1. This lesson will explain the duties of an SRU as well as provide some recommendations to help prepare for the mission and carry out the Search Action Plan.
Picture: The (4) 52ft MLBs in service.
The only small boats which have received names:
Victory – Assigned to Station Yaquina Bay, Newport, Oregon - Oldest Built in 1956
Invincible – Assigned to Station Gray’s Harbor, Westport, Washington
Intrepid – Assigned to Station Coos Bay, Charleston, Oregon
Triumph – Assigned to Station Cape Disappointment, Ilwaco, Washington
SRU DUTIES

2. Objectives SELECT the appropriate SRU IDENTIFY the SRU duties
PERFORM the procedures of the first SRU on scene
EXECUTE a visual scanning technique

3. Objectives IDENTIFY the electronic sensor search devices
COMPLY with night and reduced visibility search operation guidance
STATE the reasons for conducting a survivor debrief

4. SMC Briefings Conducted prior to launching or diverting resources,
Give all relevant details of the distress and all instructions,
Discuss the mission objective and all foreseeable hazards.
SAR Mission Coordinators (SMCs) shall conduct briefings prior to launching or diverting resources for a particular SAR mission.
SAR personnel shall be given all relevant details of the distress and all instructions for the SAR operation.
This briefing shall, at a minimum, discuss the mission objective and all foreseeable hazards that might be encountered by the responding units. Known risks may include, but are not limited to:
• heavy weather,
• poor visibility,
• hazardous bar conditions,
• critical navigation segments of the transit,
• placing Coast Guard personnel on disabled vessels.
SMCs shall ensure that all assets tasked understand the mission and the known risks, and have an appropriate SAR action plan.

5. SAR Operations Reach the scene quickly Providing assistance
Conducting a search
Deliver supplies & survival equipment
Rescuing survivors
Facilities selected to perform SAR missions need to be able to reach the scene of a distress quickly and be suitable for the following types of operations:
providing assistance, e.g., escorting an aircraft or providing guidance on ditching, standing by a ship sinking or on fire;
conducting a search;
delivering supplies and survival equipment; and
rescuing survivors and delivering them to a place of safety and proper medical care.
Ref: IAMSAR Vol. 2 App. G

6. Resource Selection Distance to travel / Distance offshore
Duration of the mission
Number of POB and condition
Equipment status
Day / Night Operations
SRU Speed
SAR facilities should have appropriate personnel, equipment and skills to accomplish the mission.
Deciding which resource to use is one of the most critical decisions made in mission planning. An inappropriate choice may result in an inability to
complete the mission or severely diminish the team’s effectiveness. The following factors should be considered in SRU selection decisions:
• Expected distance to travel
• Expected duration of the mission
• Expected distance offshore (radar, GPS, communications)
• Number of potential passengers / survivors and their conditions
• Equipment status
• Day/Night (radar and/or NVG desirable for night and search operations)
• SRU speed
The number, placement, and training level of look-outs, their height above the ground or sea, fatigue, and the speed of the search craft are important factors affecting the probability of detection (POD) and probability of success (POS). Altitude is factored into sweep width determinations but the other factors, though important, usually are not included in order to keep the sweep width tables from becoming much larger and more complicated. Search aircraft speed is especially important; slow aircraft flying at low altitudes generally have a significantly better chance of locating search objects visually. Look-out fatigue also can be an important factor, especially for long searches in rough weather.
Ref: IAMSAR Vol.2 App. G

7. Aircraft Pilot in Command (PIC)
Mission Acceptance
Commanding Officer
Officer In Charge
Coxswains
Who has the ultimate decision to accept a mission?
Cutter CO’s / Officer In Charge, Coxswains and aircraft Pilot in Command (PIC) have the ultimate decision to accept the mission.
Ref: CG Regulations 4-1-2, BOAT Manual, Part 2, Ch 3, Sec. B.5, and Air Ops Man, Ch 2, Sec E.2 and E3. They are all worded a bit differently, we have worded it Mission Acceptance to put it into simple terms.
Aircraft Pilot in Command (PIC)

8. Crew Briefing Mission Objective Duties and Responsibilities
Positive Climate for Teamwork
Improvement Goals
The informal crew briefing shall be comprised of the following topics:
Mission Objective - Include the mission objective, known information and risks regarding the mission, and the planned course of action.
Duties and Responsibilities - Be specific in assigning duties and responsibilities. Mission coordinator expectations should be understood by the coxswain and conveyed to the crew. Do not let the crew have to second guess what needs to be done, or in special situations, how it should be done.
Positive Climate for Teamwork - Establish a positive climate for teamwork. The crew is encouraged to double-check each other, point out errors, speak up when they have relevant information, and ask questions when they do not understand.
Improvement Goals - Restate the goal for improving one or two weak areas in crew coordination. This goal was generated from a previous crew debriefing. Try to be as specific as possible in describing what is considered an improvement.
Crew Briefings - A mission briefing shall be conducted among the crew of all SRUs prior to launching on a particular SAR case. Chapter 4 of the Boat Crew Seamanship Manual outlines specific coxswain requirements for risk management, crew briefings and crew debriefs as part of standard boat operations. Aircraft commanders are responsible for all phases of flight, and are tasked with ensuring that all crewmembers and passengers are properly briefed on all aspects of the mission. Coast Guard Flight Manuals for rotary wing aircraft require crew briefings prior to hoisting operations, and mandate a discussion of, among other things, the assignment of crew duties, a discussion of rescue methods to be used, and specific emergency procedures to be followed.

