Using a communications plan

Use the communications plan in your organisation’s readiness plan

This communications plan should follow a template. It should also use communication systems and processes that are:

• familiar to the SAR resources that will be using them
• reliable and work in the different environments and locations that are foreseeable.

Modify the communications plan if you need to

You may need to change parts of the communication plan to make it fit the circumstances of the SAR operation. For example, you may need to change how you communicate with SAR resources depending on:

• the location
• the capability of the resources.

If you need to do this, you should do it as early as possible in the SAR operation.

Minimise changes to communication systems and channels

Changes to communication systems and channels increase the risk of:

• communications being lost at critical times
• confusion about which system and channel to use.