Havariekommando

Maritime Emergency Reporting and Assessment Centre

The Maritime Emergency Reporting and Assessment Centre (MERAC) is the communication centre of the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME), its core, so to speak. It is operated 24/7/365 by experienced master mariners.
They collect, verify and assess all information relevant for dealing with a complex emergency situation in the North - and in the Baltic Sea. Positions of CCME's partners disposable vessels and further information i.e. current weather forecasts are outlined in maritime situation reports, which are published daily.

Thus all maritime authorities and institutions are informed comprehensively about all events in the Germany Area of Responsibility. As National Contact Point MERAC is the reporting office for marine pollution, maritime emergencies and hazardous materials transportation at sea.

If the MERAC receives information about an emergency situation, the staff members alert the head and the on-call duties of CCME. They will then decide whether the crisis staff is going to be summoned, and which initial emergency measures will be conducted. MERAC meets preliminaries to provide all relevant information to the crisis staff.