JP 3-50 National Search and Rescue Manual Vol I - US Navy

B. Facilities Available. SMCs must be constantly aware of the
status of all available facilities. Lack of SAR resources can be caused
by expiration of crew mission time, need for SRU maintenance, or
involvement in another mission. A system for monitoring the status of
all primary and secondary SAR facilities should be available to each
SMC.
C. Re-evaluation of Initial Incident Data. The SMC should remain
constantly alert to new developments affecting conclusions and
assumptions. When time is critical, SRUs are often immediately
dispatched when a probable distress position is determined, often on
incomplete information. Therefore, SMCs should, to ensure search in the
proper area, corroborate information used to establish the distress
location. Since trauma and shock can distort factual observation and
memory, accounts by on scene witnesses should be verified. Independent
witness reports, SRU observations, current charts and tables, and radio
logs are also helpful.
450 EMERGENCY PHASES
Declaration of emergency phases indicates the seriousness of the
incident, dictating certain actions. Emergency phase may be assigned by
an aircraft pilot or a surface craft master/operator, an ATC or FSS, a
SAR facility initiating SAR action, an RCC, or an agency exercising
operational control over the craft. When an RCC receives initial
information, an incident may already have been classified, or the RCC
controller may have to classify the incident. The RCC controller should
not hesitate to upgrade a classification received from another source
when the situation is more serious than the assigned emergency phase
classification indicates. RCC controllers should not downgrade a
classification unless it was assigned by a subordinate SAR facility and
the RCC assumes SMC.
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