The Swedish Maritime Administration is the governing body responsible for SAR (Search and Rescue) at sea within the Swedish SRR (SAR Region), according to the Swedish Rescue Services Act, § 27
Swedish SAR is organized to meet the requirements set in the international SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and SAR conventions, both adopted by the Swedish Government.
The Swedish SAR organization and methods are planned and implemented in accordance with the IAMSAR (International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue manual).
The IAMSAR manual has in all essentials been translated and incorporated in a national Swedish SAR manual The Swedish SAR organization is therefore, as in most other countries, built up within the legal framework stipulated in the SOLAS and SAR conventions.
The Swedish SAR organization is therefore, as in most other countries, built up within the legal framework stipulated in the SOLAS and SAR convention.
The Swedish Rescue Services Act and the Swedish Rescue Services Decree regulate SAR nationally in Sweden. Merchant vessels are obliged to participate in SAR operations according to the Maritime Law, chapter 6, § 6.
The objective of the Swedish Maritime Administration, according to their three year plan, is to ensure search and rescue of people in distress at sea and emergency transportation of patients from ships at sea, which must be organized and carried out:
- on a 24 hour basis
- within the geographical area stipulated in the Swedish Rescue Services Act and in international agreements (conventions, treaties etc.),
- so that a distress position is reached by a ship within three hours from the time of. alert, provided that the position is within Swedish territorial watets, and within six hours if the position is within outer regio of the Swedish SRR
SAR operations can commonly be divided in three functions - SAR Management, Mission Co-Ordination and Mobile Facilities.
