The Maritime Search and Rescue Knowledgebase

Developing a database and knowledge sharing framework for maritime search and rescue, from best-practices and lessons-learned to SAR resources. Testbed Concept.

You can Help make sea rescue safer by sharing knowledge.

Do you share the vision? Contact to Collaborate - Donate to Develop (PayPal) or Donate via Patreon

Summary

The goal of this project is R&D development a globally-accessible database of maritime search and rescue knowledge, tentatively called Know-SAR. A testbed simple prototype, using accessible online systems has been created (access & contribute via links below). The vision is to allow users to search for and contribute SAR information: lessons-learned, best-practices, recommendations, and specific topics such as SAR vehicles and SAR events.

Access & Contribute Entries

• Current Project Description Page: https://purl.org/know-sar (Redirects to GitHub-Io page)
• Contribute Entries in Templates: https://purl.org/knowsar-contribute (redirects to GoogleSheet)
• Contribute Best-practices (via Form): https://purl.org/knowsar-bestpractices-form (redirect to GoogleForm)
• Submit your Input via online Form: https://tinyurl.com/KnowSAR-GenInput (Redirect to GoogleForm )
• Donate: https://purl.org/know-sar-donate (Redirects to PayPal) or via Patreon

Scope

Preserving and storing:

• Essential Knowledge & Know-how for conducting aquatic SAR missions and training.
• Implicit knowledge held and learned by active, inactive or retired practitioners
• Data and discoveries from datasets or studies
• Organizational or internal best-practices
• 101 fundamentals: essential, transferable, general domain knowledge
• Interpersonal and Management knowledge that facilitates: operations, mission success, positive and safe marine SAR social environments
• Vehcile & Equipment information: specifications, etc.
• … to be added …

It supports an organizations knowledge management strategy in the following ways. The database containing the information expressing knowledge, making the system understood informally as a knowledgebase. With AI knowledge-based approaches, it is formally a knowledgebase. Either single or multiple knowledgebase(s) facilitates knowledge preservation and data archiving. The intertnational scope, accessibility, and contribution potential facilitates knowledge transfer and knowledge exchange/sharing; it also afford future data analysis for added knowledge discovery.

Status

• In-progress.
• Seeking: Partner organizations, investors, sponsors, technological resources, technical service-providers.
• Project name: Know-SAR. The name “Know-SAR” has the following meaning. “Know” is short for “Knowledge”, minimally pointing to the goal of preserving and sharing SAR knowledge. It also points to innovating in the envisioned AI knowledge-based approach. The pronunciation of the word “know” serves to convey a second meaning: That we aim to achieve a world where there are no SAR events, a state of persistent safety. Toward that ideal state, the project will facilitate sharing of knowledge in order to maximize continuous improvement in SAR operations and research.

Author

• Robert J. Rovetto – Contact
• Maritime safety professional, Certified commercial mariner, Philosopher, Concept Engineer, Formal ontologist
• Directly Hire for Knowledge Modeling at this website

Works & History

• Article: “Toward an International Database for Maritime Search and Rescue”
  • 2024 submitted to but rejected from Australian Journal of Emergency Management.
  • 2024 submmitted & accepted to Journal of Emergency Management.
• Grant proposal “KnowSAR - Toward an International Maritime SAR Database and Knowledgebase”, submitted but rejected from Lloyds Register Small Grant Scheme.
• Previous Project Description page at Surtsey.org(Archived webpage)
• 2019 Proposal - “Consolidating and Sharing maritime SAR Information for Improved Training - One project proposal and One call for contributions”, Submisison to World Maritime Rescue Congress (an IMRF-International Maritime Rescue Congress event), 2019, Canada.
  • Submission documentation
  • Email documentation available on request

Click to read sample of 2019 proposal

"The community stands to improve training by aggregating and sharing maritime SAR information. This communication discusses two project concepts. One is a project proposal to develop an international database of maritime SAR best-practices. The other is an ongoing personal project by the author to develop a bibliography of maritime SAR documents. The first would be an open-source repository for best-practices in training and in actual operations. Any maritime SAR organization, and any individual, would be able to submit additions to the repository Submitted best-practices or recommendations can be about onboard safety aspects to interpersonal aspects to equipment suggestions to detailed strategies for particular training evolutions like man-overboard. A best-practices database can be incorporated into or developed for the IMRF, IMO, or another neutral organizations. The second project, an existing compilation of maritime SAR training and standards material is briefly introduced. Contributions are welcome and should be directed to the author. The author seeks partners and funding to pursue both or either of these projects for consolidating maritime SAR information for knowledge sharing and improved training." “This paper proposes the development of an international database of maritime SAR best-practices. The author (Rovetto) has begun a preliminary repository, drawing on his training and boating experiences. The authors asks the audience if they are interested in contributing to such a repository. A best-practices database can be incorporated into the IMRF, IMO, or another neutral organization. It should be open and freely accessible. We draw on the collective and diverse experience of the author(s) to offer a list of recommended practices for crew members aboard rescue boats. The practices range from training suggestions, to safety precautions, to managerial and interpersonal approaches. Some maritime SAR organizations employ some of the recommendations, while others do not. Some suggestions may appear obvious, but observing existing paid and unpaid crews will demonstrate gaps in safety, lack of knowledge, etc”

Related Projects

• The Maritime Search and Rescue Bibliography, Robert J. Rovetto

Copyright

©2019-2025, Robert J. Rovetto. All rights reserved. Not authorized for commercial use unless explicitly negotiated with the author. Citation/attribution required. No warranty. Presented “AS IS”. Author and copyright holder is not liable. All content, work and products are subject to revision. No claims to completeness or complete accuracy.

Attribution

Attribution is required. Cite as either:

• “Maritime Search and Rescue Knowledgebase”, Robert J. Rovetto, 2019-2024. GitHub page.
• “International Maritime Search and Rescue Database”, Robert J. Rovetto, 2019-2024. GitHub page.