How is HM Coastguard alerted to an incident?
Just like Police, Ambulance, and Fire and Rescue Services, HM Coastguard is an emergency service that operates across the UK. If a person dials 999 and asks for Coastguard, they will be speaking with Duty Officers at one of our co-ordination centres.
As well as 999 calls, HM Coastguard receives requests for assistance in a variety of ways, from mayday calls to satellite, VHF and DSC radio distress alerts. HM Coastguard can also be requested by other emergency services to attend or assist incidents.
When are teams sent to a search and rescue (SAR) incident?
HM Coastguard provides an emergency response for incidents where someone is in danger at sea or the coastline of the UK; whether that's at the beach, near the shore or cliffs, or in the sea or onboard a vessel.
At sea, that involves incidents within the UK Search and Rescue Region (SRR), an internationally agreed area where HM Coastguard leads the response. The UK’s SRR covers approximately 2 million square miles and extends west of Ireland into the Atlantic, as well as all round the UK.
Our teams can also respond to incidents in other locations where their expertise can assist with incidents that are not necessarily in coastal locations – for example, in mountainous terrains, waterways and remote areas where access is challenging.
HM Coastguard Operations Room Duty Officers coordinate emergency responses for a variety of incidents, from missing people and suspected ordnance to vessels missing at sea and alerts transmitted by beacons and radios.
HM Coastguard has a wide range of emergency response assets at its disposal, including HM Coastguard helicopters, Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRTs), and RNLI and independent lifeboats.
How does the Coastguard decide what response to provide?
Incidents can and do change very rapidly and our level of response can be scaled according to need.
For coastal and inshore incidents, our Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) are usually a first line of response. These are skilled volunteers trained in capabilities such as casualty care, cliff top rescue, search and rescue and water rescue. CROs work closely with other emergency services, either leading or supporting an emergency response.
Incidents that occur at sea, in remote locations, or requiring paramedic care, can often call for a response from an HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter.
These are specialist aircraft crewed by highly trained personnel. Our SAR helicopters are able to rescue casualties from vessels, the water, cliffs, mountains and other challenging environments, and provide those casualties with critical care while transporting them to medical facilities or other places of safety.
What else does HM Coastguard do?
In addition to Maritime and Coastal Search and Rescue, we also oversee:
- Maritime security: responding to maritime security issues in the UK.
- Vessel traffic management: monitoring vessel movements and ensuring compliance with relevant and necessary legislation, policies and procedures.
- Counter pollution and salvage: organising a frontline response and liaising with key maritime partners to protect our seas, shoreline and marine environments.
- Receiver of Wreck: managing and responding to wreck incidents in UK waters and ensuring goods and property are correctly directed into the right hands.
- Civil emergency and disaster response: functioning as the co-ordinating authority for maritime emergencies and major incidents.
- International work: working closely with international emergency organisations for overseas incidents and/or incidents requiring specialist assistance from UK emergency services.
Are all people working for the Coastguard volunteers?
HM Coastguard consists of a mixture of volunteers and employed staff. Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) members are volunteers, consisting of Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs), Deputy Station Officers (DSOs) and Station Officers (SOs). All have a range of experience, skills and expertise.
Our Volunteers come from all walks of life; from the retired to self-employed tradespeople, emergency services and social workers, retail staff and armed forces veterans. Our teams are often recruiting new members. Read more about becoming an HM Coastguard volunteer here.
Supervising and providing support and training to CRTs is the responsibility of HM Coastguard’s Senior Coastal Operations Officers (SCOOs). SCOOs are salaried staff members who can also attend incidents. Many of these officers have previous coastguard experience as volunteers themselves, but it’s not mandatory.
Why does HM Coastguard sometimes provide statements to media?
When HM Coastguard responds to media enquiries or requests for comment, we do not provide confidential information or details that could identify someone involved in a particular incident.Incident Media Briefings provide reporters, media and news outlets with accurate information about HM Coastguard’s emergency response.
HM Coastguard also provides proactive messaging through public safety campaigns led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Department for Transport, and fellow emergency service organisations like the RNLI, ambulance services and fire and rescue services.
How much does an emergency response cost?
HM Coastguard never puts a price on human life. If we receive a 999 call, we respond and treat each incident as a potential emergency. Search resources are always ready for deployment to incidents where people report seeing someone in trouble.
We would always urge people to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard if they’re in danger or think someone else might be in distress. Calling 999 in these cases is always the right thing to do.
