SAR Flashcards
What code states that the CG shall develop, establish, maintain and operate SAR facilities and may render aid to distressed persons and protect and save property on and under the high seas and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S.?
Title 14, Sections 2, 88 and 141 of the U.S Code
What do CG assets say after CG to ensure priority while working a SAR case?
RESCUE
In the GMDSS system, what area is VHF?
Sea Area A1
How many digits are in an MMSI number?
9
What do the first 3 digits in an MMSI number mean?
Country
UMIBs shall be issued upon receipt of what?
- All uncorrelated MAYDAY channel 16 calls
- Uncorrelated VHF-FM DSC distress calls
- Flare sightings
- Overdue vessel reports
- Other situations deemed necessary by the SMC
What are the five SAR stages?
AIPOC - Awareness, Initial Action, Planning, Operation, Conclusion
What are the 3 major components to the SLDMB system?
Buoys
Satellite system
Data system
Each SAROPS run has two major components, what are they?
The Simulator component and the Planner component
What does the simulator component simulate?
Pre-distress motion
Post-distress motion
Completed searches to update search object probabilities
What is the planner component for?
Used to plan the next search based on the SRUs that the human search planner believes will be available for the next search.
What is the max range for a 110 WPB?
3,300 NM
What are the max sea conditions for a 45’ RB-M?
12 FT
What is the towing capacity for the 45’ RB-M?
100 tons
What is the towing capacity for the 87’ CBP?
200 tons
What are the max winds for the 45’ RB-M?
50kts
What is the max range for an 87’ CPB?
875 NM
What is the deployment duration for a 110’ WPB?
5 days/10 days with replenishment
What are the max sea conditions for 25 RB-S?
6 FT
What are the max winds for 25’ RB-S?
25 kts
What is the max range for a 41’?
300 NM
What is the max range for a HH-65?
375NM
What is the max endurance for an HH-60?
6 HRS
What is the max endurance of the HC-130H?
13.5 HRS
What manual is COMDINST M16130.2F?
USCG Addendum to the U.S National SAR Supplement to the IAMSAR.
What manual is COMDINST M3120.20?
USCG Command Center Manual
When is rough bar/surf determined to exist?
- breaking seas exceed 8 ft
- in judgement of CO or OIC that rough bar/surf exists
- in judgement of the coxswain, there is doubt as to the present conditions.
Whenever an AMVER-participating vessel makes a rescue, or diverts to assist or a foreign RCC requests a SURPIC, what do you do?
SAR SITREPs and District/Area operations summaries shall be sent to Amver Maritime Relations (message PLAD “COGARD AMR NEW YORK NY)
What does Sea Area 1 mean?
VHF - FM range, 20 NM
What does Sea Area 2 mean?
MF range, 200 NM
What does Sea Area 3 mean?
HF & Inmarsat range
What does Sea Area 4 mean?
Polar regions
What is SART for?
Search and Rescue (radar) Transponder for locating survival craft.
What is DSC intended for?
To initiate communications
How long must afloat units wait for shore units to respond to DSC calls?
Five minutes
What are the categories for DSC calls?
Distress, Urgency, Safety and Routine
Who are NAVTEX broadcasts made by?
CG CAMS, COMMSTA Kodiak, Sector Guam and Sector San Juan
How far does NAVTEX coverage extend from the coast?
up to 200nm
When a SAR case is deemed to outside the coverage of NAVTEX, what shall the CG use?
CG RCCs shall disseminate and monitor SAR distress using the INMARSAT SafetyNET system
What shall the CG not use SafetyNet for?
CG RCCs shall not disseminate routine meteorological and navigation information via SafetyNet.
What frequency does the SART use?
Locating survival craft in the 9 GHz frequency band (9200-9500 MHz)
What is the range of air and surface for a SART?
Air is 40 NM and surface is 10nm
How does the SART signal appear on a radar screen?
distinctive line of 12 equally spaced blips extending outward from the SART position along its line of bearing.
What are the DSC guard frequencies?
- 525 MHZ
- 5 KHZ
- 5 KHZ
- 0KHZ
- 5 KHZ
- 0 KHZ
- 5 KHZ
CG vessels underway or at anchor equipped with VHF-FM DSC radios shall guard DSC frequency, what?
156.525 (Channel 70)
CG vessels underway or at anchor equipped with HF/MF DSC radios shall guard DSC frequency, what?
2187.5 kHz
How are acknowledgements made via DSC and when?
Acknowledgements shall be made via DSC on the same frequency on which the distress alert was received.
Acknowledgements shall take place after one minute to allow for units with automated MF/HF/VHF -DSC to make calls and in all cases within 2.75 minutes of receipt.
What does acknowledgement mean?
It means that a shore unit has received the DSC call and the USCG is responding to it.
After acknowledging a DSC distress alert, how long shall each receiving unit monitor the corresponding voice frequency?
At least 10 minutes.
For all HF DSC distress calls, who is the primary voice responder?
The appropriate CAMS.
When is a radio violation report submitted?
1 - Those who inadvertently transmit a false distress alert without proper cancellation
2 - Repeatedly transmit false alerts
3- Deliberately transmit false alerts
When shall SafetyNet messages be broadcasted\\
SafetyNET messages shall be broadcasted when UMIBs would normally be required for Sea Area 3.
What USC permits cellular companies to release call-identifying information to a government entity?
18 U.S.C 2702
If the Aircraft Commander fails to check in on the primary or secondary frequency within five minutes of their communications schedule, the guarding station shall….
The guarding station shall initiate an alert. The a/c’s parent command shall be notified first, followed by the cognizant District Command Center.
