Mission and Tasks

Mission:

to perform management and co-ordination of search and rescue (SAR) operations within the Latvian area of responsibility at sea;
to perform management and co-ordination of response operations to spills of oil and hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) at sea;
to organize, co-ordinate and manage necessary actions in order to control the compliance with national and international regulations defining the conditions of use of the Latvian marine waters;
to organize control of compliance with the requirements of regulations defining conditions of marine environmental protection and fishery in co-operation with the State Environmental Service (SES);
to organize, co-ordinate and manage response units of the Latvian Navy assigned to perform coast guard functions;
to perform the role of the national contact point, communication and management center with regard to the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code);
to perform the role of the Maritime Assistance Service (MAS) and role of the designated authority to assign places of refuge to ships.

Tasks:

to maintain the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Center (MRCC Riga);
to prepare and keep up-to-date a detailed Action Plan for SAR operations;
to prepare and keep up-to-date working procedures of the MRCC Riga Emergency Committee;
to create and keep up-to-date data compilations required for SAR missions;
to carry out response operations to spills of oil and HNS at sea according to the National Response Plan;
to compile list of the response units, equipment and their location required by the National Response Plan to spills of oil and HNS at sea;
to convene the MRCC Riga Emergency Committee and facilitate it in case of the 2nd and 3rd level of response operations defined by the National Response Plan to spills of oil and HNS at sea;
to provide means of communication according to a prepared and up-to-date communication plan in order to ensure implementation of the National Response Plan to spills of oil and HNS at sea;
to compile and keep up-to-date the list of national and international points of contact and operational communication centers;
to provide training and certification of the MRCC Riga personnel;
to create action plans for control of the requirements of regulations defining the conditions of use of the Latvian marine waters, environmental protection and fishery;
to provide training to the Navy personnel, which is engaged in SAR missions and response to oil spills operations, control missions of the requirements of regulations defining the conditions of use of the Latvian marine waters, environmental protection and fishery;
to carry out inspections of Navy ships, mobile SAR units and response to oil spills units according to the action plans and orders issued by the Commander of the Naval Forces;
to provide the Commander of the Naval Forces with the required data regarding the legal status of the national and international regulations defining shipping safety and marine environmental protection matters;
to take part in drafting of legal documents regarding maritime safety and protection of marine environment;
to ensure implementation of the Operational Agreement “On Search and Rescue Co-operation” with the SAR services of the neighbouring countries;
to communicate to the SAR services of the neighbouring countries the data about SAR equipment, which is at the disposal of LCGS;
to create and approve the co-operation plans for SAR operations on passenger ships, which are on a regular route with a duration of voyage more than 6 months and entering the Latvian response area according to IMO recommendations;
to carry out preventive measures by educating society, state and public organizations about safety at sea and life saving issues with regard to shipping.