The Marine Search and Rescue Region

The limits of the Irish Marine Search and Rescue Region (IMSRR) correspond with those of the Irish Flight Information Region (FIR) - approximately 200 miles off the West Coast, 30 miles off the South Coast and dividing the Irish Sea.

The Irish Coast Guard's Search and Rescue region has been divided into three zones each under the coordination of a particular Coast Guard Coordination Centre. They are the Dublin, Malin and Valentia Divisions.

Under the terms of the Authorised Officers under the Salvage and Wreck Act, 1993Authorised Officers under the Salvage and Wreck Act, 1993, the Irish Coast Guard is responsible for:

• the saving of the lives of the persons belonging to a vessel in distress
• the saving of the vessel and the cargo as well as the apparel of the vessel
• maintaining the The National Search and Rescue Plan
• maintaining up-to-date Emergency Response Data File and Contingency Plans and arrangements to deal with a major marine incident within the Irish Search-and-Rescue (SAR) Region, and exercising those plans regularly with those organisations and authorities that would be involved in such incidents, both nationally and internationally
• 24-hour monitoring of VHF and MF marine radio distress frequencies and the Eircom 999/112 telephone emergency system
• 24-hour monitoring of VHF and MF marine radio frequencies for receipt of Vessel Trade Route (TR) and Recreational craft Sail Plan reports
• maintaining a 24-hour contact point for passenger ships and ferries, including passenger counting and the recording of reports (S.I. 390/92)
• maintaining a 24-hour public contact point for reporting and requesting information on marine emergencies
• assessing each marine emergency or potential marine emergency; developing an attainable incident search plan; selecting, mobilising and tasking the appropriate search-and-rescue facilities and co-ordinating the management of marine search-and-rescue incidents within the Irish Marine Search and Rescue Region, the littoral area and the cliff zones of Ireland

maintaining up-to-date information on the availability, readiness, capability and limitations of all rescue facilities and authorities that can provide assistance

• developing, maintaining and exercising MOU's and Liaison agreements with national marine and land emergency response organisations and authorities
• organising and providing the prime communication link between the IRCG and other emergency services and shore-based authorities
• co-operating with and providing facility assistance to foreign SAR authorities in the co-ordination of marine search-and-rescue outside the Irish SAR Region
• maintaining computer-based search-and-rescue decision support and response models
• designing and directing in-house professional training for IRCG staff
• designing and directing search-and-rescue seminars for ferry crews and shore management teams
• agreeing to and exercising the passenger vessel search-and-rescue plan required by SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea)