# Presentation: 367564

## Air Force Rescue Coordination Center Mission Brief

***Air Force Rescue Coordination Center****** Mission Brief***

**Mr. Dan Conley, Operations Chief**
**Air Force Rescue Coordination Center**

## International SAR system
Mission and Authority
Organization
Operations

**Mission and Authority**
**Organization**
**Operations**

***Overview***

## International SAR Organization

_**ICAO / IMO (UN agencies)**_
**International Civil Aviation Organization**
**International Maritime Organization**
_**National SAR Committee (NSARC**_**)**
**DHS – USCG Chair (1-Star)**
**Commerce – NOAA**
**Interior – NPS **
**Defense – DPMO / AFRCC**
**NASA – SAR Mission Mgt**
**FCC – Wireless Division**

_**Guidance**_
_**IAMSAR Manual (2008)**_
**International Standards**
**Requires National Policy**
_**National SAR Plan (2007)**_
**Defines civil SAR authorities and responsibilities**
_**National SAR Supplement (2000)**_
**Catastrophic SAR (CIS)**
**Inland SAR Addendum**
**Maritime Addendum**

***International ******SAR Organization***

**Notes:**
International Search and Rescue (SAR) is governed by the International Civil Aviation and Maritime Organizations of the United Nations.  The US is a signatory member of both treaties. The International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual (1999) provides guidance for international standard and places a requirement for national policy to be developed by each of the signing members.
The National SAR Committee (NSARC) is the lead agency in the US responsible for developing aeronautical and maritime SAR policy. It is chaired by the US Coast Guard (a 1-star position).  The NSARC publishes the National SAR Plan that outlines the roles and responsibilities to each of the members. An example of this: the plan assigns responsibility of each of the Maritime and Aeronautical regions to a primary SAR Coordinator and a rescue coordination center.  From that National policy, each member must develop a supplement describing how these roles and responsibilities will be executed.  For all aeronautical SAR contained within the contiguous 48 states, the Inland Search and rescue Coordinator is MG Morrow, and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center is his coordinating agency.

##   AFRCC Charter 

- “The US Air Force is designated as the SAR Coordinator for the recognized aeronautical SRR corresponding to the continental U.S., other than Alaska.” – National SAR Plan
- Missing/overdue aircraft
- Inland emergency (distress) beacons
- Coord state requests for assistance (e.g. missing persons, MERCY)
**No Tasking Authority -- “Ask for Assistance, Not Task”**** **
**Considerations when using DoD assets**
- Legality
- Lethality
- Risk
- Cost
- Appropriateness
- Readiness

**Notes:**
- Includes managing inland emergency beacon searches (121.5, 243.0 and 406 Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTS) on aircraft, Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons (EBIRBs) for maritime environment, Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) for use onland and multiple environments (e.g hikers, mountain climbers, anyone who has the capability of geeting lost could use a PLB....This would have saved the 3 people from the Mt Hood had they had a PLB
- Assist with non-aircraft missions (e.g. missing persons, medevacs, organ transports, search and rescue unit transports)
Initiates/responds to searches for missing/overdue aircraft...(e.g. interstate aircraft or intrastate aircraft, upon state request)
Our charter is to coordinate commercial, military, and interstate aeronautical SAR in the contiguous 48 States.
First, note that the AFRCC is NOT responsible for SAR within the states.  Our aeronautical SAR responsibilities, by charter, relates to ELT/EPIRB reports and missing aircraft traversing state lines.  
However, we do provide assistance to all states for any incident, within their state borders, when state SAR assets have been overwhelmed or are not available.  In these instances (above), the AFRCC becomes a broker of Federal SAR assets for the state.
For all incidents, we will validate the mission by a simple principle:  the need to save life, limb, or eye from damage or destruction.
Limitations to tasking
The AFRCC can only ask a Federal agency to supply a requested asset for SAR. When asking for Federal assets, 3 principles must be adhered:
The mission request can take away capabilities that otherwise are being used for another Federal mission
State and local assets must be completely exhausted
We cannot violate the US Posse Comitatus Act.  This act specifically prohibits certain Federal assets to be used in a manner that is Law Enforcement.
All requests by civil authorities for DoD military assistance shall be evaluated by DoD approval authorities against the following criteria:
Legality (compliance with laws).
Lethality (potential use of lethal force by or against DoD Forces).
Risk (safety of DoD Forces).
Cost (who pays, impact on DoD budget).
Appropriateness (whether the requested mission is in the interest of the Department to conduct).
Readiness (impact on the Department of Defense's ability to perform its primary mission).

