ALCOAST 042/08
COMDTNOTE 16106
SUBJ: COAST GUARD WIDE STANDARDIZATION FOR SAR DATA ENTRIES IN
MISLE
A. U.S. COAST GUARD ADDENDUM TO THE U.S. NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE
SUPPLEMENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL AERONAUTICAL AND MARITIME SAR
MANUAL, COMDTINST M16130.2(SERIES)
1. PURPOSE: THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO ENSURE UNIFORMITY OF
MISLE DATA ENTRY FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE INCIDENTS ACROSS ALL COAST
GUARD UNITS.
2. BACKGROUND: MISLE IS THE PRIMARY MEANS OF COLLECTING AND STORING
INFORMATION RELATIVE TO COAST GUARD SAR OPERATIONS. ACCURATE AND
COMPLETE ENTRIES ARE USED IN INDIVIDUAL CASE REVIEWS WHILE
AGGREGATE INFORMATION IS USED AT THE HQ LEVEL TO SUPPORT
PROGRAMMATIC GOALS. IN ORDER TO PROPERLY MAKE USE OF THE DATA IN
MISLE, DEFINITIONS AND DATA ENTRY MUST BE UNIFORM AND CONSISTENT.
3. EFFECTIVE DATE: THE DATA ENTRY POLICIES AND GUIDELINES PROVIDED
IN THIS MESSAGE ARE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
4. CASE CLASSIFICATION. MISLE CASES ARE REQUIRED TO BE ASSIGNED ONE
OF THREE CLASSIFICATIONS (E.G. MAJOR, MEDIUM, OR MINOR).  TO
STANDARDIZE THE USAGE OF THESE CLASSIFICATIONS, ALL UNITS SHALL
APPLY THE FOLLOWING THRESHOLDS.
 A. MAJOR CASE:
  (1) ANY CASE THAT INVOLVES LOSS OF LIFE, LOSS OF PROPERTY, LIVES
SAVED, PROPERTY SAVED, OR UNACCOUNTED FOR LIVES OR PROPERTY.
  (2) ANY CASE THAT REQUIRES THE USE OF SAROPS TO CALCULATE A
DRIFTED DATUM.
  (3) ANY CASE THAT HAS HIGH MEDIA OR POLITICAL INTEREST.
  (4) ANY CASE INVOLVING A SHIFT OF SMC TO THE NEXT HIGHER LEVEL.
 B. MEDIUM CASE: WITHIN THE SAR PROGRAM THE MEDIUM CLASSIFICATION
SHALL NOT BE USED.
 C. MINOR CASE: ANY OTHER CASE THAT CANNOT BE CATEGORIZED AS A
MAJOR CASE IAW PARA 3.A. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO CASES
SUCH AS: PROBABLE FALSE ALERTS, CASES WITH ONLY ASSISTANCE TO LIVES
OR PROPERTY, CASES THAT RESOLVE ON THEIR OWN, AND CASES WHERE THE
ONLY COAST GUARD INVOLVEMENT IS A COMMUNICATIONS SCHEDULE.
5. TIMELINESS.
 A. UNITS ARE ENCOURAGED TO OPEN NEW MISLE CASES WITHIN 15-MINUTES
OF NOTIFICATION, BUT SHALL OPEN NEW MISLE CASES NLT 1-HOUR AFTER
NOTIFICATION.
 B. UNITS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE MISLE IN A NEAR REAL-TIME MANNER,
RECORDING ENTRIES, EVENTS, AND OTHER INFORMATION AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
6. CASE VALIDATION FOR OPEN CASES. AS PART OF THE OPERATIONS UNIT
WATCH RELIEF PROCESS, ALL OPEN IN PROGRESS CASES SHALL BE VALIDATED
BY THE ONCOMING WATCH (GENERALLY EVERY 8 OR 12 HOURS).  AN ENTRY
SHALL BE PLACED IN THE IMA TO INDICATE THAT MISLE CASE HAS BEEN
VALIDATED.
7. RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE COMPLETE MISLE ENTRY.
 A. THE SMC IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE ENTIRE SET OF REQUIRED MISLE
DATA HAS BEEN ENTERED. THIS INCLUDES FOLLOW-UP TO ENSURE THAT OTHER
INVOLVED UNITS COMPLETE THEIR REQUIRED MISLE DATA ENTRY WITHIN THE
TIME ALLOWED BY REF A.
 B. SMC CONTACT WITH OTHER UNITS TO EXPEDITE ENTRY OF MISLE DATA
SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED BY AN ENTRY IN THE IMA ASSOCIATED WITH THAT
CASE.
