New Zealand Search and Rescue Services

The New Zealand Police co-ordinate search and rescue activities in New Zealand for Class I and Class II searches. The Rescue Co-ordination Centre co-ordinates Class III searches that involve activations of Emergency Locator Beacons, missing aircraft and ships at sea. Class I searches are where the Police do not require any additional assistance and Class II searches where assistance is needed.

Search and rescue teams

Police officers in each district are trained as Search and Rescue (SAR) Co-ordinators. They work with volunteer groups such as the Royal New Zealand Coast Guard Federation, the Amateur Radio Emergency Corps(AREC) and the New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Inc., and other similar organisations.

The Police are usually the first point of notification when people are overdue from an outdoor activity such as tramping, boating, or hunting. A SAR response is initiated and if necessary the Coast Guard, New Zealand Land Search and Rescue and AREC volunteers are called in to help. Police co-ordinate the search using the expertise of skilled volunteers such as land and marine advisers.

The Police annually control over 1100 land and marine search and rescue incidents. Occasionally a search is called off within an hour, but some searches can go for several days and involve police search and rescue squad members, Coastguard, New Zealand Land SAR, rescue helicopters, Defence Forces, and other volunteers.

Useful websites

• Royal New Zealand Coast Guard Federation
• New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Inc.
• Maritime New Zealand