MSC.1/Circ.1297
GUIDANCE TO SEARCH AND RESCUE SERVICES IN RELATION TO REQUESTING AND RECEIVING
LRIT INFORMATION
(8
December 2008)
1.
The Maritime Safety Committee (the Committee), at its eighty-fifth session (26
November to 5 December 2008), approved a number of amendments to the Technical
specifications for communications within the LRIT system which entail a number
of amendments to MSC.1/Circ.1258 on Guidance to Search and Rescue services in
relation to requesting and receiving LRIT information in relation to provision
of LRIT information to Search and Rescue services and, as a consequence,
approved the Guidance to Search and Rescue services in relation to requesting
and receiving LRIT information (the Guidance), as set out in the annex.
2.
The Committee also agreed to keep the Guidance under review and to amend it, as
and when the circumstances warrant.
3.
SOLAS Contracting Governments are invited to bring the present circular and its
annex to the attention of their Search and Rescue services (SAR services) and
to provide them with any necessary further guidance and instruction so as to
ensure that the objectives of this circular are achieved.
4.
SOLAS Contracting Governments are invited to bring the present circular and its
annex to the attention of those engaged in the implementation of the provisions
of SOLAS regulation V/19-1 and/or the development and establishment of their
LRIT Data Centres and/or the initial establishment of the LRIT system.
5.
The United States, having agreed to provide the International LRIT Data
Exchange on an interim basis, is invited to bring the present circular to the
attention of those engaged in the development and establishment of the
International LRIT Data Exchange.
6.
SOLAS Contracting Governments, international organizations, non-governmental
organizations with consultative status, the LRIT Coordinator, LRIT Data Centres
acting through the SOLAS Contracting Government(s) which have established them,
the International LRIT Data Exchange acting through the United States and SAR
services acting through their SOLAS Contracting Government(s), are also invited
to bring to the attention of the Committee, at the earliest opportunity, the
results of the experience gained from the use of the Guidance for consideration
of action to be taken.
7.
The circular revokes MSC.1/Circ.1258.
Annex.
GUIDANCE TO SEARCH AND RESCUE SERVICES IN RELATION TO REQUESTING AND RECEIVING
LRIT INFORMATION
1.1
This note provides guidance to Search and Rescue services1 of
Contracting Governments2 in relation to requesting and receiving
LRIT information3 transmitted by ships4.
____________
1 Regulation V/2.5 defines
Search and rescue service as the performance of distress monitoring,
communication, coordination and search and rescue functions, including
provision of medical advice, initial medical assistance, or medical evacuation,
through the use of public and private resources including cooperating aircraft,
ships, vessels and other craft and installations.
2 Contracting Government means
a Contracting Government to the International Convention for the Safety of Life
at Sea, 1974, as amended.
3 Refer to regulation
V/19-1.5.
4 Ship refers to ships,
high-speed craft and mobile offshore drilling units which are required to
comply with the provisions of regulation V/19-1.
2.1
This note should always be read in conjunction with the salient provisions of:
.1 Regulation5
V/19-1 on Long-range identification and tracking of ships;
____________
5 Unless expressly provided
otherwise Regulation means a regulation of the International Convention for the
Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.
.2 Revised
performance standards and functional requirements for the long-range
identification and tracking of ships adopted by resolution MSC.263(84); and
.3 Technical
specifications for communications within the LRIT system6.
____________
6 Refer to MSC.1/Circ.1259 on
Interim revised technical specifications for the LRIT system.
3.1
Unless expressly indicated otherwise the terms used in this note have the
meaning assigned to them in the related documents listed above.
4. Requesting LRIT
information
4.1
A Search and Rescue service (SAR service) of Contracting Governments should
request, pursuant to the provisions of regulation V/19-1.12, the provision of
LRIT information for the search and rescue of persons in distress at sea only
via the LRIT Data Centre serving the Contracting Government in whose territory
the service is located (the LRIT Data Centre).
4.2
SAR services should request the Contracting Governments in whose territory the
service is located to advise them which LRIT Data Centre they should use and to
provide them with the contact details of the centre.
4.3
SAR services should also request the Contracting Governments in whose territory
the service is located to provide them with any related guidance and
instructions the Contracting Government concerned has established in relation
to the provision of LRIT information to them.