## CIVIL SAR FACTS

**AFRCC ****Coordinates**** Federal SAR services in CONUS**
- Federal (National Park Service, Coast Guard RCCs)
- States (CONUS only)
- International (Canada and Mexico)
**Local, state, tribal SAR organizations are the first responders to day-to-day SAR events within the U.S.**
- Designated State SAR Coordinators will request Federal SAR assistance when overwhelmed or require specialized capability
- AFRCC coordinate all federal assistance

**Notes:**
Federal assistance is requested through RCCs when local, state, tribal SAR capabilities are overwhelmed or unable to affect the SAR effort
Services include
Title 10 aeronautical assets
Civil Air Patrol air and ground search assets
Radar forensics
Cell phone forensics
Imagery analysis

## Chain of Command

***Chain of Command***

## National SAR Responsibilities

-  Legal Agreement between SAR Coordinator and each State Governor
-  Operational document between AFRCC/CC & each State SAR agency
-   (Dictates day-to-day CONUS SAR Operations)

**Notes:**
The National SAR Plan assigns responsibility of most SAR incidents to the each of the States and their municipalities, but acknowledges that the States may not have the resources to effectively accomplish this responsibility.  To implement the execution of the National SAR Plan, a Memorandum of agreement is signed between each of the governors and the US Inland SAR Coordinator (MG Morrow).  This agreement outlines the general responsibilities between the RCC and the SAR Coordinator in each State.
A memorandum of Understanding is then signed and published between the Commander of the AFRCC and the State’s SAR Coordinator.  The memorandum defines the operational relationships between the State SAR Coordinator and the AFRCC.

## AFRCC Manning (Assign/Auth)

_**Personnel Mix**_** **
** ****Rated leadership (CC/DO/SAR School Chief)**
** ****Officers (86P0): Career broadening**
** ****Enlisted (1C3X1): C2 Specialists; Special Duty coded**
_**Training**_
** ****Civil SAR Qualification**
** ****Civil SAR Qualification Training (in house): ~ 3 months**
** ****Inland SAR Planning Course: 1 week**
** ****Combat Mission Qualification**
** ****IQT: AOCIQT- PR: 5 weeks**
** ****MQT: PR-102, PR-120, FEMA DSCA courses (5 x CBTs)**

|  | Officer | Enlisted | GS Civilian | TOTAL |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Active | 10/11 | 19/19 | 3/3 | 31/33 |
| IMA | 6/6 | 5/6 | -- | 11/12 |

**Notes:**
AFRCC manning includes 33 active duty, 12 IMA personnel, 3 GS civilians. Our current manning snapshot shows relatively healthy levels.
Personnel mix
Leadership (CC/DO) are a rated Search and Rescue pilot or navigator
Officers are placed away from their primary career into a Command Post Officer “career broadening” tour.  They return to their original career track once tour of duty is satisfied.  The have neither Command Post Controller nor SAR specific training prior to arrival.
Enlisted are Command Post Controller; They are command and control technicians, but have no SAR specific training upon arriving to the AFRCC
Training
To become Basic Mission qualified, all controllers complete approximately 3 months of in house training.  Phases of training are ELT/EPIRB incidents, missing aircraft missions, and other non-aircraft incidents (such as missing persons, mercy flights, etc.).  Controllers must also complete the 1 week Inland SAR Planning Course taught at our SAR School at Yorktown, VA.
To become Combat Mission qualified, an additional 5 weeks of instruction is provided at Hurlburt AB.  The Air Operations Center Initial Qualification Training course (Personnel Recovery track) broadens their scope of responsibility to control Combat Search and Rescue missions