What shall SAR case packages include?
A copy of the original unedited recording
A copy of the final edited version used to help make any escalation or suspension decisions.
What must flag states do upon receiving a SSA?
Notify the coastal state in whose vicinity the ship is operating and authorities of other nations.
In the Awareness stage, the SAR organization cannot respond to an incident _________
until it becomes aware that people or craft need assistance.
Every effort shall be taken by the RCC to have a subsequent search ready prior to _______
prior to the completion of the current search patterns.
When do SAR operations enter the conclusion stage?
- aircraft, ship or persons who are the subject of the SAR incident are not in distress (false aler)
- aircraft, ship or persons have been located (case closed)
- When SMC determines that further searches would be to no avail because they would not raise the POS significantly or there is no longer any reasonable probability of survival of the POB.
What checksheet shall be completed for all incidents?
Initial SAR checksheet.
What are the two methods for search planning?
Manual and computer simulation
Explain SURPIC
Identifies and plots AMVER vessels worldwide
What are the first 3 and last 6 digits of an MMSI?
Country code
Ship station identifier
SMC shall process and evaluate information about a SAR incident, determine appropriate initial action, and initiate action within ______ _______of a distress incident notification.
five minutes
Sweep width (W) is the ______ _ _ ______ centered on the SRU’s track where the probability of detecting the search object if it is outside of that swath is equal to the probability of missing the search object if it is inside that swath, assuming the distribution of search objects is uniform.
width of a swath
Factors affecting sweep width are:
Search object characteristics MEteorological visibility Terrain/Sea conditions Cloud cover Altitudes - a/c Search speed
Visual sweep widths are determined by choosing an uncorrected sweep width based what?
Type of search object, SRU altitude and correcting it for environmental conditions, speed and fatigue.
When are SAPs required?
For all search efforts beyond initial response and in all cases where two or more search facilities are conducting searches.
For CG SAR response and search planning purposes, __________ shall be used as the _______ unless documented testing have shown otherwise for a particular RFF.
+/- 4 degrees
LOB error
What is the actual height needed for computing maximum reception range for a coastal station is what?
The height of the audio antenna above mean sea-level.
What formula does the CG use for RFF range?
Radio line of sight
What does POS depend on?
The probability that the object is in the area searched (POC)
The probability of detecting that object (POD) if it were there.
CG Assistance Entry policy
CG Rescue assets are authorized to enter a coastal State’s territorial sea to rescue persons in distress; such assistance is to be provided without regard to the nationality or status of such persons or the circumstances in which they are found.
CG rescue assets shall NOT conduct AE rescue operations under any of the following conditions:
- To perform a search
- To rescue or salvage property
- To assist persons not in distress
- Within the internal waters or over the land mass of a coastal state.
What is included in the SAP format?
Area Unit Parent PATT CRP Major Axis CSP TS
When the incident includes the pollution or threat of pollution, who should the message go to?
SCC/COTP, EPA or state pollution agency as appropriate.
When the incident involves civilian aircraft mishap, who do messages go to?
FAA
In the NAME/DESC of SUBJECT OF INCIDENT, what goes there?
NAME, registration/DOC#, size or type of craft (vsl, boat, a/c, sail, etc)
Who has to approve any decision to waive a FOIA exemption and release an underlying SAR case study to the public?
CMDT CG-534/ CG - SAR
When an incident involves an AMVER vessel as distressed craft or when acting as SRU, the message goes to whom?
AMVER Maritime Relations Officer in NY
Who enters AMVER vsl participation sorties?
SMC
Federal law requires vessels larger than _____ to carry visual distress signals.
16 ft.
Vessels less than 16 ft in length are required to carry VDS suitable for ______ ____
night use between sunset and sunrise.
What are red, orange and pyrotechnic flares recognized as?
Marine and aviation emergency signals
What do unresolved red or orange flares require?
1st light search
The flare first light decision must have :
An area in which the flare was sighted is confined.
An area was effectively searched.
SITREPS shall be submitted with who as an information addressee?
DOS
What is the minimum frequency for a SITREP?
Daily
How long should audio files of radio transmissions and phone calls be retained?
30 days
What are SLDMB characteristics?
GPS positions are acquired at 15 min intervals for two hours and then 30 minutes thereafter.
How long are SLDMBs and buoys operational for?
14-30 days after deployment
When will SLDMB data be transmitted?
30-90 minutes of deployment/activation
How many data reports do SLDMBs retain?
13 data reports
Define hoax.
a case where info was conveyed with intent to decieve.
When do we use Sector patterns?
High confidence in datum
When datum is established within close limits
Very high coverage is desired in the immediate vicinity of datum
The area to be searched is not extensive
When do we do parallel searches?
Large level search areas
approximate position is known
Uniform coverage is desired
What is a search leg?
Long leg along the track of any pattern
Crossleg
connects two search legs
What is Creep
general direction in which an SRU moves through an area; normally the same direction as crosslegs
What are the turns in a Sector search?
All turns 120 degrees to the right.
How many a/c can be used for a square pattern?
02
What are square patterns for?
Used to search a small area
Some doubt exists about distress postion
Uniform coverage
1st leg is usually down drift
What is a creep pattern for?
Used to cover one end of the search area first
How far apart must TACAN channel pairing be for air-to-air ranging operations?
63 channels apart
What does SLDMB give?
Buoy ID, position, sea temperature
What does SLDMB drift data require?
minimum of 2 positions
Who controls the SLDMB program?
Districts
How deep are drogue vanes on an SLDMB?
12-37 inches