 C. DURING THE CASE REVIEW PROCESS, THE SMC SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL
ACTIVITIES IN THE CASE ARE CLOSED PRIOR TO SETTING THE FINAL STATUS
OF THE CASE. THIS REVIEW IS TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF
CASE CONCLUSION FOR SAR.
8. SELECTING INVOLVED SUBJECTS.  WHENEVER MISLE REQUIRES THE INPUT
OF A VESSEL, IT SHALL BE DONE BY USING THE MISLE SELECTION PROCESS.
FREE-FORM ENTRY OF VESSEL NAMES WITHIN MISLE IS NOT SEARCHABLE AND
DOES NOT LINK A MISLE ACTIVITY OR NOTIFICATION TO THE SUBJECT FOR
FUTURE SEARCHES.  UNITS SHALL NOT USE FREE-FORM VESSEL NAME ENTRY
WHEN THE VESSEL IS AVAILABLE IN THE MISLE DATABASE. IF THE VESSEL
IS NOT AVAILABLE WITH THE MISLE DATABASE, A NEW ENTRY FOR THAT
VESSEL SHOULD BE MADE.
9. NARRATIVE FIELDS. ENTRIES IN OPEN NARRATIVE FIELDS IN MISLE
SHALL BE IN STANDARD SENTENCE FORMAT (E.G. UPPER/LOWER CASE).
NARRATIVE FIELDS SHOULD CONTAIN SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO RECREATE
THE DESCRIBED ACTION. THE REQUIRED LOCATION FOR SPECIFIED DATA IS
IN FIELDS PROVIDED (E.G. POSITIONS, WEATHER, ETC.) NARRATIVE
ENTRIES FOR SPECIFIED INFORMATION IS NOT APPROPRIATE.
10. MANDATORY FIELDS. ALTHOUGH ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION SHOULD BE
ENTERED INTO MISLE, THE FOLLOWING DATA FIELDS ARE THE MINIMUM
INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR EACH AND EVERY SITUATION.
 A. NOTIFICATION ACTIVITY. THESE FIELDS INCLUDE:
  (1) INCIDENT TYPE,
  (2) NOTIFICATION METHOD,
  (3) SPECIFIC NOTIFICATION PROBLEM (IF ANY),
  (4) INCIDENT DATE-TIME,
  (5) NOTIFICATION DATE-TIME,
  (6) GENERAL LOCATION, AND
  (7) REPORTING SOURCE NAME AND PHONE NUMBER.
  (8) FOR SARSAT INCIDENTS USE THE TIME THE BEACON WAS DETECTED AS
THE INCIDENT DATE-TIME, AND THE TIME THE ALERT IS RECEIVED FOR THE
NOTIFICATION TIME. ENTER THE BEACON ID IN THE SPACE PROVIDED
FOLLOWING SELECTION OF SARSAT 406 MHZ AS THE NOTIFICATION METHOD.
 B. INCIDENT MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY (IMA).
  (1) THESE FIELDS INCLUDE ACTIVITY TITLE, ACTIVITY START DATE,
ACTIVITY STATUS, AND INITIAL WEATHER.
  (2) ON CHANGING STATUS THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE ACTIVITY
DETAILS, PRIMARY LOCATION, INCIDENT CLASSIFICATION AND INCIDENT
SUMMARY TABS ARE REQUIRED:
    (A) WITHIN THE ACTIVITY DETAILS THE FIELDS FOR UNINVESTIGATED
CAUSE, FALSE ALERT CAUSE (IF FALSE ALERT, SUSPECTED OR ACTUAL
HOAX), LOCATION TYPE, SEARCH DEBRIEF (IF A SEARCH IS CONDUCTED AND
SUBJECT IS LOCATED BY OTHER THAN SEARCH RESOURCES, OUTSIDE THE
SEARCH AREA, OR AFTER SEARCH IS SUSPENDED), AND SAR SYSTEM USED
SHALL BE COMPLETED.
    (B) WITHIN THE SAR SYSTEM USED, "SAROPS" IS NOT YET AVAILABLE
AS A PICK LIST ITEM. "CASP" SHALL BE ENTERED FOR ALL SAROPS CASES.
    (C) THE INCIDENT SUMMARY SHALL BE ENTERED. IT PROVIDES THE
NARRATIVE FOR SITREPS.
  (3) A UNIT SHALL NOT HAVE MORE THAN ONE SAR IMA PER COMMAND (I.E.
