Need to report someone lost or missing? call 111 - Ask for police

About the Operations stage

Page updated: 30 November 2020

The Operations stage is the fourth stage of a SAR operation. It focuses on carrying out plans in a safe, effective, and efficient way. It also involves updating plans where necessary, and documenting all SAR activities.

Follow a process during the Operations stage

This process includes:

  • carrying out the Incident Action Plan
  • keeping records of the operation
  • following processes for communicating with other SAR organisations
  • keeping in contact with the families of the subjects
  • tasking assigned SAR resources
  • monitoring tasked SAR resources
  • debriefing SAR resources when a task is completed
  • analysing information obtained from tasked SAR resources and other sources
  • redeveloping the Incident Action Plan as needed
  • re-tasking resources
  • repeating the process above until the operation is concluded.

 

Communicate the state of the SAR operation

A SAR operation has three official states. It will be in the state of being either:

  • executed
  • suspended
  • concluded.

If a SAR operation stops during the period it is being executed, it must only be to:

  • gather more information
  • investigate further
  • analyse information received
  • refresh or regroup SAR resources that will be redeployed
  • protect SAR resources from being harmed due to environmental conditions.

A SAR operation should only be suspended after the correct process has been completed.

A SAR operation is concluded when all activity associated with the operation has stopped.

Need to report someone lost or missing? call 111 - Ask for police