LIFELINE December 2015 - English

LIFE LINEDECEMBER 2015

The Newsle�er of the Interna�onal Mari�me Rescue Federa�on (IMRF)

News Experience Ideas Informa�on Development• • • •

The Interna�onal Mari�me Rescue Federa�on is a registered company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom and registered as a charity in England and WalesPatron: E�himios E. Mitropoulos KCMG, IMO Secretary General Emeritus

Registered office: IMRF West Quay Road Poole BH15 1HZ United Kingdom • Company Registra�on Number: 4852596 • Charity Registra�on Number: 1100883www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org

In this issue:• IMRF Members respond to the crisis in the Mediterranean

• N ews from Zanzibar, Sri Lanka, the Arc�c and the Åland Islands• A look back at the IMRF's year

• A nd more!

This is Iman. She is three years old, and she clutches a Swedish Sea Rescue Society teddy-bear. Two days before this picture was taken the boat she was in sank. When the SSRS picked her up she was slipping in and out of consciousness and her pulse and breathing were weak: she had hit her head on rocks. The crew worked on her for 16 minutes while driving at 35 knots through rough seas to get her to an ambulance. As you can see, they did well.

One more thing: this accident did not happen on the coast of Sweden but in the Mediterranean. Iman had already escaped other dangers: she and her family are refugees. Lifesaving is a very big and difficult business now, with many facets to it. But lifesaving at sea remains what it always has been: we do our best, like our Swedish colleagues did, for anyone. We can't do anything else. And Iman's smile makes it all worthwhile.

For more on the work of SSRS and other IMRF members in response to the Mediterranean crisis, see pages 5-7.

LIFE LINE DECEMBER 2015

www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org page 2

EDITORIAL

Welcome to the December issue of your newsle�er. If you are a regular reader you may no�ce a slight change in its style. I am happy to say that a professional designer has relieved me of the scissors-and-gluing job. Thank you, Chantelle!

2015 is drawing to a close. It's been a busy year, as our CEO's summary on page 3 shows, and I do not mind admi�ng that the IMRF Secretariat is looking forward to a few days off over the holiday period! And then we will return refreshed and get straight back down to work, for there is much work s�ll to be done.

Almost accidentally there are a number of ar�cles in this edi�on with �tles beginning 'Saving lives…' This is scarcely surprising, granted that that is what people in SAR do. It is, as IMRF Trustee James Vaughan points out on page 5, a simple principle. But the ongoing crises in the Mediterranean and (less well-reported) in other parts of the world have lent new intensity to what we do, and have asked serious ques�ons about what mari�me lifesaving means, and our capacity to engage in it at such levels.

It is good – very good – that, despite terrible things happening on land, the interna�onal mari�me community (and not just the SAR community) are steadfast in their support of James's 'simple principle', and that more and more resource is being gathered for mari�me SAR. You can read about some of the responses in the Mediterranean on pages 6 & 7.

But the IMRF is about improving SAR in all the world's waters, not the Mediterranean alone. We look forward to working with you to this end in 2016, wherever you may be in the world; and to sharing your news, ideas and experiences in LIFE LINE.

Safe passage and success in the New Year to you all.

Dave [email protected]

DATES FOR THE DIARYNorth & West Africa, and West Africa SAR Regional Commi�ee mee�ngsFebruary 2016 Venue and dates to be confirmed in due course

IMO Sub-Commi�ee on Naviga�on, Communica�ons, Search & Rescue (NCSR)29 February - 4 March 2016 IMO, London for details, email [email protected]

SAR EXPO Interna�onal1 to 3 March 2016 Cannes, France see www.sarexpo.com

Passenger Ship Safety conference12-13 April 2016 Southampton, UK see www.passengershipsafety.com

Australia & New Zealand SAR Conference30- 31 May 2016 Jupiters Gold Coast, Australia see www.sar.anzdmc.com.au

ISAR 5th Interna�onal SAR Conference19-21 July 2016 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia see www.globalsar.com.my

ICAO/IMO Joint Working Group on SAR12-16 September 2016 Berlin, Germany for details, email [email protected]

ICE-SAR Rescue 201614-16 October 2016 Reykjavik, Iceland details in due course

If you are planning a SAR event of interna�onal interest which you would like to see listed here, please send the details to [email protected]

CONTENTS Page

Editorial 2Dates for the diary 2CEO’s Round-up 3Crew Exchange 2015 4Saving lives – a simple principle 5 IMRF Members agree coordina�on of crisis response needed 6Saving lives in the Aegean 7African mari�me SAR in focus 8Developing SAR in the Arc�c 8Saving lives in Zanzibar 9Members assis�ng members: Discount offers from Dacon 10McMurdo lead beacon development 10Åland Sea Rescue Society celebrate anniversary at IMRF Regional Mee�ng 11Members assis�ng members: A Lifeboat for Sri Lanka 11Welcome aboard 12IMO's Awards for Excep�onal Bravery at Sea' 12And Finally 12



The Chief Exec's Round-Up

IMRF's CEO Bruce Reid writes:

Well: what a year 2015 has been!The IMRF is the sum of all its parts, and our Members have achieved many great things in SAR during the year, working independently and/or together, saving lives and helping us to improve mari�me search and rescue capability globally. But your Secretariat has been pre�y busy too! Here's a summary of just some of the things our small team has got up to this year.

