International Civil Aviation Organization WORKING PAPER 20 July 2016 ENGLISH ONLY Agenda item 4 ICAO/IMO JOINT WORKING GROUP ON HARMONIZATION OF AERONAUTICAL AND MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE (ICAO/IMO JWG-SAR) TWENTY-THIRD MEETING BERLIN, GERMANY, 12 to 16 September 2016 SAR OPERATIONAL PRINCIPLES, PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES Phase of Vessel TRIAGE method Presented by Finland SUMMARY Executive summary: This document is intended to shed light on the current phase of the Vessel Triage method and present future follow-up actions in relation to NCSR 4. Action to be taken: Paragraph 3. 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 At NCSR 3, Finland presented the Vessel TRIAGE risk assessment method for assessing the safety level of distress vessels, which was developed in the Vessel TRIAGE project. 1.2 Developed by a multinational project led by Finland, "Vessel TRIAGE" seeks to provide a common platform to assess the seriousness of a vessel's safety situation and facilitate the decision-making regarding search and rescue. At NCSR 3, there was general agreement in the SAR Working Group that the Vessel TRIAGE method would benefit from additional feedback and testing in order to capture its user needs as broadly as possible. The Group discussed the Vessel TRIAGE method with a view to contributing constructive comments for the further development of the method.
- 2-1.3 Following advice from its SAR Working Group, NCSR 3 agreed to encourage Member States, SAR services and other parties to test the Vessel TRIAGE method and to provide their feedback as appropriate to the email address vesseltriage@raja.fi, so that Finland can take account of their experience in preparing further Vessel TRIAGE documentation. 1.4 In cooperation with different SAR actors and shipping companies, Finland has continued to test the Vessel TRIAGE risk assessment method in various exercises both in simulators and at sea and presented the method at international SAR seminars. The feedback on the method has generally been favourable. 1.5 In order to facilitate training on the use of the Vessel TRIAGE method and its use during incidents, the "Vessel Triage App" for ipads was released on the Apple Store in June 2016. The application will be free of charge until at least the end of 2018. It was developed by RevoMedi Ltd in cooperation with the Finnish Border Guard. 1.6 Link to the Vessel Triage App: https://itunes.apple.com/fi/app/vessel-triage/id1118831945?l=fi&mt=8 2 THE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE OF THIS WORKING PAPER 2.1 It is intended that the WEBROPOL survey attached at annex will be send to the participants of NCSR 3 its SAR Working Group. They will be requested to provide information on their experiences in testing the Vessel TRIAGE method and their observations. The survey is scheduled for autumn 2016. Based on the feedbacks received on the testing of the method, Finland will draft a document for NCSR 4. 3 ACTION REQUESTED OF THE JWG 3.1 The JWG is invited to provide any comments and suggestions for addition/revision to the attached survey, based on which Finland will draft a summary of the testing of the Vessel TRIAGE method for NCSR 4. ***
- 3 - Annex SURVEY ON TESTING THE VESSEL TRIAGE METHOD AND THE EXPERIENCES GAINED FROM IT Draft 1. Organisation name and type (from the menu ) responsible SAR actor other SAR actor "RCC" national maritime safety authority (e.g. maritime administration/equiv.) Vessel Traffic Service port of refuge authority shipping company navy volunteer sector maritime education institution / equiv. 2. Nationality? 3. Does your organisation use a categorisation system to describe the safety level of an incident vessel? Yes => follow-up question 3 B: Briefly describe the method. Where can additional information on the method be found? 4. Does your country use a standard national categorisation system to describe the safety level of an incident vessel? Yes => follow-up question 4 B: Briefly describe the method. Where can additional information on the method be found? 5. Have you acquainted yourself with the Vessel Triage manual? NB: the manual can be downloaded from http://niinidigi.kopioniini.fi/vesseltriage_manual/
- 4 - Have you organised separate training events on the Vessel Triage risk assessment method? Yes => follow-up question 5 B: Describe what kinds of events you have organised. 6. How many times have you tested the Vessel Triage risk assessment method? (free text OR from a categorised menu?) 7. In which kinds of exercises or events have you tested the Vessel Triage method? Select from the menu. (from the menu ) table top exercise simulator exercise separate training event live exercise at sea (LIVEX) actual SAR incident other, what 8. Which parties have participated in one or more of these exercises? (from the menu ) responsible SAR actor other SAR actor "RCC" national maritime safety authority (e.g. maritime administration/equiv.) Vessel Traffic Service port of refuge authority shipping company navy volunteer sector maritime education institution / equiv. 9. Have you tested the Vessel Triage app during these exercises? NB: the app can be downloaded from: https://itunes.apple.com/fi/app/vessel-triage/id1118831945?l=fi&mt=8 10. In your opinion, would the Vessel Triage method benefit the RCC and distress vessel s mutual situational awareness of the safety level of vessels in maritime accidents and incidents?
- 5-11. In your opinion, would the Vessel Triage method make use of benefit cooperation between the RCC and shore side organisations / other organisations and their situational awareness of the safety level of the vessels in maritime accidents and incidents? 12. In your opinion, can the Vessel Triage method be utilised in preparing port-of-refuge decisions for vessels? 13. Describe your other key observations on testing the method. 14. If the Vessel Triage risk assessment method were to be described in the IAMSAR Manual, for which sections would descriptions need to be drafted? (multiple choice Vol I, Vol II, Vol III) follow-up questions. 14 A: In which sections of IAMSAR Vol I should the Vessel Triage risk assessment 14 B: In which sections of IAMSAR Vol II should the Vessel Triage risk assessment 14 C: In which sections of IAMSAR Vol III should the Vessel Triage risk assessment 15. Please state any detailed ideas you may have on the descriptions to be included in IAMSAR and how extensive they should be. 16. Other comments: