Centres régionaux opérationnels de surveillance et de sauvetage

In France, the seven Centres régionaux opérationnels de surveillance et de sauvetage (Regional Operating Surveillance and Rescue Centres; French acronym CROSS) coordinate maritime security and surveillance. CROSS conducts their activities under the authority of the maritime prefects in mainland France and government representatives for state action at sea in Overseas France.

Under the Ministry of Ecological Transition, they are managed by Affaires Maritimes (Maritime Matters Department) administrators and provided with staff from the department and the French Navy. Military officers conduct survey and rescue coordination under the Directions Interregionales des Affaires Maritimes (Interregional Directions of the Maritime Matters, DIRM) on the mainland and the Directions Maritimes in Overseas France; both agencies implement the public policies about maritime security, protection of the environment, resource management, maritime-activities regulation, and education.

History

Before the creation of CROSS, responsibility for rescues at sea in France was shared by the French Navy (on the open sea) and the Affaires Maritimes (near the coast). Each district chief was responsible for his area. Leisure boating and fishing led to an increase on accidents after 1960, and the district tools became inadequate.

The Centre Régional Operational de Défence (Defence Operational Regional Center, CROD) was created in 1966 in Lorient and charged with search and rescue operations. Two years later, it became the Atlantic Cross and moved to Etel.

CROSS has been developed along all of France's coastlines. Total coverage was achieved in 1982 with the creation of Cross-Corsen near Brest after the sinking of the Amoco Cadiz. During the 1990s, the Centres Operationnels de Sauvetage (COS) were created in Overseas France. COS Martinique (Antilles) was the first in 1992 (becoming CROSS Antilles-Guyane (French Guiana) in 2001), followed by COS La Réunion in 2004. The network was completed by the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres) of Nouméa (New Caledonia) and the JRCC (Joint Rescue Coordination Centre) of Tahiti (French Polynesia), which has conducted maritime and aerial rescues since 2016.

Missions

Search and rescue

CROSS manages search-and-rescue operations and monitors alerts around the clock by radio and phone, including distress beacons (EPIRB) and satellite systems. Over 10,000 operations are managed annually for fishing boats, commercial ships (such as tankers and cargo ships), yachting, and leisure sailing. CROSS belongs to the network of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCC), as defined by the SAR Convention.

Monitoring sea traffic

Monitoring sea traffic is crucial in the English Channel, which has 20 percent of global traffic (about 300,000 ships annually). CROSS receives and analyses mandatory reports sent by all ships traversing the English Channel and using one of the three traffic separation schemes off the coast of Ushant (Ouessant) and across the Strait of Dover. It primarily follows ships carrying potentially polluting or dangerous freight, following vessels to detect anomalous routes and any behavior that could introduce risks for human life or the environment; identifies violators of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS / RIPAM), records breaches of these rules, and sends them to judicial authorities.

Monitoring pollution

CROSS registers information about marine pollution and looks for its cause. Under the Maritime Prefects, it contributes to the implementation of the ORSEC (ORGanisation des SECours) measures of the POLMAR (POLlution MARine) plan to combat accidental marine pollution.

Monitoring fishing operations

The Centre National de Surveillance des Pêches (Fishery Survey National Centre, CNSP), hosted by CROSS in Etel, coordinates maritime and aerial tools at disposition. The European Union has implemented a satellite survey system for fishing boats which the CNSP monitors in French waters, working with similar centers of other EU member states.

Broadcasting maritime safety information

CROSS broadcasts safety information to ships in zone A1, using marine VHF frequencies for regular forecasts or special meteorological forecasts if winds are near gale force (7 on the Beaufort scale). In zone A2, it uses Navetex broadcasts for both forecasts or avis urgent pour les navigateurs (AVURNAV).

Marine Environment Survey

The Centre d'Appui au Contrôle de l'Environnement Marin (Marine Environment Control Support Centre / CACEM) hosted in the CROSS Etel assumes juridical support and expertise for the control units. It receives the control data coming from his teams.

Alert management

The CROSS Gris-Nez is the national point of entry for attack alerts (piracy, maritime terrorism) that French ships can encounter anywhere.