There was the World Mari�me Rescue Congress and the Quadrennial General Mee�ng in Bremerhaven in June, of course. We were very well hosted by the DGzRS, the German Mari�me SAR Service – but both events meant a great deal of work for the Secretariat; before, during and a�er. You can read about the results in the August LIFE LINE: click the 'Newsle�er' tab on our home page, www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org.

There have been other IMRF mee�ngs, too: regional SAR development mee�ngs in Europe (see page 11) and Africa; Board mee�ngs in Sweden and Germany; and discussions with our Major Donors on our Strategic Plan for the 2016-2019 quadrennium. Our involvement in North and West Africa in par�cular has also included training on basic SAR techniques, on-scene coordina�on, and the Global Mari�me Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). We have spoken at conferences in the UK, Estonia, and Bulgaria; have assisted our Finnish colleagues with their Vessel Triage project, and have met with the Associa�on of South East Asian Na�ons (ASEAN) Transport Safety Commi�ee in Singapore.

Our Asia-Pacific Regional Centre con�nues to go from strength to strength: see the ar�cles in LIFE LINE in April and October, and visit the APRC site at www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org/homeaprc. Among other things, our APRC team – Zhang Rongjun, Gu Yiming and (from November) Zeng Haowei – have helped organise a seminar on pleasure boa�ng in China; have a�ended a regional SAR development mee�ng in Indonesia; and, as this edi�on of LIFE LINE is published, are running a training course on mass rescue opera�ons at Shanghai Mari�me University: watch out for the report in our next issue.

We con�nue to play our part at the Interna�onal Mari�me Organiza�on ( I M O), represen�ng mari�me S A R organisa�ons globally. We have a�ended mee�ngs of the IMO's Sub-Commi�ee on Naviga�on, Communica�ons and Search and Rescue – the lead technical commi�ee on mari�me SAR at the United Na�ons level – and of the

Technical Coopera�on Commi�ee, and a special mee�ng on SAR in the context of the Mediterranean 'mixed migrant' crisis. We have again contributed to the detailed work done by the Joint Working Group on SAR convened by the IMO and the Interna�onal Civil Avia�on Organiza�on (ICAO). Our Chairman, Udo Fox, is a member of the judging panel for IMO's annual bravery at sea awards, too: see page 12.

Our major project work con�nues. I have already men�oned various strands of our global SAR development work – a �tle which encompasses all we do, really – and that is supported by our Rescue Boat Guidelines, which were launched at the Congress in June and are now available for use on the website: see www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org/homerbg. We con�nue to support safety educa�on and accident preven�on projects – and will be looking at ways in which we can re-energise our work in this area in 2016. The European Crew Exchange project (see pages 1 & 4) is a great success; and the online reference library associated with our Mass Rescue Opera�ons (MRO) project was also launched in June: see www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org/homemropublic.The library is just part of the MRO project, managed by David Jardine-Smith. We con�nue to run MRO workshops – I have already men�oned the event in Shanghai, and we facilitated a regional workshop in Singapore in August. We also par�cipate on request in other people's events: David a�ended a Caribbean MRO workshop this year, for example, and a tabletop MRO exercise in the UK.

Kiersten Sander has produced two high-quality reports for us, both associated with the MRO project. Working with the Worldwide Ferry Safety Associa�on, Kiersten researched the SAR responses to ferry accidents worldwide – a report that we are keeping up to date as new accidents occur – and she has also researched cases of fire aboard ships, to help inform the Finnish Border Guard's Bal�c Mari�me Incident Response Group project – which we will be repor�ng on in a future issue of LIFE LINE. If you would like a copy of either of Kiersten's reports, please email us at [email protected]. By the way; Kiersten's husband Robin is currently helping us with the development of the knowledge management database, 'Spectrum', which we acquired this year.

Our brilliant IT manager, Wendy Webster, has worked �relessly on our websites all year, upgrading them and keeping them current, user-friendly and fascina�ng. I say 'websites' because, although you can access everything from www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org, Wendy has created new domains for various parts of what we do, to help deal with the large amount of material we make available. She has led the re-launch of our Members Assis�ng Members facility – see www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org/home – where you can go to find or offer help with SAR equipment, training, advice etc; and she has done great work on the online IMRF Bookshop, where IMRF members can obtain significant savings on



many �t les , inc lud ing I M O publ ica�ons . V is i t www.imr�ookshop.org.

None of this would be possible without the sterling work (pun intended) done in the background by our ever-reliable accountant Jill Greenlees, who also shares my passion for rugby union, even if her team isn't quite as good as mine…!So: yes – it's been quite a year. And I've not men�oned everything we've been up to. Our hard work on the Mediterranean crisis, for example, will con�nue into 2016 (see page 6), as will so much else of what we do. Working with our refreshed and dynamic Board, and – of course – with all our member organisa�ons, we hope to con�nue to achieve great things.

Keep in touch. Follow us on the social media we contribute to, keep watching the website, and order your own copy of LIFE LINE if you've had this one passed on to you by a friend. It's free: click the 'Newsle�er' tab on the website. And we'll see you next year!

lifeboat crew exchange programme has now become an important fixture in the calendars of mari�me SAR volunteers across the con�nent. Through the backing of the European Union's Erasmus+ programme, which funded the event for the first �me this year, and Linde's ini�a�ve, enthusiasm and hard work, the exchange has become a vital component in the IMRF's ambi�on to spread knowledge and best prac�ce.”

The volunteer crews involved collec�vely commit thousands of hours of their �me every year to serving their communi�es. In 2014 these crews rescued more than 25,000 people.

Project manager Linde Jelsma says: “We were again impressed by the enthusiasm, willingness to learn and all-round exper�se of the par�cipants in this year's event. The volunteers tell us that they go away with fresh ideas which will benefit both their organisa�ons and fellow rescuers back home.

“I would like to thank all host coordinators for the effort they put into this programme to create an educa�onal exchange including the big fun factor. Looking to the future, my task will be finding op�onal ways to fund and con�nue this European success, which we would like to extend to a worldwide exchange programme.”

The ini�al feedback from those a�ending this year's exchange provides even greater incen�ve to expand the ini�a�ve.

A KNRM host commented: “You became a team in one week; although you were from all over the world, you all do a magnificent job – with different boats, equipment and budgets, but all with the same hearts and minds.”

A par�cipant from Iceland, hosted in Denmark, said: “What a week has passed. Now I go back home with laughter, lots of new things, experience and thanks in my mind to those who made this a once-in-a-life�me experience.”

For more feedback, and to get a real impression of what the exchange is like, visit www.imrfexchange.org/media-gallery and the 'IMRF Exchange' Facebook page and hear directly from the par�cipants!

The host organisa�ons this year were KNRM, the Danish Coastal Rescue Service, the Finnish Lifeboat Ins�tute, the UK and Ireland's Royal Na�onal Lifeboat Ins�tu�on, the German Mari�me Search and Rescue Service, the Swedish Sea Rescue Society, the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue, the Icelandic Associa�on for Search and Rescue, and the French Na�onal Society for Rescue at Sea. Crew members from Russia, Greece, Ireland, Estonia, Portugal and Canada also took part.

Like to join in? The next exchange will be held 24 September – 1 October 2016. For more informa�on, e-mail [email protected].

CREW EXCHANGE 2015

The IMRF European lifeboat crew exchange, coordinated by Linde Jelsma of KNRM, the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Ins�tu�on, a�racted par�cipants from 13 countries this year: two more than in 2014. The primary aim of the exchange, now in its fourth year, is to share SAR experience and to improve Europe's mari�me SAR services by helping them learn from each other.

This highly successful and ongoing project has a number of important objec�ves. The first is to enable the exchange of prac�cal experience and good prac�ce. The seven day event also helps personal development, allowing volunteers to acquire new skills. It acts as a transna�onal communica�on pla�orm between SAR organisa�ons, enabling the exchange of results, evalua�ons and exper�se. And it helps lifeboat crew members improve their mari�me English, because English is the global working language in mari�me organisa�ons of all kinds.

The exchange comprises SAR exercises as well as training modules from the host organisa�on in areas such as first aid, naviga�on, vessel management, firefigh�ng, capsize drills, and leadership. Visits to the host organisa�ons' lifeboat sta�ons have become a key part of the event, providing a first-hand opportunity to see how others operate.

IMRF Chief Execu�ve Bruce Reid explained: “The European



SAVING LIVES: A SIMPLE PRINCIPLE

James Vaughan, IMRF Board member and Interna�onal Director for the UK & Ireland's Royal Na�onal Lifeboat Ins�tu�on, writes:

I was recently fortunate enough to travel to Malta, to a small and simple office in a narrow old street, to meet the inspira�onalMOAS team (Migrant OffshoreAid Sta�on), to understand moreabout how they operate, what they had achieved and their ambi�ous plans for the future.

Nothing quite prepared me for what MOAS has managed to achieve in such a short �me. Over the last seven months, they had rescued 11,600 migrants from perilous 'vessels' north of the Libyan coast. I use the word 'vessel' cau�ously because some would ques�on if you can describe a large plas�c tube broadly resembling a boat, as a vessel.

That's an average of 1,657 people per month and what put it in context for me was calcula�ng that this is more than double that of the average monthly RNLI rate of rescue in nearly half the �mescale. Furthermore, we talk a lot in mari�me SAR circles about mass rescue: the MOAS crew live and breathe mass rescue every �me they put to sea and they are also pioneering new methods of lifesaving technology such as using drones to define the search area and help improve MRCC decision making by iden�fying exactly what the appropriate rescue assets are for a par�cular scenario.

So what mo�vated them down this path? It was fascina�ng talking to Mar�n Xuereb and his young and dynamic team. We are all probably aware of how MOAS started a�er an American philanthropist came across an empty lifejacket floa�ng miles from land in the Mediterranean and subsequently decided to pour most of his life savings into developing a migrant SAR service. Mar�n, who runs the opera�on, strongly argues that society can't be bystanders in this tragic situa�on and whilst the broader poli�cal problems behind why the migrants are trying to make this crossing in the first place and what happens to them when

and if they arrive on the European coast, are significant and won't be solved on the sea, he believes that “no one deserves to die in the Mediterranean”. So he believes their work echoes the roots of many of the long standing rescue services who were also established on similar principles.

It certainly hasn't been an easy path: “When we started we were ignored by many NGOs and ins�tu�ons who didn't believe we were capable of making a difference” But MOAS have taken that ini�al rejec�on and lack of support in their stride and are now welcomed by all players as a cri�cal and very capable resource in the area. Mar�n has par�cular praise for Médecins Sans Fron�ères (MSF – Doctors Without Borders) who provide the medical crew on his boat and who currently have two similar vessels working in the Southern Mediterranean.

He also praised the Italian Mari�me Rescue Coordina�on Centre, who con�nually push the scope of their responsibili�es to enable effec�ve rescues to take place many miles from the Italian coast. Beyond the undeniable opera�onal impact of MOAS, Mar�n also believes that their presence has been a catalyst for change and has helped generate significant poli�cal and media interest and debate on the plight of the migrants. Evidence for this is the fact that their weekly on-board journalist slots have been completely full over the last few months. This has translated into a great deal of media coverage worldwide.

The MOAS vessel, the Phoenix, was carefully chosen. She is an ex-deep sea trawler, adapted for the task of being a rescue vessel by the addi�on of a significant flight deck to enable the high-spec Schiebel surveillance drones to be used. With a dra� of 5m she is a very stable pla�orm – vital for this task – and she can accommodate several hundred people at one �me. She normally patrols north of the Libyan coast between the Tunisian border and Misrata. But she is not fast, with a cruising speed of just 7 knots, so, when she is at maximum capacity, it is a long slow journey north to the Italian mainland to disembark the migrants. This effec�vely takes her out of ac�on for several days at a �me.

It's also not a small logis�cal opera�on keeping her at sea. There are usually 23 people aboard: 12 crew, 6 MSF medical staff, 3 drone operators and 2 journalists, and ashore there is a small team of logis�cians: someone

photos courtesy James Vaughan & MOAS



managing the IT; a fundraiser, doing vital work; and a PR expert to make sure their story is heard.

I asked what the rescue process entailed and was told that it was extremely challenging and not just because of the distances involved. The average migrant vessel has about 120 people on board, and is a large inflatable cra�, the like of which we will have all seen on the news. But Ian, who is responsible for logis�cs and planning, pointed out to me that the quality of these boats is unbelievably poor, and ge�ng worse. They are essen�ally two lightweight PVC tubes with a primi�vely ba�ened floor. With 120 people on board the pressures are extreme. MOAS have o�en seen the boats bend and twist in an alarming fashion, and it doesn't take much to puncture them, leading to catastrophic consequences. The tenderness of the tubes creates par�cular challenges in the rescues as well, placing an added burden of responsibility with the SAR crews.

But, notwithstanding all these challenges, MOAS has helped save 11,600 people from very likely disaster as they a�empt to navigate the several hundred mile journey from the north coast of Libya to Malta or Italy. Mar�n points out that they don't judge these people or interfere with the legal process that follows. “Our job,” he says, “Is just to stop these people dying.”

All this doesn't come cheap. It costs about $500,000 per month of opera�on – all of which now comes from voluntary dona�ons in the true spirit of many mari�me SAR organisa�ons. [You can donate at www.moas.eu.]

So what next? It was an interes�ng �me for me to arrive as 24 hours previously MOAS had decided to widen their mission ('no-one deserves to die') to the Bay of Bengal. The UNHCR es�mated recently that there has been a 31% increase in migrants over the past 12 months and that over 1,100 have died since 2014. The MOAS team hope that by moving Phoenix east, during the European winter months, they can shine a light on another hidden disaster. Their concept of opera�ons won't necessarily follow the same model of humanitarian aid as in the Med, but they hope that whilst sta�oned in the area they will be able to properly understand the extent of the problem and raise awareness of the plight of migrants in this part of the world.

Does that mean they are leaving the Southern Mediterranean for good? The whole MOAS team were very categorical on this ques�on. Moving Phoenix to the Bay of Bengal had been a difficult decision, but they genuinely believe that they can deliver a greater impact over the next few months with this opera�onal shi�. The Mediterranean will remain an important part of their interest and in an ideal world, they would have a second rescue asset, in addi�on to the Phoenix, that could con�nue their Mediterranean patrols over the winter months as, while numbers are likely to drop, there will s�ll be many a�empts at crossings.

IMRF MEMBERS AGREE COORDINATION OF CRISIS RESPONSE NEEDED

IMRF CEO Bruce Reid writes:

Senior representa�ves of several European IMRF member organisa�ons met in Oslo in November: DGzRS, the German Mari�me SAR Service; KNRM, the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Ins�tu�on; the Royal Na�onal Lifeboat Ins�tu�on, of the UK & Ireland; the Swedish Sea Rescue Society, SSRS; and the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue, RS. All have a deep interest in the ongoing crisis in the Mediterranean (see pages 5 & 7) and a desire to ensure that support from IMRF members to the hard-pressed SAR services in the region is as well-coordinated as possible.

The crisis con�nues to intensify, as more and more desperate people a�empt to cross into Europe, fleeing war, terror or abuse, and mixed with people who are simply trying to find a be�er life. By mid-November more than 836,000 people had arrived by sea, and the great majority of them are now taking the Aegean route, to the islands of Greece. Over half are fleeing Syria: see the UNHCR's data at h�p://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php.

The world knows the awful stories of a�empted long sea crossings in appalling condi�ons from North Africa to Malta, Spain and, especially, Italy. The SAR services in these countries have had mass rescue opera�ons to deal with on an almost daily basis. With the assistance of passing shipping, they have coped as well as they can. Now, in the northern winter, these flows lessen. But there is no sign of let-up on the short-sea Aegean crossings, where people con�nue to die and the regional SAR facili�es struggle with the colossal load.

