The panel, which meets online every month, has continued to grow since its inception in 2016 and is an opportunity for all of our IMRF Members, regardless of size and scope, to discuss and collaborate on new and emerging technologies that can aid search and rescue (SAR) efforts across the globe.

The panel is open to all IMRF member organisations.

As the IMRF continues on its mission of reducing loss of life at sea through better rescue response and prevention methods, the Future Technology Panel allows us as an organisation, along with all our members, to present an independent united front when we engage with industry on the development of emerging SAR technologies.

It is designed to join subject matter experts across our membership and enable them to share their experiences, both successes and failures, in the research and development (R&D) of new technology and best practices.

The panel has also offered members the opportunity to take part in joint trials and demonstrations of these new technologies in person.

These experiences have proven to be invaluable to some of our smaller members who do not necessarily have the funding or personnel to develop these technologies by themselves.

“While we do not have the research resources or engineering teams to support new development, our passion and desire to improve and grow, as you can imagine, is equal to those larger organisations. I am grateful to be a part of these panels as I find I am always learning new ideas and new technologies that I can then take back and share with others,” said Ivan Barsby, operations officer at PARA Marine Search and Rescue, a marine SAR unit based on Lake Ontario and operating out of Pickering, Canada, and an IMRF Member.

“These panels are an invaluable resource for all our members, both big and small. I encourage as many members as possible to join and share and celebrate their success stories with us,” said Theresa Crossley, IMRF’s Chief Executive Officer.

Some of the organisations that have regularly taken part in FTP meetings include the Canadian Coast Guard, the German Maritime SAR Service (DGzRS), the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue (Redningsselskapet), South Africa’s National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), the Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS) and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).

Previous panels have discussed topics such as the use of remotely piloted marine systems during rescue operations, supporting marine SAR missions with unmanned aerial systems, using artificial intelligence and machine learning for the predictive maintenance of lifeboats, and the development of an integrated communications hub to reduce response times and improve quality of maritime rescue operations.

Our IMRF Members also use these panels to discuss ongoing developments in SAR technology, including the occupational health and safety of SAR personnel and the effectiveness of rescue response methods, as well as the use of simulation technologies in training environments and how to reduce the carbon footprint of SAR vessels.

Since its inception, members of the panel have developed a culture of sharing any new and emerging insights with their fellow IMRF members.

To join the IMRF’s Future Technology Panel, e-mail [email protected] stating your name, organisation and any aspect of future technology that you are particularly interested in, and you will be sent details of future meetings.

The IMRF’s Future Technology Panels take place on the first Thursday of every month at 12:00 GMT on Microsoft Teams.