. page 9

LIFE LINE

February 2015

IMRF project:

Crew Exchange The IMRF European Region’s lifeboat crew exchange project started in 2012 and has run in the first week of October each year since. Crews cross borders to share experience and learn from each other. The duration of the exchange is six full days (Saturday to Saturday).

Linde Jelsma, the project coordinator, notes that the event has grown from 7 participating countries in 2012 to 11 in 2014. Interest in future exchanges has been expressed by other lifeboat organisations, including some from outside Europe.

The exchange focusses on sharing knowledge and experience across borders, learning different techniques, and developing communication skills in a universal nautical – and SAR – language: “making friends for life” as one crew member wrote in his evaluation of his own exchange experience.

Future plans for the exchange project are to implement it as a standard training event, with a more strategic approach. Linde is currently applying for new European Union funding under the ‘Erasmus Plus’ scheme. She is also considering other long term investment options, including sponsorship and crowd funding options. We would like to replicate this successful idea in other parts of the world too.

Interested? Visit the project pages at www.international-maritimerescue.org, under ‘Projects’, where you can also find links to the crew exchange Facebook page.

www.international-maritime-rescue.org

IMRF project:

Rescue Boat Guidelines As reported in our December 2014 edition (see the newsletter archive on the IMRF website) the RBG Project is gathering momentum and we are on track for its delivery and official launch at this year’s WMRC in Bremerhaven.

Over the Northern winter the working group have completed the core library which involves 2160 cells of information identifying risks affecting SAR crews and organisations. These are allocated into Operational Categories identified by the IMRF's subject-matter expert group, and provide guidance for Equipment, Training and Procedures to minimise or eliminate these risks with reference to Distance Offshore, Visibility, Sea State, Speed, Operational Complexity and Local Conditions.

24 categories are covered: o Capsize o Collision Under Search o Crew Member Short o Damage to Unit or Crew (DUC) Deck Operations o DUC Daughter Boat o DUC Joint Operations with afloat SAR Assets o DUC Rescue Casualty Ashore o DUC Rescue Casualty in Water o DUC Rescue Casualty on Board o DUC Surf o DUC Transit to Casualty o Fire o Flood - Ingress of Water o Grounding Collision o Injury Requiring Additional Specialist Crew o Loss of Boat

o o o o o o o o

Loss of Communication Loss of Propulsion Lost Man Over Board Crew Towing Damage to Unit or Crew Training Risks Vessel Helicopter Collision, Whole Body Injuries.

Project Manager Andy Flanagan is now working with our developer to provide the practical user report aspects of the web-tool. With all the guidance now in the system it is important to have a logical method of providing the outputs so that users do not simply end up with an endless list.

The next step on the way to completion of the Rescue Boat Guidelines is to have the Working Group review the full guidance spreadsheet. Then we will pull together a wider consultative group to critique and recommend improvements to both the content and the web-tool.

We are therefore calling for expressions of interest to assist in this process.

It is important that any individuals volunteering for the consultative group have the approval of their organisation to be involved, and that they complete the expression of interest form on the RBG Project page on the IMRF website: www.international-maritimerescue.org.

And a special note of thanks to Andreas Arvidsson and his team at the Swedish Sea Rescue Society for keeping us on track with the content!

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LIFE LINE

February 2015

On 15 January AFP reported that scores of people were feared dead after the boat they were travelling in caught fire and sank on the Oubangui River in the Central African Republic.

IMRF project:

Mass Rescue Operations IMRF MRO project manager David Jardine-Smith writes: The turn of the year saw a number of major maritime SAR operations hit the headlines, including the loss of AirAsia flight QZ8501 in the Java Sea, and the mass rescue operation, largely by air, after the ferry Norman Atlantic caught fire in the Adriatic.

The latter incident (pictured by the Italian Navy above) was another reminder that successful rescue in such cases partly depends on successful escape and evacuation too. In the Sewol case last year the escape process failed: people were told not to go to points from which they could leave the ship. In Norman Atlantic’s case it seems clear that the evacuation system failed because of the rapid spread of the fire, leaving many people stranded on the ferry’s upper decks, waiting for helicopters. Congratulations are due to the rescuers, working in very difficult conditions – but we must also remember that many people died, and that we are unlikely to ever know precisely how many, because of the suspected presence of stowaways, striving to reach Italy.

As is still too often the case, other people have been drowning in large numbers, but without so much news media attention.

www.international-maritime-rescue.org

This was just the latest in a series of tragedies on the continent. Dig into the news reports a little and the headlines leap out at you: “Mali boat accident casualties rise…”, “13 dead in Lagos boat accident…”, “251 refugees die in accident on Lake Albert”, “Dozens feared dead in Libyan boat accident…”, “20 people drown in Zambia…” These were all in the past year. On 12 December “an overcrowded ferry capsized in the Democratic Republic of Congo… At least 129 bodies have been pulled from Lake Tanganyika since the sinking occurred…”

Inadequate SAR provision is only part of the story in these desperate cases – although let’s remember that a mass rescue operation is, by definition, beyond the normal capability of any SAR organisation.

Overloading and lack of lifesaving equipment are common themes. But surely we can help improve this terrible situation?

IMRF Trustee Hamish McDonald, who has long taken a close interest in lifesaving in the region, says “The figures certainly highlight the challenges associated with the waterways of the African continent, but equally demonstrate where IMRF could provide beneficial input if given the chance.”

Well, raising awareness of the issues has been a central part of the IMRF’s mass rescue operations (MRO) project over the past few years.

There are rescue lessons to be learned from high-profile incidents like Costa Concordia, Sewol and Norman Atlantic, and search lessons from the Malaysian Airlines and AirAsia cases – and safety and SAR

The IMRF’s online MRO Library

lessons to be learned from the under-reported accidents in Africa and elsewhere too. Remember the Pinak 6? Remember the Rabaul Queen…?

Our project is all about learning these lessons and passing them on, so that SAR colleagues around the world will be better prepared to respond, and save more lives.

Our successful Gothenburg series of conferences has been part of this process, and the IMRF team are now considering organising similar events elsewhere in the world. Our MRO Workshop package has also proved its worth, and we would be happy to discuss arranging one for you if you would like – email us at info@imrf.org.uk.

Finally our online MRO reference library will be launched at the World Maritime Rescue Congress in June (see page 4). This will be a userfriendly collection of guidance and examples, intended to help anyone involved in maritime SAR, from the national SAR Coordinator to the SMC to the rescue unit commander, to get ready for these rare but very difficult events.

I am delighted to say that John Geel of the KNRM will be helping us to complete the online library, and that a grant from Trinity House will greatly assist us in this work.

Please see the project pages at www. international-maritime-rescue.org for more information. page 11

LIFE LINE

February 2015

Case studies sought In the October 2014 edition of LIFE LINE we reported on the international project on ‘Vessel Triage’ being led by the Finnish Border Guard. (Please see the newsletter archive on the IMRF website.)

The primary purpose of the project is to help overcome the problems of misunderstanding that can occur in the early stages of an incident, when it may not be clear to a Rescue Coordination Centre what sort of help is needed by the vessel in trouble. The ‘vessel triage’ concept enables the simple classification of the incident into what the project team hope will become a globally understood and accepted system.

The team have now developed the procedure to the point where it can be tested – and for this they need your help!

If you are planning an exercise in the next couple of months, or if you are willing to review a past incident or exercise and apply the vessel triage process to it, please contact the project team at vesseltriage@raja.fi.

A successful rescue – but was it clear from the start that the fishing vessel was sinking; and how well was the situation understood by the rescuers?

The IMRF Bookshop As we hope all IMRF Members and many of our readers will be aware, the IMRF operates an online bookshop. Here you can order any IMO publication, from the SOLAS Convention to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual. We are also beginning to expand the range of other books you can buy from our bookshop, such as Mike Tipton and the late Frank Golden’s Essentials of Sea Survival.

If your organisation is an IMRF Member, you can benefit from a 20% discount when buying through the IMRF. Visit the website and click on the link on the home page to find out more.

A Pocket Guide to Recovery Techniques is one of the latest titles available from IMO Publishing.

The IMRF helped write the original text of this booklet, and have recently led a review for its 2014 edition, out now.

You will soon be able to buy the revised edition of Drowning from the IMRF bookshop, too. As Dr Joost Bierens, the coordinating editor of this standard reference work, says: “This book covers all aspects of drowning. Each of the chapters contains practical and evidencebased information from leading experts from all over the world.”

Watch the website for more details – and remember to claim your 20% Members’ discount!

IMO’s Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea Each year the International Maritime Organization makes awards for bravery at sea. The awards are conferred on individuals or groups who risk their own lives to perform acts of exceptional bravery in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment.

The IMO are now seeking nominations for the 2015 awards. To qualify, the actions concerned must have been performed between 1 March 2014 and 28 February 2015.

Nominations must be submitted by 15 April 2015.

As the non-governmental organisation in consultative status on SAR at the IMO, the IMRF is represented on the panel of judges. Nominations are therefore better made via your own Government if you can – but if you need help please email us at info@imrf.org.uk.

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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