Elements and Performance Criteria

Environmental conditions may include
Bars, seas and wave conditions
Flood in rivers/lakes/submerged trees
Ruptured tanks and possible spillages
Time of day or night
Varying degrees of visibility
Weather conditions

Maps/charts may include
Aerial photographs
Cadastral maps
Local authority maps
Marine navigational charts
Orthophoto maps
Satellite imagery
Street directories
Topographic maps

Navigational equipment may include
Area plotters
Chart plotters
Communications equipment
Computers
Deviation card
Douglas protractor
Geographical information systems (GIS)
Global positioning systems (GPS)
Hand held compass
Interface with auto pilot
Magnetic compasses
Navigator's Log Book
Parallel rulers
Pencil and rubbers
Planimeters
Protractors
RADAR
Romers
Scale rules
Sliding rulers
Vessels compass
Watch/stopwatch
Writing equipment

Making charts, navigational aids and equipment ready for use may include
Delineating search areas to incorporate set and drift
Identifying hazards (reefs, bars, shallow water, rocks)
Planning intercept and rendezvous courses
Plotting incident location (latitude and longitude)

Navigational techniques may include
Bearings and reciprocal bearings
Deviation and variation magnetic conversions
GPS way points
Grid and latitude/longitude position fixing
Intercept and rendezvous courses
Plotting
RADAR use
Route time calculations
Running fixes
Set and drift allowances
Transits

Accepted tolerance may include
Fuel carried
Prevailing weather and environmental conditions
Vessel category and distance

Alternate route/course strategies may include
Changing route to suit sea conditions, state of tide, and areas which contain hazards to safe navigation
Dispatching additional vessels
Transferring those injured to helicopter rescue at an appropriate location more suited to the time restraints that may exist
Using vessels in the local area

Organisational arrival procedures include
Condition of survivors and the need for first aid and movement to health care professionals updates and sitreps
Confirmation of timely, safe arrival appropriate to the incident/task
Determining existence of hazards such as proximity to rocks and shallow water, trailing lines, broken rigging, anchored or drifting

Reporting requirements may include
Assessing safety procedures utilised
Attending and providing input to debrief
Back at home port
Completing incident report, radio logs records and vessel logs including fuel used and lost/damage report
Completing operational tasks
Disseminating debriefing report
Position reports as per organisation's standard operating procedures
Pre-departure briefing
Sitreps on arrival and regular updates thereafter or immediately on the occurrence of a further event

Critical aspects of evidence
Assessment must confirm the ability to plot a navigation route maintaining accuracy within accepted tolerances when following a route, and to maintain positional awareness. Assessment must also confirm the ability to effectively react to changes in the operating environment necessitating re-planning of a course.

Interdependent assessment of units
Pre-requisite units: Nil
Co-requisite units: Nil

Underpinning knowledge
Cartographic information
Chart features (date of map/chart, legend/AUS5011, contours/depth, scale/latitude and longitude, north point/compass rose, grid references/position fixes, latitude and longitude, magnetic variation, contour intervals, datum information)
Chart symbols
Coastal navigation techniques
Course planning techniques and calculations
Latitude and longitude plotting
Local knowledge of area en-route and at the incident scene
Map and chart types
Methods for determining current position

Underpinning skills
Identify natural and cultural features for transport modes
Interpret cartographic symbology including contour lines, scale, magnetic variation information
Interpret route/course and arrival information
Non-verbal communication including using hand signals, writing instructions
Observation skills including scanning, picking up on physical cues
Operate a radio system
Operate an intercom system
Operate appropriate sized rescue vessel
Operate chart plotter
Operate GPS
Operate RADAR
Operate RDF
Operate satellite phones from search and rescue authority
Problem solving
Use navigation aids
Verbal communication

Resource implications
Access to:
equipment used in operational navigation is essential
a rescue vessel fitted with RADAR
GPS chart plotters
communications room
operations centre with trained staff

Consistency in performance
Competency should be demonstrated over time in a range of actual or simulated workplace environments that includes a variety of conditions, seas, winds, weather, visibility.

Context of assessment
Competency should be assessed in a real life incident, exercise or simulation or series of tasks using electronic aids.

As navigation of rescue operations is usually undertaken in adverse weather and sea conditions assessment must cover the environmental conditions covered in the Range statement.