Determining the SAR category (1 or 2)
Page updated: 16 November 2020
New Zealand has two categories of SAR operations.
Category 1 operations are locally coordinated
Category 1 operations usually involve local resources and people who are familiar with the area. Examples of this kind of SAR operation include:
- land searches
- subterranean searches
- river, lake, and inland waterway searches
- close-to-shore marine searches (usually within 12 nautical miles of New Zealand)
The New Zealand Police (call 111) is the coordinating authority for all Category 1 SAR operations.
Category 2 operations are nationally coordinated
Category 2 opreations usually involve national or international resources. Examples of this kind of SAR operation include:
- searches for missing aircraft or aircraft in distress
- searches for emergency locator beacons that have been activated
- off-shore marine searches within New Zealand's search and rescue region.
The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (call 0508 4 RCCNZ or 0508 472 269) is the coordinating authority for all Category 2 SAR operations.