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

consolidates the information needed to effectively conduct SAR missions,
and provides for the activation of components in stages as needed.
105 SAR Stages
The designated SAR stages define the nature of SAR assistance
provided at any particular time. A mission may not necessarily include
each and every stage, or the stages may overlap. The major stages are:
A. Awareness-Knowledge by any person or agency that an emergency
situation may exist.
B. Initial Action-Preliminary action taken to alert SAR facilities
and obtain amplifying information. This stage may include evaluation
and classification of the information, alerting of SAR facilities,
preliminary communication checks (PRECOM), extended communication checks
(EXCOM), and in urgent cases, immediate action from other stages.
C. Planning-The development of operational plans, including plans
for search, rescue, and final delivery.
D. Operations-Sending SRUs to the scene, conducting searches,
rescuing survivors, assisting distressed craft, providing necessary
emergency care for survivors, and delivering casualties to medical
facilities.
E. Mission Conclusion-Return of SRUs to a location where they are
finally debriefed, refueled, replenished, remanned, and prepared for
other missions, and completion of documentation of the SAR mission by
all SAR facilities.
110 SAR ORGANIZATION
The three major elements of the SAR organization are:
A. Defined geographic areas and regions of SAR coordination
responsibility, each with its own SAR Coordinator and SAR plan.
B. A centralized RCC within each defined region.
C. A SAR mission organization for each defined area and region.
120 GEOGRAPHIC SAR ORGANIZATION
A. A SAR Coordinator is the agency or official within a given area
or region responsible for the SAR organization and coordination of SAR
operations. A SAR Coordinator may have more than one RCC, with each
serving a Search and Rescue Region (SRR), or multiple RSCs with each
serving a Search and Rescue Sector (SRS). SAR Coordinator functions are
described in more detail in paragraph 131 and the National Search and
Rescue Plan.
B. As party to both the International Maritime Organization (IMO)