Locations

The continental littoral counts six stations:

• CROSS Gris-Nez, in Wissant: Eastern English Channel including Strait of Dover (Pas-de-Calais), from the franco-belgian border to the Cap d'Antifer
• CROSS Jobourg: Central Channel, from Cap d'Antifer to the Mont-Saint-Michel
• CROSS Corsen, in Plouarzel: Western Channel, from Mont-Saint-Michel to Point Penmarc'h
• CROSS Étel: Bay of Biscay, From Point Penmarc'h to the franco-spanish border
• CROSS La Garde: Mediterranean Sea
• Sous CROSS Corse (aka CROSS-MED) in Ajaccio, a secondary station

Two centres, and five secondary stations and SAR stations are located in the Overseas departments and territories of France:

• CROSS Antilles-Guyane in Fort-de-France: Caribbean Sea
• CROSS de la Réunion: Southern Indian Ocean
• JRCC Polynésie française, in Papeete (Tahiti): Pacific Ocean = fusion des MRCC (Maritime) and ARCC (Air)
• MRCC of French Guiana in Cayenne
• MRCC Nouvelle-Calédonie in Nouméa: Pacific Ocean
• SAR station of Mayotte, Indian Ocean
• SAR station of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon: North-western Atlantic Ocean

The CROSS and their specific features

Gris-Nez (Channel East – Strait of Dover / Pas-de-Calais)

The CROSS Griz-Nez assumes mainly the survey of maritime traffic in the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Strait of Dover, which French name is Pas-de-Calais, the first strait in the world regarding tonnage.

Moreover, the CROSS Gris-Nez assumes as well an international mission. It is the point of entry for foreign search and rescue centers and it cooperates with the MRCC within the framework of the GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System).

Jobourg (Channel Central)

The CROSS Jobourg position on the tip of the Cotentin Peninsula in the center of the Channel has to deal with the maritime navigation survey of the Casquets Traffic Separation Scheme as well as rescue at sea. It is the reference center for maritime pollution. It hosts the managing team of the Maritime Information System.

Corsen (Channel West – Iroise Sea)

Apart from coordinating rescue operations in its zone from Mont-Saint-Michel to Point Penmarc'h, CROSS Corsen is in charge of the Ouessant Traffic Separation Scheme on the tip of Brittany. It is a high-density traffic zone that meats the Atlantic Ocean and Channel waters. It has the disposal of important detection radars set up on the Stiff tower on the Ushant island, which is the utmost west point of mainland France.

Etel (Bay of Biscay)

The responsibility zone of CROSS Etel spreads from Point Penmarc'h to the Franco-Spanish border. Apart from its polyvalent missions and Search and Rescue activity largely dedicated on yachting, the CROSS Etel hosts the Centre National de Surveillance des Pêches (National Fisheries Survey Centre / CNSP) as well as the Centre d'Appui au Contrôle de l'Environnement marin (Environment Control Support Centre / CACEM).

The CNSP is the unique operational point of entry in charge of sea coordination of aerial and nautical State tools, participating in the sea fisheries survey. Its competence spreads of the French Zone Economique Exclusive (Exclusive Economic Zone / ZEE) in the mainland area and has been extended in 2017 to Overseas departments and territories.

La Garde (Méditerranea)

Main Centre of CROSS Méditerranea, the CROSS Lagarde is situated in the bay of Toulon, and has an essential activity of Search and Rescue, dedicated principally on yachting and nautical leisure. It operates on the Mediterranean zone of French responsibility, with support, during the day of the CROSS in Corsica.

Corsica

Situated on the Golfe of Ajaccio in the naval base of Aspretto, it assumes all the missions dedicated to a CROSS on 20 nautical miles around Corsica, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (8:00 am to 10:00 pm in summer). At night, the CROSS Med in Corsica is decommissioned to the profit of CROSS Lagarde, which then assumes the whole French zone of Mediterranea.

Antilles-Guyane (Tropical Atlantic)

The CROSS Antilles-Guyane, located in Fort-de-France in Martinique, deals in a responsibility zone of about 3 million km² for rescue coordination and sea assistance. It also deals with all the missions to protect the environment and maritime resources connected with the mainland CROSS.

Réunion (South Indian Océan)

Situated at Port des Galets in La Réunion, le CROSS Réunion deals since 2004 of all the missions of a CROSS in a 5.6 million km² zone.

Nouméa (New-Calédonia and Vanuatu)

The MRCC of Nouméa oversees all the missions dedicated to a CROSS. It acts under the responsibility of the Haut Commissaire de la Republique en Nouvelle-Caledonie (Republic High Commissioner in New Caledonia) and the Maritime Zone Commandant.

Its responsibility zone covers 2.4 million km², and includes the Vanuatu archipelago. In the territorial and internal zones, such as lagoons, rescue responsibility has been given to the New Caledonia Government since 2011.