4.4
SAR services are advised to establish with the LRIT Data Centre they will be
using working procedures and arrangements so as to ensure easy and efficient
communications and the expedient processing of their requests for LRIT
information.
4.5
Regulation V/19-1.12 specifies that the SAR service of Contracting Governments
shall be entitled to receive LRIT information for the search and rescue of
persons in distress at sea. Thus, the right to request LRIT information is not
limited to SAR services established by Parties to the 1979 SAR Convention.
4.5.1 However,
SAR services will be able to request and receive LRIT information only if the
Contracting Government which has established them has communicated the relevant
information7 to the Organization and the related details have been included
in the Search and Rescue module of the Global Integrated Shipping Information
System (GISIS) of the Organization.
_____________
7 Refer to COMSAR/Circ.27 on
Data format for new combined SAR.2 and SAR.3 circulars concerning information
on the current availability of SAR services.
4.5.2 All LRIT
Data Centres other than the centre serving the SAR service concerned and the
International LRIT Data Exchange are able to process requests for LRIT
information only if the LRIT Data Centre serving the SAR service indicates in
the request for information the LRIT ID of the LRIT Data User requesting the
information. The LRIT Data Distribution Plan, which assigns the LRIT IDs for
LRIT Data Users, is able to assign LRIT IDs to SAR services only if the
necessary information is provided in the Search and Rescue module of GISIS.
4.6
The provisions of regulation V/19-1.9.1 in relation to the right of an
Administration to limit the provision of LRIT information to a Contracting
Government requesting such information pursuant to the provisions of regulation
V/19-1.8.1.3 do not apply in relation to request of such information by SAR
services.
4.7
Regulation V/19-1.12 does not draw any distinction between maritime and
aeronautical search and rescue incidents and allows SAR services to request
LRIT information, as long as it is for the purpose of the search and rescue of
persons in distress at sea.
4.8
A request for the provision of LRIT information for the search and rescue of
persons in distress at sea is initiated by the LRIT Data Centre serving the SAR
service transmitting a SAR SURPIC message via the International LRIT Data
Exchange for broadcast to all LRIT Data Centres. This message requests the most
recent data from the databases within all LRIT Data Centres in order to provide
the SAR services with the ability to obtain a picture of ships within the
geographical area specified by the SAR service requesting the information. In
order to determine whether ships within the geographical area specified by the
SAR service are transiting towards or away from the specific location the SAR
service can request up to the last 4 preset transmission LRIT information from
of all ships within the geographical area. All LRIT information which would be
provided to the SAR service would be located within the geographical area
specified by the SAR service. From that information the SAR service can
identify which ships are more favourably positioned to respond to the situation
and can poll those ships directly to determine their current locations.
5. Information to be
provided when requesting LRIT information
5.1
A SAR service, when wishing to receive LRIT information should indicate to the
LRIT Data Centre the criteria to be used by the centre when providing the
requested information.
5.2
The criteria to be provided are:
.1 the
geographical area within which LRIT information is requested; and
.2 the number of
LRIT information transmissions requested.
5.3
All LRIT Data Centres are required to provide to SAR services LRIT information irrespective
of the location of the geographical area within which the information is
requested. Thus, SAR services are able to request LRIT information for
geographical areas which are located outside the search and rescue regions
which are under their responsibility.
5.3.1 The
geographical area may be either circular or rectangular and for these the
Technical specifications for communications within the LRIT system use the
terms SAR circular area and SAR rectangular area, respectively. SAR services
are advised to take into account the information provided in paragraphs 5.4 to
5.4.2 below when defining the geographical areas within which they are
requesting the provision of LRIT information. In addition, SAR services, when
formulating their initial request for the provisions of LRIT information, are
advised to define the geographical area within which they are requesting the
provision of LRIT information in a manner that is larger than the search area
they have identified for search and rescue purposes, so as to be able to easily
identify which ships are transiting towards or away from the specific location.
5.3.2 When
requesting LRIT information within a SAR circular area the geographical
position of the centre of the area should be indicated in latitude and
longitude and the radius in nautical miles.
