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IMRF Mass Rescue Operations Subject-Matter Expert Course
Information & Application Process
This application form is to assess if you have the necessary knowledge to participate in the IMRF Mass Rescue Operations Subject-Matter Expert Course 2024. Places are strictly limited, there are only 30 available. The application form is short and should only take you 10-15 minutes to complete.
We will not have time during the course to explain the basics of maritime emergency response, so a knowledge of these, as set out in the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual, will be a prerequisite for attendance.
Preference will be given to applicants who have, or who can show that they will have, planning and training responsibilities at a high level nationally, or within major response organisations. Applicants in a position to influence national and international maritime emergency response planning will also be considered.
The course is founded on the legal requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Maritime Organization’s Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and Maritime Search and Rescue Conventions. Under the latter Convention, States “shall, as they are able to do so individually or in cooperation with other States […], participate in the development of search and rescue services to ensure that assistance is rendered to any person in distress at sea”.
The course content will be based on the guidance developed in the IMRF’s Mass Rescue Operations Project (see https://www.international-maritime-rescue.org/mro-home), underpinned (as that guidance is) by the provisions of the IAMSAR Manual.
The IAMSAR Manual defines a mass rescue operation as “characterised by the need for immediate response to large numbers of persons in distress such that the capabilities normally available to the search and rescue authorities are inadequate”.
Mass rescue operations are therefore among the most complex events that most response personnel will ever face. Which is why it’s imperative to understand the processes associated with planning, preparing, and networking with various response agencies, to ensure a coordinated and successful response.
Please note, that the course will be conducted in English, and that to qualify for a course certificate attendance at the full course will be required.
Application Process
Please fill in all fields on the short application form below and click the submit button. Once we have received your application form, the MRO Team will assess if you have the necessary knowledge to follow this course. We will contact you whether you are successful, or unsuccessful, to participate in this course.
The course fee for IMRF members is £550 and for non-members £800, but at this stage you are not required to pay, as you have not yet booked your place on the course.
If you are successful, we will ask you to register and pay for your place on this course. More details on how to do this will be provided if your application is successful.
If you have any questions or require any further information, please contact the IMRF team at info@imrf.org.uk