Page updated: 27 November 2020
As part of Initial Action, you should seek more information about the incident and the subject. This information is called amplifying information.
These include:
You can do this by broadcasting known information about the incident on:
These include:
You should also use any other radio channels that can be accessed by the public, including commercial broadcast band.
For example, you can ask for cell phone data and radio transmissions from the subject. You can analyse these transmissions to plan the search.
The information you gather from relatives and friends can significantly influence how you search for the subject, so contact them as soon as you can.
Relatives and friends of the subject may be able to give you detailed information about the subject including:
Work out a process for maintaining contact with relatives and friends throughout the SAR operation. Communicating with friends and family of the subject throughout the SAR operation will:
Let people know about the SAR operation. It shouldn't be a secret. The more people who know that the subject is likely to be in distress, the more information and resources you are likely to get.
You can ask the public for information by:
As part of Initial Action, you should also carry out other investigations to find out what is likely to have happened to the subject and where they might be. For example, you might ask an aircraft manufacturer or operator about the kind of aircraft to get a better understanding of a missing aircraft's characteristics and capabilities.