Who maintains communications with distressed vessel/personnel?

• A. Comms Unit
• B. SAR Planning Team
• C. Operations Unit
• D. Inland SAR Coordinator

Answer: (A)

Maintaining two-way contact with a distressed vessel or personnel is the responsibility of the Communications Unit. This team runs the incident’s radio and messaging systems, keeps the channels open to the distressed party, and relays crucial information—such as location, condition, and requests for assistance—to the incident command and other units. They manage the different communication nets, verify messages, and ensure continuous contact until the situation is resolved. The SAR Planning Team focuses on the incident action plan, the Operations Unit directs tactical actions and resource deployment, and the Inland SAR Coordinator oversees multi-agency coordination; while important, they do not carry the primary duty of sustaining direct communications with the distressed party.