## SARMASTER

**Automated SAR Mission Management System**
**Real-time automated receipt of SARSAT emergency beacon detections**
**Mission Log**
**Search Planning**
**Contacts**
**Asset Tracking**
**Survival Model**
**Objective Info**
**Activity database**

**Notes:**
In the AF Rescue Coordination Center, we use a software SAR management tooled called “SARMaster”.
Commercial product developed by a Canadian-based company
Provides near-real-time display of emergency beacon data transmitted from the US Mission Control Center
Automated SAR tools
Has reduced response time to for SAR event by a 90% average
Explanation of map features:
Red Cross: Search mission in progress
Solid Lightening Bolts: 121.5/243.0 transmissions (upright) and 406 transmissions (sideway tilt)
Political lines (state boundaries, roads), Air Routing Traffic Control Center boundaries
Other tools:
Mission Log for detailed recording of mission events (phone calls, leads on a search, etc)
Contacts log stores information of all contacted agencies
SAR resource and asset tracker helps manage all SAR assets working a particular mission
Survival Model uses a statistical analysis to calculate possible survival time in water

## US SAR Advocacy

**DoD advisor to National Search and Rescue Committee**
**SARSAT Program Steering Group/Joint Working Group**
**NSARC Working Groups -- R&D, Mass Rescue, and Preventive SAR**
**NSARC 121.5/243.0 Beacon Phase-out Working Group**
**ICAO-IMO Joint SAR Working Group (Vice-Chairman)**
**Government Interface track lead for annual NASAR Conference **
**National Crash Locator**
**United States PLB Program Manager**
**DASS Program Lead**

**All required under NSP, NSARC, DoD Directive, or SARSAT interagency agreement**

**Notes:**
The AFRCC provides a variety of inputs to Strategic SAR policy committees and working groups throughout the US and internationally
We are THE advocates for aeronautical Search and Rescue in the United States

## SINGLE FEDERAL AGENCY FOR AERONAUTICAL 

**SEARCH AND RESCUE IN**
**THE INLAND AREA OF THE UNITED STATES**

- Tyndall AFB, FL

**Notes:**
Our area of responsibility  - the entire CONUS except for the waterways and lakes, as stated earlier.

## Contact Us

**Commander – Lt Col Jed Hudson**
**Director of Operations – Lt Col Clifton Hicks**
**AFRCC Console (24/7 ops for civil SAR)**
**DSN 523-5955 / Comm 1-800-851-3051**
**Email: afrcc.console@tyndall.af.mil**
**http://www.1af.acc.af.mil/units/afrcc/**
**JPRC Console (Contingency Only)****DSN: 523-5743/4   Comm: 1-877-430-0781****Email: 601AOC.JPRC@tyndall.af.mil****https://operations.noradnorthcom.mil/sites/AFNORTH/601AOC/JPRC**

## USNORTHCOM (AOR)

**USNORTHCOM (AOR)**

## 2007 MISSION ACTIVITY

**  ****7322**
**INCIDENTS**

**AFRCC**

**468**
**SAVES**

**~69% SOLVED**
_**WITHOUT**_
**FEDERAL RESOURCES**
**COMMITTED**

**610/MONTH**

**6/DAY**

**2296**
**MISSIONS**

***14,573 SAVES SINCE***
***ACTIVATION IN 1974***

***1.3 LIVES***
***EVERY ***
***DAY***

**20/DAY**

**191/MONTH**

***2007 MISSION ACTIVITY***

**Notes:**
This is an example of our typical annual SAR activity here at the AFRCC:
Almost 7100 incidents that resulted in almost 2400 missions.
That means 2 out of 3 incidents was solved by the controller without launching costly SAR assets
158 saved lives in 2006!!

