Bremen emergency line

	Bremen Emergency Line; - MRCC Bremen -
position	Sea rescue
Consist	since 1982
Headquarters	German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked People (DGzRS Headquarters) ; Werderstrasse 2 D-28199 Bremen
Coordinates	53 ° 4 '15.1 " N , 8 ° 48' 27.3" E Coordinates: 53 ° 4 '15.1 " N , 8 ° 48' 27.3" E
Website	seenotretter.de

The Bremen Sea Emergency Line is the only Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) for the German sea areas of the North Sea and Baltic Sea with a coastline of 3,660 km. It is operated by the German Society for Rescue of Shipwrecked People (DGzRS) and is based in the DGzRS headquarters at Werderstrasse 2 in Bremen .

tasks

As MRCC Bremen , the Bremen Sea Emergency Line is the responsible rescue control center for all sea emergencies in the German North and Baltic Seas. It can be reached at any time via the sea emergency radio station Bremen Rescue Radio with the nickname BREMEN RESCUE . For this purpose, the distress radio is permanently monitored within the framework of the GMDSS . Thanks to the Automatic Identification System (AIS), the positions of all ships in the monitored sea area are known, so that a quick decision can be made as to the fastest and best way to provide help. If shipwrecked or damaged ships have to be searched first, the MRCC determines the search areas based on the tide current , wind direction and wind strength . It determines the crew of the most suitable vehicle for the on-site operations manager ( OSC ).

Experienced navigators and radio operators take on the tasks specified in the IAMSAR manual of the IMO :

Management and coordination of emergencies at sea
Recording and evaluation of all information relating to the emergency at sea; Initiation of relief measures; Passing on of SAR relevant data, if necessary
Deployment and release of all possible rescue equipment (own and external funds) as well as naming and supporting the local operations management (OSC)
Implementation of emergency, urgency and safety radio communications
Cooperation with neighboring rescue coordination centers (RCCs / MRCCs) if SAR operations extend beyond one's own area
Support of foreign rescue coordination centers at their request
Determination of the "control RCC" by mutual agreement if an SAR case affects the areas of several rescue control centers
Information to the RCC of the home country of a foreign vehicle involved in a distress at sea
Creation of SAR deployment protocols
Implementation of precautionary measures and SAR exercises (SAREX / Winchex) for the constant maintenance and improvement of the SAR service

Since the Bremen Sea Emergency Line is also the operations control center for the rescue units of the DGzRS, the nearest stations can be alerted immediately . The MRCC Bremen coordinates all measures of the maritime search and rescue service (SAR) in the monitored sea areas A1 and A2 and bundles all available forces, including merchant ships, official vehicles or pleasure boats.

In addition, the MRCC Bremen supported at any point on Earth German ships or German sailors through mediation radio medical advice, slobber narrowing of crew members to full coordination of search and rescue operations in remote corners of the oceans. In 2017, the Bremen Sea Emergency Management was active more than 200 times outside of its own area of responsibility for German shipping worldwide in support or initiative.

In the event of major damage or accidents, the Cuxhaven accident command is responsible.

Basics

In 1982, the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing (BMVBW) gave the DGzRS a government mandate to coordinate search and rescue activities in the German sea area and, if German ships and shipping companies were involved, internationally. The basis is set in:

International Convention of 1979 on Search and Rescue Services at Sea (SAR Convention)
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974/79
IAMSAR Manual Volume I-III
International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 164 on the Health and Medical Care of Seafarers
Geneva Convention of 1949
International Convention for the Uniform Determination of Rules on Assistance and Rescue in Distress at Sea from 1910

SAR missions

The permanent close cooperation with the RCC Glücksburg (SAR area 'Sea') ensures mutual support in maritime or aeronautical emergencies and accidents. For search and rescue (SAR) over the North Sea can maritime patrol aircraft Lockheed P-3 Orion of Naval Air Squadron 3 "Graf Zeppelin" on the nordholz airport in the municipality Wurster North Sea coast (at Cuxhaven are requested). Westland SeaKing Mk. 41 marine helicopters are available in Nordholz for rescue missions from the air . A helicopter is permanently located at the Helgoland branch for SAR operations .

The 20 sea rescue cruisers and 40 sea rescue boats of the DGzRS are available at 54 stations for sea rescue operations. To cover the busy German bay, the largest rescue cruiser " Hermann Marwede " is stationed on the island of Helgoland . In addition, all ships belonging to the federal coast guard are providing appropriate assistance.

Sea King SAR helicopter in action (2005)
SAR maritime patrol aircraft Lockheed P-3C (2013)
SAR DGzRS Hermann Marwede (2007)
Coast Guard Ship (2010)

Alerting

Like all MRCC, the MRCC Bremen can be alerted in the following ways:

EPIRB distress beacon (satellite)
GMDSS Inmarsat radio data transmission (satellite)
Inmarsat , Iridium , Thuraya (satellite phone)
GMDSS VHF radio
GMDSS-GW / KW radio
VHF channel 16 radio via BREMEN RESCUE
DSC VHF channel 70 via MSI 002 111 240
DSC short wave 2182 kHz ( limit wave )
in the coastal area also via cellphone 124 124 or landline + 49-421-53687-0
AFTN via EDDWYYYX (via DFS Bremen)

collaboration

In accordance with the SAR Convention, Germany has signed SAR agreements with the neighboring countries of Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland and has concluded working agreements with the associated MRCC.