2017 SAR Controllers Workshop

NOAA/SARSAT along with USCG Office of Search and Rescue hosted the Search and Rescue (SAR) Controllers Workshop at NSOF from February 27 – March 2, 2017. The workshop was attended by SAR Controllers from the US Air Force and US Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Centers (RCCs) as well as SAR Points of Contacts (SPOCs) from other countries that are supported by the SARSAT Mission Control Center. This year’s training was also attended by representatives from the MD State SAR Coordinator’s office and Colorado Civil Air Patrol. There were 25 controllers from USCG/USAF and 16 representatives from various International SPOCs (Bermuda, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Trinidad & Tobago). This was the largest attendance since SARSAT began hosting the workshop.

The workshop provided an opportunity for the US SARSAT Program including the US Mission Control Center to interact with SARSAT alert data users in one large group for a ‘train the Trainer’ type of session. Much of the workshop focused on understanding and interpreting the LEO/GEO/MEO alert data that is being distributed by the USMCC during MEOSAR early operational capability.

The US SARSAT Program (USCG, USAF, NOAA, and NASA) will use the feedback from this workshop to determine any need for policy or system changes or enhancements. In addition, the lessons learned from this workshop will be used to shape future workshops.