All who met in Oslo agreed that a properly coordinated provision of addi�onal at-sea SAR resource will help avoid the problems reported ashore, where numerous agencies, including start-ups and individuals, are reported to have been duplica�ng each other's efforts or leaving gaps. The IMRF have therefore been asked to help.

First, a review team will meet with the Hellenic Coast Guard to assess the precise SAR needs in the Aegean, repor�ng back to the coordina�on group in mid-December. The IMRF will con�nue to collate informa�on, including that derived from our knowledge management system, 'Spectrum', to help inform the review. In the mean�me IMRF member organisa�ons are being asked to advise what help they can give and/or are already giving. A second, simultaneous review will also be conducted of the current SAR posi�on in the southern Mediterranean.

The IMRF will work closely with the SAR authori�es and SAR service providers in the two regions in conduc�ng this review and agreeing subsequent ac�on. All SAR opera�ons will be coordinated by the relevant Rescue Coordina�on Centre.

From this basis we will proceed to supply the right assistance in the right places, insofar as we can. And in the mean�me IMRF members will con�nue to provide the help they are already providing (some of which you can read about elsewhere in this edi�on of LIFE LINE) and we will con�nue to coordinate ongoing requests for, and offers of, assistance. We have had great support from suppliers dona�ng equipment, for example – many of them IMRF members too.

There's a long way to go, but we'll go there together; and together we're stronger.



IMRF MEMBERS SAVING LIVES IN THE AEGEAN

A number of IMRF members are doing great things in response to the Mediterranean crisis.

As James Vaughan notes (page 5), the Migrant Offshore Aid Sta�on (MOAS) has been opera�ng in the central region of the Mediterranean, and is now focussing on migrant issues in the Bay of Bengal too. However, as the winter deepens and casualty rates climb, MOAS is also posi�oning a 51m emergency response vessel, Topaz Responder, in Greek territorial waters, to act as a patrol and response unit, and as mother ship to two high-speed rescue vessels, Aylan and Galip, named for the Kurdi brothers whose deaths shocked the world in September.

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Meanwhile the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue(Redningsselskapet)'s Peter Henry von Koss will extend its opera�on in the Mediterranean for a further six months, the Norwegian Government has announced. “This is good news and a recogni�on of the work we have done so far. Since July, we saved more than 1,200 people at sea. We are proud to be part of this opera�on,” says RS Secretary General, and IMRF Trustee, Rikke Lind.rothers whose deaths shocked the world in September.

Peter Henry von Koss has been sta�oned at My�lini on Lesvos since July this year, part of the Frontex 'Poseidon' opera�on.

RS have also been working closely with local IMRF members the (HRT) since the two Hellenic Rescue Teamfirst met during IMRF's World Mari�me Rescue Congress in June. An early response was to send humanitarian aid to HRT's sta�on in Kos for distribu�on to the refugees gathered in the island. This included personal hygiene products, shoes, blankets, underwear and, especially, help for the children. RS have now helped HRT to buy a rescue boat too, to operate in the eastern Aegean. The boat is named Norway and is crewed by HRT volunteers.

The (Sjöräddningssällskapet) Swedish Sea Rescue Societyare also opera�ng two of their rescue boats in the Aegean, based on Samos. They too are working in close coopera�on with the Hellenic Rescue Team, and are saving hundreds of lives. (See page 1 for the story of just one of those lives saved.)

Andreas Arvidsson of SSRS notes the very close collabora�on achieved with the local SAR authori�es and the strong support of the Swedish Embassy and Government. “This work has a large indirect influence too,” he says, “Assis�ng in the development of SAR in the area and providing very good lessons and experiences to take home. It strengthens the organiza�on at all levels.”

Finally, with a �ny budget and, ini�ally, a 100-year-old fishing vessel , new I M R F members Sea-Watchstarted their mission off the Libyan coast in June. Since then their crew have helped save more than 2000 people. They are now opera�ng in the Aegean with the Lesbos Coast Guard, using 2 RHIBs. The IMRF is working with two suppliers, pu�ng together equipment to support them in their ongoing work.



AFRICAN MARITIME SAR IN FOCUS

As we reported in the October edi�on of LIFE LINE, work con�nues on addressing the problems African States face in providing and improving mari�me SAR services.

IMRF Trustee Mohammed Drissi, SAR Coordinator for Morocco, says “There is a great opportunity to work together in Africa. We already have a regional structure in place that allows the more developed organisa�ons to support the developing ones. But we could be doing more.”

Bruce Reid, IMRF CEO, is concerned that development of mari�me SAR in many of the countries in Africa struggles because of a lack of support. “The key to developing the systems and structures needed is greater support from governments. It is clear that even for the developed organisa�ons there is a struggle to have the work they are doing budgeted and priori�sed.

“This is a challenge all across the world because much of the work done by the SAR services is intangible and the “value” only becomes apparent when a major mari�me accident occurs. Unfortunately, when this happens, all too

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DEVELOPING SAR IN THE ARCTIC

At the end of October representa�ves of the eight circumpolar na�ons – Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the United States and Russia – signed an agreement at an Arc�c Coast Guard Forum mee�ng in Connec�cut to cooperate and coordinate their work in the dangerous but increasingly accessible Arc�c Ocean. “It means increased collabora�on and increased informa�on-sharing,” United States Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul Zukun� told Radio Canada Interna�onal. “Many of us do exercises, we learn lessons from them, and many of us do very similar exercises and some�mes we all make the same mistakes, so it's an opportunity to learn from others.”

