The IMRF has 113 members from 54 countries around the world. Our member organisations might be large or small, newly formed or long established. Some members are charities, others are private or public agencies, supporting organisations or industries. We’ve talked to new member the Japan Association of Marine Safety to find out more about their work and the organisation. Read more
The main priorities for all SAR organisations are firstly, to minimise the risk of infection for all staff and volunteers and secondly, to continue to provide effective SAR and lifesaving services. These priorities should underpin all aspects of the provision of SAR services during the COVID-19 or any similar epidemic/pandemic. Read more
This document is for SAR organisations currently facing operating challenges as a result of COVID-19. It is primarily based on guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), existing national protocols provided by IMRF member organisations and consensus of an IMRF expert panel. Recommendations by ILCOR[1] and national resuscitation councils have also been included. Read more
I hope that you, your families, friends and colleagues are keeping safe and well at this difficult time and that your organisations are finding ways to cope with the challenges that COVID-19 presents. Read more
Search and rescue workers often face stresses that are not present in many other fields of work. A job that requires a person to put themselves in harm’s way repeatedly carries a high risk to their physical and mental health. Research indicates that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) amongst first responders is comparable to that of combat veterans. Read more
Dean Lawrence was appointed IMRF Chairman, in June last year at the World Maritime Rescue Congress in Vancouver. Here we ask him to tell us a bit more about himself and the challenges facing the sector. Read more
IMRF Members work together for many purposes, not just at sea and on exercises. Last year, Chris Hartmann from the Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger (DGzRS) or German Maritime Search and Rescue Association traveled to Estonia for three days to work with the Estonia Volunteer Rescue Organisation, sharing and discussing successful approaches to fundraising, based on DGzRS’s experience. Read more
The S/Y Admiral Bellingshausen, a 24-meter Dutch built Estonian yacht has completed the last leg of its journey to celebrate 200 years since the discovery of Antarctica by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen who was born in Saaremaa, Estonia. Read more
The IMRF’s programme to support global SAR development has helped the Benin Maritime Prefecture upgrade its headquarters in Cotonou, from maritime rescue sub-centre (MRSC) to full national maritime rescue coordination centre (MRCC). Read more
The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health estimates that 320,000 people drown every year. Furthermore, Africa and Asia-Pacific account for almost 90% of drowning deaths, with the highest rates being in the WHO Africa Region - 20x higher than in the United Kingdom. Read more
Jorge Diena, one of the IMRF Trustees, forwarded this document prepared by Commander Artigas Zorilla and Lieutenant (MD) Ana Mieres about what happened when the Uruguayan Navy received a distress call from a cruise ship, which needed assistance for a passenger with respiratory failure. Read more
In the last four months, regardless of where we are in the world, our lives have been changed by COVID-19, including at IMRF, where we have had to postpone or cancel some of our events planned for later this year, including the IMRF Awards 2020. Read more
The IMRF has 113 members from 54 countries around the world. Our member organisations might be large or small, newly formed or long established. Some members are charities, others are private or public agencies, supporting organisations or industries. We’ve talked to The Latvian Beach Lifesaving Association to find out more about their work and the challenges they face. Read more
This article follows on from a presentation given by Romano Grandi from Italy’s Società Nazionale di Salvamento (SNS) at the IMRF European Regional Meeting in Dubrovnik in October 2019. Read more
The dates of the much-anticipated fifth IMRF Mass Rescue Operations Conference have been announced. Read more
Earlier this month, the IMRF and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) held a meeting of the combined regional search and rescue (SAR) committees from the IMO’s North West and West Africa Regions. The meeting took place from 3-6 March 2020 in Morocco. Read more
The IMRF, in conjunction with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has held a course covering on-scene coordination for maritime search and rescue (SAR) organisations, with representatives from three of the five IMO Africa regions attending. Read more
The Main priorities for all SAR organisations are to minimise the risk of infection for all staff and volunteers and to continue to provide effective SAR and lifesaving services. These priorities should underpin all COVID-19 response planning. Read more
Las principales prioridades para todas las organizaciones SAR son minimizar el riesgo de infección para todo el personal y los voluntarios, y continuar proporcionando servicios eficaces de SAR y salvavidas. Estas prioridades deben apuntalar toda la planificación de respuesta de COVID-19. Read more
COVID-19 is affecting all aspects of society across the globe, including SAR organisations and others who have to deal with drowning victims. Currently, if a non-immunised person starts mouth-to-mouth ventilation on a drowned casualty, the chances of the rescuer becoming infected with COVID-19 are very high and the risk of that rescuer subsequently becoming severely ill - or even dying – are unknown. Read more
Dear Member, At this time of unprecedented disruption, I wanted to send you a personal note as we all face the effects of COVID-19. If we haven’t already been affected, it is inevitable that everyone will be touched by it to some extent, whether it is in our work, our organisation or our own family and friends. Read more
The 5th IMRF Awards are now open for nominations. “Every day around the world, maritime search and rescue (SAR) volunteers and professionals save lives at sea. It’s a tradition as old as anyone can remember and enshrined in international and maritime law – but we shouldn’t take it for granted” says Theresa Crossley, CEO International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF). Read more
The IMRF in conjunction with the IMO held a search and rescue (SAR) administration and management training course in December 2019, in Rabat Morocco. Read more
In December 2019 the IMRF and the IMO held The East Africa SAR Regional Meeting, hosted by the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and including SAR professionals from Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Uganda, and the Seychelles. Read more