Supplementary Search and Rescue Unit Application | Policy and Forum
Australia's National Search and Rescue (SAR) Plan
Australia's National Search and Rescue (SAR) Plan is derived from international and domestic agreements between authorities sharing a common interest. In practice, Search and Rescue is conducted with a spirit of cooperation between relevant authorities, and procedures exist to transfer a Search and Rescue incident between authorities when the scale of an incident is beyond local resources. The ideal arrangement is the seamless provision of Search and Rescue resources to a person or unit in distress. For Search and Rescue incidents at great distance from the Australian coast, Australian Defence Force long range assets are normally requested. Even with these very capable units, not all of Australia's Search and Rescue Region can be reached by Australian based aircraft or by ships in a timely fashion.
Search and Rescue (SAR) Response Requirements
The nature of Australia's National Search and Rescue Plan demands a fairly flexible approach to Search and Rescue operations. As mentioned, many Search and Rescue response units are not dedicated to the task and are not kept on stand-by. Some countries which are relatively small and asset rich can afford to dedicate Search and Rescue response units to geographic areas and build their Search and Rescue system accordingly. Australia has a flexible response posture where local assets are employed in the first instance. If longer range assets are required, these are requested from the defence force and they are then relocated around the country as required. To keep on top of available resources around the country, good databases of potential response units are required. The Search and Rescue Resources Section of Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) has an active program to keep Search and Rescue Units trained in aerial delivery and other skills. Frequent checks ensure that Search and Rescue resources located at strategic sites around the country are maintained and replenished as required. Private and commercial aircraft are chartered as required for searches and the costs are recovered from the State/Territory or Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) as appropriate. AusSAR operations are mostly funded from the Federal budget in recognition of its community service obligation for the search and rescue function. The cost of employing defence assets is normally absorbed by the defence budget.