What the Admiral says applies to SAR anywhere in the world – and the IMRF is very keen that the principle he advocates should be adopted widely.

Arc�c Zephyr will, we hope, be a good example of the principle in ac�on. This was an interna�onal table-top exercise, also held in October, at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. It focussed on coordina�on of the response capabili�es of the Arc�c na�ons, local governments, the private sector, and indigenous communi�es for mass casualty SAR opera�ons in the Arc�c.

The exercise objec�ves were to advance the understanding of SAR capabili�es and the means for coordina�on, command and control among stakeholders; to iden�fy and recommend improvements for interoperability; to iden�fy the challenges associated with increased human access

o�en in developing countries the response is found wan�ng.”

Good work is being done in the SAR regions of Africa, and the IMRF is helping, supported by the IMO. Training, and trainer training, has been conducted in SAR management, GMDSS and SAR coordina�on, and on-scene coordina�on; regional and inter-regional mee�ngs have been facilitated; and Morocco has hosted a large-scale exercise, observed by colleagues from other States. A full programme has been developed for 2016 & 2017, to con�nue this development work – always provided that funding is available.

and environmental changes and their impact on interna�onal Arc�c SAR opera�ons; to evaluate the complexi�es involved in conduc�ng remote mass rescue opera�ons; and to develop a core set of implementa�on recommenda�ons to be presented to the Arc�c Council.

An a�er-ac�on report will be developed, and the United States will host a live interna�onal SAR exercise in 2016.



The aim of learn-to-swim programmes is to reduce the age at which children learn to swim, and to enable older children who have missed out earlier to catch up.”

The Panje Project recruits kids between the ages of 7 and 14 from the local primary and secondary schools. In batches of 20, the children a�end 2-hour training sessions each day for 15 days, learning survival skills besides swimming: properly checking for sharp rock or urchins in the water, saving others using a s�ck or a floa�ng object, floa�ng on their backs and rolling from their fronts to their backs.

11-year-old Nassor Mtumwa says that it was when he came to Panje's programme that he really learned to swim: he has a different idea of what swimming means now that there are a number of other skills involved. “I know how to do land-based rescue, like with a rope,” he says.

The RNLI has coached Panje's twelve swim instructors to teach these simple rescue techniques. The organiza�on also provides community educa�on through an ini�a�ve called 'Water Safety Messages', which is carried out in local schools. "It's about teaching children how to stay safe in and around water, not swimming alone: checking for dangers before entering the water, covering water storage containers to safeguard very young children, and so on,” says Tom.

Cultural concerns are an issue. The project coordinators are clear that community members decide for themselves whether they want the training, what they want out of it, and who they want to par�cipate. Tom notes that the team are facing quite significant ini�al challenges in ge�ng girls in par�cular to par�cipate, although providing community leaders with a specially-designed bathing costume that covered girls' bodies and hair has been enough to gain their approval. Some sessions even draw more girls than boys.Word spreads. Women who spend �me fishing – and who are less likely to know how to swim – have asked if the Panje programme is open to adults, so the project team are working on offering classes to an older age group as well. “In Zanzibar there's constant interac�on with the water,” says Tom Mecrow. “Kids are playing in the water, people are fishing, they're washing dishes and their clothes, they're bathing, and they're crossing from one island to the other.“There are lots of different ways to mi�gate drowning. Teaching swimming is just one of them."

SAVING LIVES IN ZANZIBAR

As we reported in the December edi�on of LIFE LINE last year (see the newsle�er archive at www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org), the World Health Organiza�on es�mates that over 370,000 people drown annually, with low- and middle-income countries accoun�ng for more than 90% of this horrifying total. Drowning is among the leading causes of death among children and young people in every region of the world – but it is under-reported in every sense.

An ar�cle by Claire Elizabeth Felter, published in October at pulitzercenter.org. (see H�p://pulitzercenter.org/ repor�ng/africa-tanzania-zanzibar-swimming-NGO-health-youth), highlights just one of the many efforts around the world to address this 'pandemic'. She reports on the Panje Project, an NGO in Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania. The Project focuses on educa�on and training for youth, and has been offering an aqua�c survival programme to children on northern Unguja since late 2013. The programme is supported by IMRF Member the Royal Na�onal Lifeboat Ins�tu�on.

"We're tes�ng the model at the moment to see whether we can take an organiza�on that previously had no background in teaching swimming and give them the skills and knowledge that they need to run a swim teaching programme," says Tom Mecrow of the RNLI.

“In most areas with high rates of drowning a large propor�on of children learn how to swim from an early age, due to regular interac�on with water. The problem is the rela�vely small propor�on of children who don't learn how to swim. They are at high risk. In many countries the risk of drowning decreases as children get older because they're more likely to have learnt how to swim, usually from peers.