5.3.3 When
requesting LRIT information within a SAR rectangular area the geographical
position of the Southwest corner of the area should be indicated in latitude
and longitude and the North and East offsets in degrees and minutes.
5.3.4 The LRIT
system operates using WGS 84 datum and thus all geographical positions should
be with reference to the WGS 84 datum.
5.3.5 All
geographical positions (latitude and longitude) should be in degrees and
minutes, with a single space between the coordinates and no other spaces,
without punctuation, with leading zeros for single number minutes, but not for
degrees and with the minutes tick following the minutes part, for example 5142´ N 507´ E.
5.4
The number of LRIT information transmissions requested relates to the LRIT
information received within the LRIT system during the 24 hours preceding the
time the LRIT Data Centre will lodge the request of the SAR service for LRIT
information and for these the Technical specifications for communications
within the LRIT system use the term number of position reports. In this
respect, it should be noted that, unless there is a demand for the transmission
of LRIT information at more frequent intervals, the shipborne equipment are preset
to transmit LRIT information at 6-hour intervals.
5.4.1 When a SAR
service indicates a value of 2 in relation to the number of positions it is
requesting, it will receive the last two LRIT information transmissions from
all ships within the defined geographical area during the previous 24 hours.
5.4.2 SAR
services are advised to indicate to the LRIT Data Centre the number of
positions they are requesting as it will provide them information in relation
to the direction the various ships are heading. However, the number of
positions to be requested should not exceed 4.
6. Processing of
initial requests for LRIT information
6.1
The LRIT Data Centre serving the SAR service will, using the criteria provided
by the SAR service, formulate a request for the provision of LRIT information
for search and rescue purposes, in accordance with the provisions of the
Technical specifications for communications within the LRIT system, and will
forward it to the other LRIT Data Centres through the International LRIT Data
Exchange.
6.2
The LRIT Data Centres receiving the request for such information will process
it using the criteria provided in the request and will forward, through the
International LRIT Data Exchange, to the LRIT Data Centre which requested the
information which is available to them.
6.3
The LRIT Data Centre will also process the request in relation to the LRIT
information which is transmitted to it and will provide the SAR service with
the information it has received from the other LRIT Data Centres and the
information it has available.
6.4
Requests for the provision of LRIT information for search and rescue purposes
are not assigned, within the LRIT system, any form of handling or processing
priority over other requests for LRIT information.
6.5
The LRIT information which will be provided to a SAR service upon request will
indicate the positions of the various ships in degrees, minutes and decimals of
a minute (to 2 decimals), with a single space between the coordinates and no
other spaces, without punctuation, with a stop or a comma as a decimal
separator, with leading zeros for single number minutes, but not for degrees
and with the minutes tick following the fractional part, for example 5142.03´N 507.14´E.
7. Requesting
additional LRIT information
7.1
A SAR service, after it has assessed the LRIT information it has received
following its initial request, is able to request the provision of additional
LRIT information on demand (i.e., to request the polling of ships in a
geographical area).
8. Limitations during
the phased-in implementation
8.1
SAR services should note that, in simplified terms, regulation V/19-1.4.1
specifies that ships constructed on or after 31 December 2008 shall transmit
LRIT information as from the date they enter service and for ships constructed
before 31 December 2008 provides a phased-in implementation schedule which is
dependant, inter alia, on the date on which the first survey of the radio
installation of the ship becomes due after 31 December 2008 and in the case of
ships which operate exclusively in sea area A4 after 1 July 2009.
8.1.1
Thus for ships constructed before 31 December 2008:
.1 other than
those operating exclusively within sea area A4, the phased-in implementation
will end on 31 December 2009. However, in such cases if the Contracting
Government is also a State Party to the 1988 SOLAS Protocol the phased in
implementation will end on 31 March 2010; and
.2 operating
exclusively within sea area A4, the phased in implementation will end on 1 July
2010. However, in such cases if the Contracting Government is also a State
Party to the 1988 SOLAS Protocol the phased-in implementation will end on 1
October 2010.
8.2
As a result SAR services are advised that until the end of the phased-in
implementation there might be ships within the geographical area within which
they are requesting the provision of LRIT information which might have not yet
been integrated in the