EPOL Updates

The information contained on this page has been added to assist companies who are not represented at EPOL Group meetings to clarify practices and procedures during their preparation and delivery of emergency response exercises and training packages for clients.

Points of Interest

4 June 2024 - The report relating to the Stena Spey evacuation is now available for viewing. Stena Spey Rev June 2024

8 August 2022 - The updated Evacuation Reception Centre Passport and associated guidance documents are now available on the EPOL website

4 August 2021 - A new version of the EPOL Integrated Offshore Emergency Response document - IOER V4 (August 2021) has been published and uploaded to the Publications Section of the website.  Integrated Offshore Emergency Response

On 10^th May 2021, Her Majesty’s Coastguard changed the designation of their operations centres to bring them in line with international best practice as laid out in the International Maritime and Aeronautical Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) guidance.  These changes were brought in ahead of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) full audit of the UK aeronautical protocols scheduled which took place in 2022.

The National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) in Fareham, which carried out the duties of a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and was collocated with the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) and the UK’s Cospas-Sarsat Mission Control Centre (MCC), was re-designated as the UK’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC UK).

All Coastguard Operation Centres (CGOCs) were re-designated as Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) and London Coastguard will remain a Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC).  Each Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre retained its geographic name, for example Falmouth CGOC will be renamed Falmouth MRCC.

There was no change to the actual provision of search and rescue services, which continued to be coordinated via a national network, managed through the JRCC UK and a network of nine MRCCs and one MRSC. 

All contact details for the respective functions previously undertaken by the NMOC, ARCC, and MCC remain unchanged, and stakeholders should continue to contact the JRCC UK as normal to request assistance. Calls, fax, and emails will be received in the JRCC and directed to the most appropriate team to deal with the enquiry or incident.

The availability of our search and rescue facilities were not be affected by these changes.

International contacts and maritime almanacs will be updated to reflect these changes in due course.

JRCC-MRCC map