Dacon Rescue Dummy – 25% discount· Probably the most durable and realis�c training dummy for water rescue on the market· Long track record in the North Sea with thousands of units sold all over the world· The dummy of choice for training centres, offshore drill organizers and organisa�ons that do frequent training· 1.8m tall, 85kg max weight (adjustable) with joints that ar�culate similar to a real person· Adjustable between horizontal and ver�cal floa�ng posi�on· Extremely robust design and replaceable PVC coverall (recently underwent a 55m drop test and stayed in one piece)· Can be weighted to nega�ve buoyancy for

Members Assis�ng Members: DISCOUNT OFFERS FROM DACON

Daniel Olsson of IMRF Associate Members Dacon AS writes:

Many IMRF members are already using Dacon products for man-overboard rescue and training but we are sure there are many who are not yet familiar with our products. In order to encourage you to try them we are star�ng a campaign with a special discount for all IMRF members. This discount will be applicable to the following Dacon rescue products. The offer must end on 31 March 2016.

Dacon Rescue Frame – 25% discount· Manual recovery net for man overboard rescue · 30 year track record in the most demanding waters with thousands of units sold to customers all over the world· Proven quality that o�en outlives the boat itself· 5 year Warranty· No mandatory service or inspec�on and usually no spares requirement at all – significantly reduces total lifecycle cost· Compact dimensions when stowed – Standard rescue boat model: 180 x 20 x 20cm, 12kg· Intui�ve use, no instruc�ons needed· Gentle horizontal rescue with full body support (180cm model) to avoid worsening exis�ng injuries· Doubles as a scrambling net for able survivors

underwater SAR· Can be supplied with grey PVC coverall for more challenging scenarios

Dacon Rescue Scoop RSB/RSC model – 20% discount· Crane / boom operated rescue system for smaller vessels· Large rescue reach and gentle, horizontal recovery· Very efficient in rough weather and with unconscious survivors· Operated solely by the crane operator: makes it perfect for shorthanded crews· If the crane and vessel can be manoeuvred from the same posi�on it is even possible to perform a single handed rescue· 5 year Warranty· No mandatory service or inspec�on and usually no spares requirement at all – significantly reduces total lifecycle cost· Doubles as a scrambling net for able survivors· Compact stowage· Usually operated with the standard deck crane or a bespoke boom solu�on

Please contact Dacon AS, Rescue Equipment Division (www.dacon.no/rescue/; [email protected]; +47 2106 3510) to receive a quote for equipment matching your needs. In order to advise on the most suitable products it will be very helpful if you include a drawing or pictures of the boat(s) that it will be used on as each boat is different and we want to find a perfect match each �me.

MCMURDO LEAD BEACON DEVELOPMENT

IMRF Associates McMurdo have been selected to oversee delivery of innova�ve life-saving solu�ons as part of HELIOS, a 3-year European Commission project in the 'Horizon 2020' programme.

The project will create avia�on, mari�me and outdoor SAR products based on proven satellite-based distress beacon technology. Improvements will include near-instantaneous alert detec�on, pinpoint loca�on posi�oning and remote acknowledgement of distress beacon signals.

“Being selected to lead this major next-genera�on development firmly establishes McMurdo as a leader in satellite-aided search and rescue and for�fies our efforts to increase awareness, foster innova�on and drive the standardisa�on of these systems worldwide,” said Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO of McMurdo's parent company Orolia.

McMurdo will lead a consor�um of European companies



A�endees heard presenta�ons on various aspects of the refugee and migrant crisis in the Mediterranean and the response to it and, following detailed discussion, asked the IMRF to provide the project management necessary for a coordinated member response to help 'fill the SAR gaps'. (See page 6.)

The mee�ng also heard a proposal from Anna Classon, Head of Opera�onal Policy & Standards at the Royal Na�onal Lifeboat Ins�tu�on, for increased coopera�on and collabora�on between European SAR organisa�ons on the promulga�on of mari�me safety educa�on and accident preven�on ini�a�ves. We will report on progress under this heading in future edi�ons of LIFE LINE

The mee�ng was also very pleased to hear from the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary's Director of Interna�onal Affairs, Dalene Bailey, who gave an overview of the Auxiliary and how they operate. USCGA are members of the IMRF so when Dalene, who had just taken on the interna�onal por�olio, met Udo Fox at the Auxiliary's annual mee�ng in San Antonio they agreed that his a�endance at the European mee�ng would be a great way of sharing ideas and ini�a�ves.

“Taking part was professionally rewarding and personally sa�sfying,” says Dalene.

“Mee�ng and sharing ideas and challenges can only benefit all of us as we look at how we can improve safety and rescue at sea.”

with exper�se in aerospace and satellite communica�ons, distress beacon development and SAR opera�ons, u�lising MEOSAR, the next-genera�on Cospas-Sarsat satellite-based system. MEOSAR is expected to streamline SAR efforts by accurately detec�ng and loca�ng a distress beacon signal much more rapidly than is the case today.

MEOSAR is currently being deployed worldwide and uses the European Galileo global naviga�on satellite system as one of its primary constella�ons. More informa�on on M EO SA R and Galileo may be downloaded from h�p://bit.ly/MEOSARPressKit.

McMurdo partnered with the IMRF earlier this year to work together on ini�a�ves that will improve SAR capability and response around the world, and so help prevent loss of life in the world's waters.

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ÅLAND SEA RESCUE SOCIETY CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY AT IMRF REGIONAL MEETING

On 28 October, during a mee�ng of the IMRF's European Regional Development Group in Mariehamn, the Åland Sea Rescue Society celebrated 50 years' service to the islands' boa�ng community – an anniversary marked by the issue of a special stamp by Posten Åland.

