1 Each Contracting Government undertakes to ensure
that necessary arrangements are made for distress communication and
co-ordination in their area of responsibility and for the rescue of
persons in distress at sea around its coasts. These arrangements shall
include the establishment, operation and maintenance of such search
and rescue facilities as are deemed practicable and necessary, having
regard to the density of the seagoing traffic and the navigational
dangers and shall, so far as possible, provide adequate means of locating
and rescuing such persons.footnote
2 Each Contracting Government undertakes to make
available information to the Organization concerning its existing
search and rescue facilities and the plans for changes therein, if
any.
3 Passenger ships to which chapter I applies shall
have on board a plan for co-operation with appropriate search and
rescue services in event of an emergency. The plan shall be developed
in co-operation between the ship, the company, as defined in regulation IX/1 and the search and rescue
services. The plan shall include provisions for periodic exercises
to be undertaken to test its effectiveness. The plan shall be developed
based on the guidelines developed by the Organization.