Tahiti (French Polynesia)

Created in 2016 by the merger of the ARCC Faa'a and the MRCC Papeete, the Tahiti JRCC (2) has been located since 2017 in the municipality of Arue, within the French Polynesia armed forces general quarters.

Under the authority of the Republic High Commissioner in French Polynesia, it assumes five missions: Aerial and maritime search and rescue coordination, fisheries survey, navigation survey, marine pollution observation, and broadcasting of naval security information.

Its responsibility zone covers about 12.5 million km². It includes the five French Polynesia archipelago.

The intervention tools

The CROSS can call on duty all the needed tools to assume their missions.

The French State tools

• patrol ships and speedboats of the Affaires Maritimes,
• ships, planes, helicopters, and survey towers (sémaphores)of the French Navy,
• planes, helicopters, diving rescue, and medical staff from the French Air Force,
• speedboats, planes, and helicopter of the French Customs,
• speedboats and helicopter of the Gendarmerie Nationale,
• helicopters of the Sécurité Civile.

The speedboats and all-weather canots of the Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (National at Sea Rescue Society / SNSM) contribute to more than 40% of search and rescue operations.

The Local community's tools, such as firemen and beach lifeguards, call be called on duty under the operational control of the CROSS.

At last, the CROSS can ask for the cooperation of any ship or yacht in distress.

When the operation needs medical assistance at sea, the CROSS relies on the Centre de Consultation Medicale Maritime de Toulouse (CCMM) and the Service d'Assistance Medicale Universitaire (SAMU and SMUR).

Managing Security Maritime Radio Communications

The CROSS operates a radiocommunication network covering the maritime areas under operational responsibility:

• 70 sites located on the seashore which operate coastal and open sea radio survey
• 4 RADAR on the Channel for maritime navigation survey as well as AIS antennas

They use four satellite networks:

• ARGOS Satellite System for the fisheries survey
• INMARSAT for communications of the GMDSS
• COSPAS-SARSAT for the safe and rescue
• CLEANSEANET for pollutions survey

Assigned Frequencies

The mainland CROSS use principally the VHF marine radio bandwidth (situated between 156,025  MHz and 162,525  MHz in frequency modulation) and marine bandwidth (from 1.605 kHz to 4.000 kHz). The meteorological forecasts use the VHF marine bandwidth and MF bandwidth in the CROSS with Sea area A2 of GMDSS, at precise hours. In case of necessity, they broadcast AVURNAV (Urgent advice to Navigators) or BMS (Special Meteorological Bulletin). The Marine VHF channel 16, the 2.182 kHZ bandwidth, and the DSC (Digital Selective Calling) channel 70 on Sea area A1, The 2.187,5 kHz on Sea area A2 are used to announce the broadcasting, then the forecasts are broadcast on the announced channel. When promoting AVURNAV or BMS on the NAVTEX system in French, they use the 490 kHz Bandwidth.

To cover their vast competence areas, the CROSS situated in the Overseas departments and Territories use INMARSAT satellite communications (Sea area A3 of GMDSS).

All these frequencies are ruled and attributed by the Agence Nationale des Fréquences (National Frequencies Office / ANFR).

MMSI assigned to the CROSS

Dealing with a CROSS through DSC needs each station to use an MMSI. The MMSI assigned to the coastal radiotelecommunications stations has the following structure: "00 MID - - - -".

In France, the list of MMSI assigned to the CROSS is:

• CROSS Gris-Nez: 00 227 5100
• CROSS Jobourg: 00 227 5200
• CROSS Corsen: 00 227 5300
• CROSS Étel: 00 227 5000
• CROSS La Garde: 00 227 5400
• CROSS Antilles-Guyane: 00 227 5500
• CROSS Réunion: 00 660 1000
• MRCC Nouméa: 00 540 1000
• MRCC Papeete: 00 546 1000
• For all the coastal stations on French coasts: 00 227 0000

196: the phone number to alert the CROS

Like the other urgency call centers at the SAMU, the CROSS has been at its disposal since November 2014, an abbreviated version of the urgency number, the 196. It allows people to get in touch with the CROSS directly. This free-of-tax number is at the disposal from fix or mobile phones on a 24/7 basis. With the 196, the CROSS can ask the mobile operator to locate the mobile phone of a person dealing with distress at sea.

External links

• Les centres régionaux opérationnels de surveillance et de sauvetage (CROSS) at French Ministry of Transport website (in French)