ÅSRS Chairman Lennart Joelsson reflected on the great work done by the 120+ volunteers and staff, who not only save lives at sea but also contribute to keeping the islands' mari�me environment safe. The society has 1400 supporter members and undertakes between 100-150 SAR miss ions every year. I M R F Chairman Udo Fox congratulated ÅSRS on behalf of all our members. Mari�me SAR is a close community, he said, and it is good to celebrate the achievements of our fellow rescue organisa�ons, especially the smaller ones. Big budgets cannot replace the drive of dedicated and resourceful people, said Captain Fox.

The regional mee�ng discussed a number of key SAR issues.

Dalene Bailey, le�, and ÅSRS CEO Dag Lindholm at the mee�ng in Mariehamn

Members Assis�ng Members: A LIFEBOAT FOR SRI LANKA

The UK & Ireland's Royal Na�onal Lifeboat Ins�tu�on has had a close associa�on with the Sri Lankan Lifeboat Ins�tu�on since it was established some 15 years ago, primarily in support of the local ar�sanal fishing industry. The fledgling organisa�on's ini�al progress was slow, hindered by civil war as well as the problems familiar to all start-ups. However a number of very useful projects have been undertaken, including the issue of lifejackets, radar reflectors and EPIRBs (see LIFE LINE April 2011, in the newsle�er archive at www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org) and, a�er the 2004 tsunami, funds to restore and resupply boatyards near Galle.



IMO'S AWARDS FOREXCEPTIONAL BRAVERY AT SEA

Each year the Interna�onal Mari�me Organiza�on makes awards for bravery at sea. The awards are conferred on “individuals or groups who risk their own lives to perform acts of excep�onal bravery in a�emp�ng to save life at sea, or in a�emp�ng to prevent or mi�gate damage to the marine environment”. Although the IMO's panel of judges gives special considera�on to ac�ons carried out by non-SAR professionals, SAR unit crews may also be nominated for outstanding responses.

The IMO are now seeking nomina�ons for the 2016 awards. To qualify, the ac�ons concerned must have been performed between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016. Nomina�ons must be submi�ed to the IMO by 15 April 2016.

For nomina�on forms or further informa�on please email [email protected].

Now, though, the SLLI has a lifeboat too, thanks to the con�nuing generosity of Sri Lankan sponsors, the RNLI, and the Chinese shipping company COSCO – who very kindly transported the boat from Felixstowe to Colombo free of charge, a�er discussions between COSCO Group's chairman, Mr Ma Zehua, and former IMRF chairman Michael Vlasto, following an introduc�on by former trustee Captain Song Jiahui. Thanks are due too to Malcolm Elvy Transport, who took the boat from the RNLI's centre at Poole to Felixstowe at short no�ce, to catch COSCO's Hanjin Long Beach.

The lifeboat in ques�on is the 14.3m, 18 knot, self-righ�ng Tyne class known to the RNLI as Robert and Violet, which served at Moelfre Lifeboat Sta�on from 1988 to 2013 and then briefly at Lough Swilly before commencing her journey to the Indian Ocean. She is currently being prepared for opera�onal service and will be based in Colombo.

Here she will con�nue to save lives; a fine example of the IMRF's 'members assis�ng members' concept. We hope to bring you news of her in her new home in a future edi�on of LIFE LINE.

And finally...We hope that you have found this issue of LIFE LINE informa�ve and interes�ng. If you would like to contribute ar�cles and pictures about your news, projects, events, ideas or lessons learned, please contact [email protected].

Robert and Violet at sea in her RNLI days; and ready to li� at Felixstowe.

Welcome Aboard!

The IMRF con�nues to grow, and as we grow, we grow stronger; we can do more, together, to improve SAR worldwide.

We extend a warm welcome to the following Members and Associates who have joined us recently.

Full Members: o Polish Mari�me Search and Rescue Service o Rescue Coordina�on Centre New Zealand o Brazilian Lifesaving Society o Mari�me Ins�tute & Ports Administra�on MRCC Cape Verde o Shanghai Sun Glory Marine Co o JRCC Larnaca (Cyprus) o Estonian Police & Border Guard Board o Italian Federa�on of Aqua�c Rescue o Migrant Offshore Aid Sta�on (MOAS) o Safe Waters Founda�on o Aqua�c Rescue Volunteer Associa�on of Venezuela o Canadian Coast GuardAffiliate Members: o Volunteer Mari�me Firefighters Associa�on, Brazil o Bulgarian Na�onal Volunteers' Search & Rescue o Sea Watch o Tarang Sports and Educa�on Founda�on o Fire and Rescue Mari�me Response, UK o Latvian Beach Lifeguard Associa�onAssociate Members: o Sunbird Yacht Holding Co o Shanghai Yuanzhou Cultural Communica�on Co o Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co o Shanghai Major League Yacht Co o Quest Marine Consultants o Society for Mari�me Emergency Management o Pax Shipping o SafeTrx o DACON o BMT ARGOSS o Northern Aqua Power / Delta Power Group

We have also added more individual supporters to our ranks: a very warm welcome to you all!

Interested in joining this growing family of people passionate about mari�me safety and SAR? A�er all, we are stronger together! There's more informa�on about IMRF membership and support on our webs i te : see www.interna�onal-mari�me-rescue.org 'Become a Member'.

LIFELINE December 2015 - English

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