## 2008 Mission Activity

-   7412
- INCIDENTS

**AFRCC**

**190**
**SAVES**

**~68% SOLVED**
_**WITHOUT**_
**FEDERAL RESOURCES**
**COMMITTED**

- 20/DAY

- 6/DAY

**1 LIFE**
**EVERY **
**2 DAYS**

***2008 Mission Activity***

-  2344
- MISSIONS

**OVER 14,754 SAVES SINCE**
**ACTIVATION IN 1974**

**Notes:**
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF TYPICAL ANNUAL SAR ACTIVITY FOR THE AFRCC

ALMOST 8000 INCIDENTS
LITTLE OVER 2700 MISSIONS
5000 SAR INCIDENTS SOLVED PRIOR TO DEPLOYING FORCES
OVER 2200 SAVES THIS YEAR
TYPICALLY CLOSER TO 300/YEAR
DURING THIS YEAR, WE DEPLOYED TO NORTH CAROLINA TO PROVIDE SAR SUPPORT FOR THE HURRICANE FLOYD DISASTER RESPONSE EFFORT

##   2007 CAP SAR MISSION ACTIVITY

**CY 07 ****CAP SAR **
**Missions:  2190**
**Personnel: 18,928**
**Aircraft Used:  1894**
**Sorties: 2766**
**Flt Hours:  6230**
**Saves: 77**
**CAP actively involved in ****95% ****of all AFRCC missions**

## AFRCC / CAP Joint Projects

- Wing Mission Information Reporting System (WMIRS)
- Nation-wide alerting
- Auto generated mission report (CAP Form 122)
- Monitor daily resource status
- Common Operating Picture (COP)
- Cell Phone Triangulation
- Develop SOPs
- Develop CAP Training Module
- Radar Forensics
- Develop SOPs
- Develop USAF/CAP Training Module
- Future Capability within 601 AOC

**Notes:**
WMIRS
WMIRS will automatically alert state alerting officers
Cell Phone Triangulation

## National SAR School

***National SAR School***

*“**To promote standardization and professionalism within the search and rescue community by providing comprehensive SAR training to selected Coast Guard, Air Force and other personnel.”*

**Notes:**
In additional to success prosecution of Search and Rescue missions, we also teach Search and Rescue techniques to civilian and military search and rescue professionals
Based out of Yorktown, VA
Combined staff of US Air Force and US Coast Guard Search and Rescue professionals

## International CoordinationCANADA

**Cooperative Coordination between RCCs**
**Direct Liaison Authorities**
**For international incidents – courtesy brief to State Department**

**US AFRCC**

**CAN RCC**

## International CoordinationMEXICO

**Cooperative Coordination**
**Request to State Department from Mexican Government**
**State Department (Consulate) to AFRCC**
**Mexican RCC to AFRCC**
**AFRCC back to Mexican Consulate**
**Who and how many can enter Mexican airspace?**
_**Discussions underway for Memorandum**_

## Notable AFRCC Mission - John F. Kennedy Jr

## CASE STUDY – N2006S

**N2006S – Taylorcraft F-21A**
**Flight – Pullman Airport, Eastern Washington  to  Slate Creek Airport, Slate Creek, Idaho**
**1 POB**
**Located short of destination in water**
**Attempted to land on sand bar in river**
**Engine quit, nosed over and sank**
**Pilot saved with minor injuries**

## CASE STUDY

**121.5 First Merge – 31/0341Z Dec 08**
**Received by the AFRCC at 0359Z**
**Contacted Idaho DOA since they are in charge of ELTs**
**Investigation begins**
**Open mission with Civil Air Patrol 31/0445Z**
**Informed by Idaho DOA of possible overdue aircraft from Eastern Washington State to Idaho **
**Correlation of ELT confirmed 31/1017Z**
**ELT and aircraft being investigated together prior to confirmation**
**Requested radar forensics 31/1028Z & 1046Z**
**Received first radar data 31/1202Z**
**Requested cell phone forensics 31/1325Z**

## RADAR PICTURE

## CASE STUDY 

**31/1550Z – Radar and cell phone forensics match information to location**
**31/1652Z – Idaho DOA reports acft and pilot located in Salmon River, north of Slate Creek, ID.**
**Demobilization**
**Notifications**
**ELT – 45 57.4N 116 09.8W**
**Crash Site – 45 49.4N 116 18.3W**
_**1 SAVE**_

## Slide 26