THREE DIFFERENT WATCHSTANDERS WORK A CASE OVER A THIRTY SIX HOUR
PERIOD, ONLY ONE IMA SHALL BE CREATED BY THE UNIT AND ALL
WATCHSTANDERS WILL MAKE ENTRIES INTO THIS IMA).
  (4) VESSELS AND PEOPLE BEING ASSISTED SHALL BE ADDED AS INVOLVED
SUBJECTS.
  (5) MISLE AUTOMATICALLY ALLOTS 5 MINUTES AS A DEFAULT SETTING FOR
EACH COMMUNICATIONS ACTION (PHONE CALL, RADIO TRANSMISSION, ETC.).
IF A COMMUNICATION ACTION EXTENDS BEYOND 15 MINUTES AN END TIME
SHALL BE ENTERED.
 C. MISLE CASE. SMC, RESULTS (USE THE CALCULATOR IN MISLE FOR
PROPERTY VALUES), AND CASE STATUS. ALL CASES SHALL HAVE A RESULT
EITHER IN SAVING, LOSING OR ASSISTING PERSONS OR PROPERTY.  WHERE A
CLEAR RESULT CAN NOT BE ENTERED, ZERO DOLLARS FOR PROPERTY ASSISTED
SHALL BE ENTERED.
 D. SORTIE.
  (1) SORTIES BY CG ASSETS SHALL BE ENTERED BY THE PROVIDING UNIT,
UNLESS OTHERWISE ARRANGED WITH THE SMC. THE SMC SHALL ENTER SORTIE
DATA FOR ALL NON-COAST GUARD ASSETS THAT ARE USED.
  (2) THE REQUIRED FIELDS INCLUDE:
    (A) RESOURCE USED,
    (B) MISSION TYPE,
    (C) TIMES AND POSITIONS THAT APPLY,
    (D) SORTIE OWNER (USUALLY THE SORTIE RESOURCE UNIT),
    (E) ANY INFORMATION ABOUT LAUNCH DELAYS (E.G. IF A UNIT CANNOT
MEET ITS B-0 30-MINUTE LAUNCH REQUIREMENT),
    (F) OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT INFORMATION,
    (G) TARGET LOCATION METHOD,
    (H) WHETHER OR NOT THE SORTIE WAS ABORTED PRIOR TO ARRIVAL,
    (I) WEATHER,
    (J) RESULTS FOR THE SORTIE, AND
    (K) FINAL STATUS OF THE SORTIE.
  (3) RESULTS OF THE ASSETS OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT MODEL SHALL
BE ENTERED. ANY SPECIFIC MEASURES TAKEN TO REDUCE RISK AS A RESULT
OF THE MODEL SHALL BE ENTERED IN THE SORTIE COMMENTS.
  (4) ON-SCENE WEATHER SHALL BE ENTERED FOR ALL SORTIES INCLUDING
BOTH FULL WEATHER AND WATER CONDITIONS.
  (5) ANY SENSORS OR EQUIPMENT THAT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTS THE
RESULTS OF THE SORTIE, EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY, SHALL BE
INCLUDED IN THE SORTIE.  EQUIPMENT STANDARD ON A PLATFORM (E.G.
RADAR ON AN MLB) DOES NOT NEED TO BE ADDED UNLESS IT FAILS TO
OPERATE CORRECTLY OR NEGATIVELY AFFECTS THE OUTCOME OF THE CASE.
EQUIPMENT THAT IS NOT PART OF THE PLATFORM, BUT IS LOADED FOR A
SPECIFIC CASE (E.G. PUMPS) SHALL BE NOTED.
  (6) RESCUE SWIMMER DEPLOYMENTS SHALL BE NOTED.
  (7) WHEN OTHER NON-CONVENTIONAL ASSETS (SUCH AS PJ DEPLOYMENT)
ARE REQUIRED, THIS SHALL ALSO BE RECORDED.
11. ATTACHMENTS. ALL INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL FORM SHALL BE
INCLUDED AS AN ATTACHMENT (E.G. CESM REPORT, SAROPS EXPORT FILE,
ETC).
12. THE CONTENTS OF THIS MESSAGE WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE NEXT
REVISION OF REF A.
13. POC: RICH SCHAEFER (CG-534), 202-372-2079, RICHARD.R.SCHAEFER
(AT)USCG.MIL.
14. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
15. RELEASED BY RDML WAYNE E. JUSTICE, DIRECTOR OF RESPONSE POLICY.