Terminology
Page updated: 12 December 2020
Search and rescue activity in New Zealand operates in a devolved context involving many different organisations. Different organisations contribute to an overall sector effort and very few agencies involved in SAR even have it as their sole or even primary function. Given the devolved nature of the sector, it is important for us to define the different terms used throughout this document.
Unless otherwise specified, we use terms as follows:
- “The SAR sector”, “the sector” or “New Zealand’s SAR sector” are all those organisations involved in search and rescue – i.e. the sector in its totality;
- “SAR Coordinating Authorities” or just “Coordinating Authorities” are the Police and the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ);
- “SAR agencies” or “SAR providers” refers those who provide services to the Coordinating Authorities;
- “NZSAR” for the combined entity of the NZSAR Council, NZSAR Consultative Committee and NZSAR Secretariat; and
- “NZSAR Council”, “NZSAR Consultative Committee” and “NZSAR Secretariat” for those entities, when treated separate from one another.