As a secondary role, JRCC Halifax coordinates requests by other levels of government for federal SAR resources.

These secondary request are commonly made for humanitarian reasons that fall within provincial or municipal jurisdiction (e.g., searching for missing hunters, hoisting injured hikers and medical evacuation when civilian agencies are unable due to weather or location).

The centre serves as a communications hub and primary point of contact for the coordination and direction of rescue units and on-scene commanders in order to meet the national objective in the safest and most effective manner possible.

Secondary resources include other CCG vessels and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) warships, as well as vessels operated by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGA) which is a national organization of volunteer mariners/vessel owners who actively participate in maritime searches and receive compensation for their services.

Joint operating agreements and special customs procedures promote maximum cooperation that provides an optimal response to any distress.

These include: One of the most useful tools in the National Search and Rescue Program is the Cospas-Sarsat satellite surveillance system that was jointly founded in 1981 by Canada, USA, France and USSR.

The Canadian system uses three earth stations - Edmonton, Churchill and Goose Bay, to monitor satellites in polar orbit.