To provide assistance to aircraft in distress including in-flight emergencies and to search for, provide aid to, and coordinate the rescue of survivors of aircraft accidents and forced landings.

• Obtain and evaluate all data on the emergency.
• Remain informed of prevailing environmental conditions.
• Develop the search action plan, (and rescue action plan as appropriate), i.e., allocated search areas.
• Ensure that communications can be carried out rapidly with operating units, and that high precedence messages can be routed quickly.
• Designate the OSC, dispatch SAR facilities and designate on-scene communications frequencies.
• Inform the ARCC chief of the search action plan.
• Co-ordinate the operation with adjacent RCC’s when appropriate.
• Arrange briefing and debriefing of SAR personnel.
• Evaluate all reports from any source and modify the search action plan as necessary.
• Arrange for the fuelling of aircraft and, for a prolonged search, arrange for the accommodation of SAR personnel.
• Arrange for delivery of supplies to sustain survivors.
• Maintain in chronological order an accurate and up-to-date record with a plot, where necessary, of all proceedings.
• Release SAR facilities when assistance is no longer required.
• Notify accident investigation authorities.
• Gather information about distress situations; develop accurate and workable action plans, and dispatch and co-ordinate the resource that will carry out SAR missions.
• Monitor and maintain communications procedures, reports, files, and logs.
• Ensure the long range, and short-range communications are efficient and reliable.
• Monitor operational communications, and distress, urgency and safety communications.
• Monitor Search and Rescue units to ensure they can get underway and arrive at the distress location, without delay.
• Confirm the mix of resources at SAR facilities; ensure they are correct for the types of incidents experienced or anticipated.
• Keep abreast of advancements in order to identify better and more cost-effective response resources.
• Analyses and respond to finding and recommendations of accident investigations.
• Promoting legislation, rules, treaties, or agreements to promote safety.
• Participate in SCCs and international and interagency SAR meetings.