9. SRU Duties En-route Preparation Searching en-route
Preparations – SRU crewmembers should prepare for the search prior to arrival. Briefing and assigning scanners. Electronic Navigation equipment should be prepared for use with waypoints loaded. Direction Finding, monitoring, and radios should be tuned to appropriate channels. Depending upon the resource used and the weather conditions, rescue equipment should also be prepared for immediate use.
Searching en route –Possibility that the search object is outside the assigned search area, By posting lookouts while en route to and from the search area, effective track line searching can be accomplished and the results should be passed to the OSC and the SMC.
Talking to transiting boaters may also prove effective. Also consider searching enroute back to port.
IAMSAR Vol. 3, Ch. 2

10. SRU Duties Contact OSC/SMC 15 min. prior to arrival
Execute Search or Rescue Plan
Maintain communications with OSC
Survivor / Debris / signal notification
SAR facilities should contact the OSC about 15 minutes before arrival concerning estimated time of arrival (ETA), operational limitations, communications capabilities, search speed, and on-scene endurance. If no OSC or ACO is assigned, SAR facilities should be coordinated directly by the SMC while on scene.
Execute search or rescue action plans, and afterwards report to the OSC the area searched, ceiling, visibility, wind, and search results, including results of any electronic searches.
Maintain communications with the OSC until released by the OSC. SRUs make "operations normal" reports
When survivors are sighted, promptly advise the OSC of the position, survivor identity and physical condition, wind, weather, sea conditions, and remaining endurance on scene. Signal to the survivors, keep them in sight and affect a rescue if possible. If a rescue is not possible and the facility must depart, note survivor position precisely, and mark if possible.
When wreckage, unusual ground disfiguration, debris, empty lifeboats or life rafts, oil slicks, sea dye marker, flares, smoke, or any unusual object is sighted, inform the OSC of the position, nature of the sighting, concentration of multiple objects, wind, weather and sea condition, and evaluation of the sighting.
If a radio, radar, sonar, emergency signal, or survivor transmission is detected, advise the OSC or ACO of signal type, exact times; facility position, course, speed, and altitude; when signal was lost or ended; bearing, frequency and strength of signal and evaluation of signal; and actions taken by the facility.
NSS Ch 1.18

11. First SRU On Scene Report O/S conditions and finding to SMC
Begin the appropriate search pattern
Surface SRU’s
Helicopter SRU’s
First SRU on scene procedures. Pre-established operations and search procedures for the first SRU on scene are to immediately report the on-scene conditions and findings to the SMC.
If the object of the SAR incident is not initially located, begin the appropriate search pattern
(a) For surface SRUs - usually an expanding square search (SS) is performed. If the search area is confined or there is reason to have a high degree of confidence for the selected datum (i.e., debris found), the surface SRU may use a sector search (VS).
(b) For helicopter SRUs. Helicopters are a suitable platform to perform SS and VS pattern searches. Depending on the proximity to the coast and environmental conditions, an area with a larger radius covered multiple times may be appropriate for a helicopter during the initial search due to a higher search speed.
If the initial response SRU reports arriving on scene without finding the search object, the SMC shall develop a more comprehensive search plan and shall notify appropriate additional resources that they may be needed and may deploy some of them immediately if conditions warrant.

12. Initial Track Spacing
Search Object Good Conditions Poor Conditions Winds < 15 knots Winds > 15 knots Seas < 3 feet Seas > 3 feet
PIW * 0.1*
Vessel < 15 feet
Vessel >15 feet
* or >0.1 depending on SRU’s minimum navigational accuracy and maneuvering capability
Table 3-1, pg. 3-14, For an initial search, use the appropriate track spacing from Table 3-1 when the sweep width is not readily available.
CGADD Table 3-1

13. 10º / 2 seconds / block system
Scanning Techniques
10º / 2 seconds / block system
IAMSAR Vol. 2, Appendix C-3
Short, regularly spaced eye movements
Each movement should not exceed 10 degrees
Each area observed for at least 2 seconds
Effective scanning patterns involve the block system; the viewing area is divided into segments and the scanner methodically scans for the search object in each block in sequential order:
Side-to-side scanning method:
Start at the far left of the visual area,
Make a methodical sweep to the right,
Pause very briefly in each viewing block to focus the eyes,
At the end of the scan, repeat.
Aircraft searchers must concentrate visual scans within the distance of the track spacing.
Vessels – Day – Place lookouts high on the vessel
- Night – Place lookouts as far forward and as low to the waters edge to hear calls for help and to establish the best night vision.
IAMSAR Vol. 2, App. C-3, IAMSAR Vol. 3. Ch. 2

14. Sighting Survivors Let survivors know you see them Conduct the rescue
If unable to affect a rescue;
Drop communications or survival equipment
Keep the distress in sight.
Report the sighting to the OSC/SMC
The search facility should indicate to the survivors that they have been sighted, by any of the following methods:
-flashing a signaling lamp or searchlight;
-or firing two, preferably green, signal flares a few seconds apart;
-or if the search facility is an aircraft, the pilot may be able to fly low over the survivors with landing lights on or rocking the wings.
Conduct the rescue
If the search facility is unable to effect an immediate rescue, ensure that it knows it may consider other steps such as:
dropping communications and survival equipment; keeping the distress scene in sight at all times, thoroughly surveying the scene and accurately plotting its location, and marking it with a dye marker, smoke float or floating radio beacons; reporting the sighting to the SMC with available information.
IAMSAR Vol. 2, Ch. 6.2

15. Search Tactics Secure unnecessary lights on SRU
Make your presence known
Lights of flares to illuminate
Exploit ambient light sources
Reduce background noise
Check buoys
Night and reduced visibility search
Search tactics. Searchers should utilize all possible means of detecting search objects, visual, electronic, and aural. The following should be considered in the planning and conduct of a reduced visibility search:
The SMC should be fully aware of on scene conditions, as searches begin and any changes that occur during the search. Search units should pass to the SMC (or OSC if one is assigned), conditions upon arrival on scene and any changes.
At night all unnecessary lighting on search units should be secured.
If the distressed craft or survivors are known to have distress signals, it is important for search units to make their presence known in hopes of getting the survivors to signal. This tactic may be most appropriate for early on searches.
If a debris field is discovered, it may be appropriate for search crews to use lights or flares to illuminate the area to enable a better visual search of the concentrated area.
Ambient light sources should be exploited in a search.
(1) With bright shoreline lights, light colored objects or objects with reflective material in particular may be illuminated enough for the unaided eye to detect, while detection using NVGs will be greatly improved.
(2) A full or near full moon can also provide enough light for the unaided eye to detect an object and greatly improves NVG effectiveness. The reflection of the moon on the water also can be used to search for objects as it “moves” across the surface with the search unit’s motion. This is particularly effective in calm conditions with the moon low in the sky.
(3) Large backlit objects may also provide a detectible profile when searching along a well-lit shoreline.
(f) On surface search units the engines should be secured and all other noise minimized in order to call out to and hear calls from survivors.
(h) Search units should check buoys and fixed aids in the vicinity.
CG Add

16. Electronic Sensor Searches
Surface Vessel Radar
FLAR
SLAR
FLIR
NVG
Electronic sensors should be set according to search object as discussed in 3.4.6
Are you looking for a radar reflective object? Will a PIW show on a radar screen?
FLAR - Forward looking airborne Radar; fixed wing C-130
SLAR - Side Looking airborne Radar; limited to fixed wing C-130 and HU-25B
FLIR - Forward Looking Infrared Radar; very limited resources have FLIR
NVG - Night Vision Goggles; Primarily Helo’s, no fixed wing aircraft; limited on surface vessels.
Have the students open addendums to page 3-27
Surface radar – Emphasize paragraph (d), radar requires dedicated person, radar is preferred when low visibility, sea state is low to moderate, and object is radar reflective. Effectiveness rapidly deteriorates with precipitation or seas greater than 4 feet.
NVG – Allows for visual searches at night, not recommended for boats because the searcher is prone to seasickness, effective for aircraft and cutters.
CG Add 3.4.6

17. Survivor Debrief
Immediate survivor debriefing is necessary in cases where other persons remain missing.
Immediate survivor debriefing is necessary in cases where other persons remain missing. The particulars of a survivor debriefing will vary case by case. Interviewers are to ascertain what information is pertinent for a case. Some examples of the type of information are:
(1) Cause of accident or distress;
(2) Age, physical condition, experience of survivors and fatalities;
(3) In cases where unsuccessful searches were conducted prior to location or case closing, determine whether search resources were seen or heard, whether any other vessels or aircraft were seen or heard, and what means survivors used to attempt to communicate or signal;
(4) Times of significant events during the distress, and times of sightings of resources.
CG Add

18. Review
Distance, Duration, Number of POB, Equipment status, and SRU Speed are factors for selecting what?
How soon prior to arrive should an SRU contact the OSC / SMC?
What is the initial track spacing for a 47’MLB searching for a PIW in good conditions?
Distance offshore, Duration of the mission, Number of POB, Equipment status, and SRU Speed are all factors for selecting what? - Resource
How soon prior to arrive should an SRU contact the OSC / SMC? – 15 minutes
What is the initial track spacing for a 47’MLB searching for a PIW in good conditions? - .1 NM

19. Review
How long are scanning technique eye movements held? How many degrees?
What search tactic is used if a debris field is located at night?
Used to analyze survivor experience, lifesaving equipment performance, and is necessary when other persons are still missing?
How long are scanning technique eye movements held? How many degrees? - 2 seconds, 10 degrees
What search tactic would you use if a debris field is located at night? - Illuminate the area with lights or flares.
This is used to analyze survivor experience and also lifesaving equipment performance, but is necessary when other persons are still missing? - survivor debrief

20. QUESTIONS?