The Department of Marine Resources may provide search and rescue services in the coastal waters of the State and shall be the responsible state agency for those services, except when they involve lost or downed aircraft. The department shall develop a formal plan for those activities and designate one person within the department as coordinator of search and rescue to work with other search and rescue agencies, both governmental and private. The department shall attempt to establish and train regional volunteer organizations to assist with search and rescue and include them in plans and joint training exercises as appropriate. [PL 1989, c. 489, §3 (RPR).]