Centres régionaux opérationnels de surveillance et de sauvetage

In France, the general duty of coordinating maritime security and survey activities is assumed by seven Centres Régionaux Opérationnels de Surveillance et de Sauvetage (Regional Operating Surveillance and Rescue Centres; French acronym CROSS). The polyvalence of these centers characterizes this French model. The CROSS assumes up to four functional missions in maritime territory international conventions. The CROSS practice their activities under the operational authority of the Maritime Prefects in mainland France and Government Representatives for State Action at Sea in Overseas Departments and Territories.

They depend on the Ministry of Ecological Transition. They are managed by the Affaires Maritimes (Maritime Matters Departement) administrators and provided with staff from this Ministry and members from the French Navy. Military officers assume the watchstanding mission (survey and rescue coordination). They are under the organic authority of the Directions Interregionales des Affaires Maritimes (Interregional Directions of the Maritime Matters / DIRM) on the mainland and the Directions Maritimes on France's Overseas Territories, which both are in charge of implementing the public policies about maritime security, protection of the environment, resource managing, maritime activities regulation and teaching.

History
Before the creation of the CROSS, the sharing of authority about Rescue at Sea in France occurred between the French Navy, acting on the open sea, and the Affaires Maritimes near the coastal zone. Each district chief was responsible for his littoral portion. From 1960, the nautical leisure activities and the fishery activities developments led to an increase on accidents. The district tools proved insufficient, leading to a new reflection on rescue at sea organization.

It is in this context that is created in 1966 the Centre Régional Operational de Défence (Defence Operational Regional Center / CROD) in Lorient, in charge of assuming support on Search and Rescue operations, based on a unique representative for all participants. This center will become 1968 the Atlantic Cross and will move to Etel the same year.

Experimental at the origins, the CROSS, whose designation became official in 1967, has been developed on all France's coastlines. The total coverage was achieved in 1982 with the creation of Cross-Corsen near Brest after the sinking of Amoco Cadiz. In the 1990s, the Centres Operationnels de Sauvetage (Save Operational Centres / COS) were created in overseas territories. First of all, COS Martinique Antilles in 1992 (which became CROSS Antilles-Guyane (French Guiana) in 2001), then the COS La Réunion in 2004. This 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 assumes since 2016 both maritime and aerial rescue.

Search and rescue
A CROSS assumes:


 * The reception of alerts by a 24/7 radio and phone watchstanding, including those coming from distress beacon (EPIRB) and satellite communication systems.
 * The managing of Search and Rescue operations.

Over 10.000 operations are managed annually by the 7 CROSS to benefit fishing boats, commercial boats such as tankers and cargos, yachting, and leisure sailing. The CROSS belongs to the network of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCC) as defined by the SAR Convention.

Monitoring of sea traffic
This mission is crucial in the English Channel, which passes 20% of the world traffic, with an annual rhythm of about 300.000 ships annually. It consists in detecting and identifying the maritime traffic in the zones subjected to very high traffic levels.

The CROSS receives and analyses the mandatory reports sent by all ships routing through the English Channel and using one of the three Traffic Separation Scheme off the coast of Ushant / Ouessant, as well as across the Dover Strait. It mainly follows the ships carrying potentially polluting or dangerous freight. It follows the vessel to detect anomalous routes and any behavior that could induce risks for human life or the environment. It identifies contraveners to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS / RIPAM). It records the breaches of these rules and transmits them to the judiciary authorities.

Monitoring of pollution
The CROSS registers information about marine pollution events. It exploits this information to look for the authors under the judiciary authority's control. Under the power of the Maritime Prefects, it contributes actively to the application of the ORSEC (ORGanisation des SECours) measures of the POLMAR (POLlution MARine) plan to combat accidental marine pollution.

Monitoring of fishing operations
The Centre National de Surveillance des Pêches (Fishery Survey National Centre /CNSP), hosted by the CROSS Etel, assumes in real-time the operational coordination of a few maritime and aerial tools at disposition. It takes this mission on account of the DIRM under the delegation of the Maritime Prefects. The European Union has also imposed a satellite survey system of the fishing boats. The CNSP is in charge of this monitoring in the French Waters. It works in close contact with the similar centers of other States Members.

Broadcasting of maritime safety information
The CROSS broadcasts security information to ships:


 * In zone A1, using Marine VHF broadcasts for regular forecasts or unique meteorological forecasts if wind scales to Near Gale (7 on Beaufort scale)
 * In zone A2, using Navetex broadcasts for both of these forecasts or for Avis Urgent pour les navigateurs (Navigational Warnings / 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

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.