Canadian Maritime Search and Rescue in British Columbia

1. MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

2. CANADIAN SEARCH AND RESCUE

4. Maritime SAR in Canada • SAR is a federal responsibility • The Department of National Defence has the role of lead agency for coordinating SAR related activities in Canada • Coordinated by a Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) or a Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) • A joint operation by Canadian Forces and Canadian Coast Guard

5. Maritime SAR in Canada • A major operation will involve many authorities and organizations outside the SAR system

6. Canadian SAR Regions

9. Canadian SAR Regions The Canadian Search and Rescue Area is considerable. Compare it to the size of Europe

11. Unified Command Structure in Canada

15. What Has Canada Done To Prepare • A SAR structure which meets international commitments • A well integrated system of regular and volunteer response units • Well trained response units, military and civil

16. What Has Canada Done To Prepare (Continued) • Canadian Forces /Canadian Coastguard Project Team updated Major Marine Disaster Plans • A review of the Command and Control framework • Regular exercises

17. International Air and Marine Search And Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual • There has been International agreement on Search and Rescue services, dividing the world into national areas of responsibility, and covering organisation, distress channels for aviation and marine, distress signals, etc.

18. International Air and Marine Search And Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual • The current IAMSAR Manual was introduced in 1998, and has three volumes 1. Organization and Management 2. Mission Co-ordination 3. Mobile facilities

19. Canadian Coast Guard Search and Rescue Program

20. Canadian Coast Guard Mission • Save 100% lives at risk • Reduce the number and severity of SAR incidents • Minimize loss of life, injury, property damage and risk to the environment • Support and involve the RCM-SAR

21. Canadian Coast Guard Mission • Maintain the highest professional standards • Provide national leadership and effective SAR Program management • Provide international SAR leadership • Maximize SAR system efficiency through innovation • Promote volunteerism

22. Canadian Coast Guard Mission • Increase awareness of the SAR Program • Assist in the development of the National SAR Program • Foster cooperative SAR agreements • Provide humanitarian aid and civil assistance where possible

23. BRITISH COLUMBIA

24. JRCC Victoria • Search and Rescue on the West Coast of Canada is coordinated out of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria. • It is based at the Canadian Forces Base at Esquimalt. • It is responsible for air and maritime rescue throughout the area.

25. JRCC Victoria • In the event of an alert at JRCC Victoria, the operation will be passed to air controllers for an aeronautical incident, or a marine controller for a maritime incident.

26. JRCC Victoria This alarm may be raised by many methods including: • EPIRB or EPIB signal • Telephone call from the authorities or public sighting an incident or distress signal • Calls from another vessel

27. JRCC Victoria The JRCC will alert rescue resources • Helicopters and fixed wing SAR aircraft • Coast Guard and RCM-SAR vessels including hovercraft • Merchant vessels nearby

28. JRCC Victoria Rescue resources (Continued) • Warships • Pleasure Craft • Fishing Vessels • The SAR command and control structure

29. JRCC Alert List • The Ship Owner (shipping company) • Local Authority (EMO) • RCMP and Police • Harbour Master • Fire Departments • Ambulance Departments

30. JRCC Alert List • Hospitals • Provincial Emergency Plan • Transport Canada • Environment Canada • Provincial ministries

31. Primary Rescue Resources Canadian Coast Guard Stations are situated at: • Victoria • Prince Rupert • Sidney • Nanaimo • Sea Island • Kitsilano • Powell River

32. Primary Rescue Resources • Saltspring Island (Ganges) • Tofino • Bamfield • Port Hardy • Bella Bella • Sandspit • Campbell River • Cortes Is - (seasonal)

33. RCM-SAR Units in British Columbia

34. BEWARE • Some of these authorities and organizations may have different command and control systems Emergency Site Management (ESM) Incident Command System (ICS) • System in Canadian Unified Command Centres is a mix of IAMSAR and ICS

35. And did you remember • The media • Salvage/recovery of the ship(s) • The media • Pollution • The media • Record keeping and the subsequent enquiry

36. Media Handling • Interest in a major incident will be intense • ‘No comment’ will not be adequate • A co-ordinated media strategy is vital • Be prepared to provide information and facilities to assist the news media to do its job • Be prepared to provide operational ‘talking heads’ for news conferences and interviews

37. MAJOR MARINE DISASTER

38. What is a Major Marine Disaster • Involves large numbers of people • In a marine environment that may be outside the jurisdiction of shore authorities • May involve more than one vessel • Probably involves removing large numbers of persons from a ship to a place of safety.

39. International Correspondence Group on Large Passenger Vessel Safety Radio communications and SAR have a part to play in any incident before a ship is actually evacuated – even before the decision to evacuate is made. Ideally, communications with the RCC and other SAR facilities will have been initiated well before. And ‘SAR’ should not be considered only as a matter of finding and recovering people in distress.

40. International Correspondence Group on Large Passenger Vessel Safety SAR service assistance can be provided to the ship before it is evacuated, preferably to prevent evacuation becoming necessary – firefighting or medical teams may be transferred aboard, emergency towing assistance supplied, etc.

41. International Correspondence Group on Large Passenger Vessel Safety The response to any incident extends beyond the safe delivery of survivors to the shore. The maritime SAR services are (or should be) closely involved with their shore-side counterparts in arranging efficient transfer of the survivors into shore-side care. In the case of a large passenger ship evacuation this will be a very complicated process, with the need for extensive communication – at the ….

42. International Correspondence Group on Large Passenger Vessel Safety …. contingency planning stage as well as during any incident.

43. Command Considerations • Additional air resources • Where will survivors be landed • Where will injured persons be landed and will it be by air or sea • Are the facilities in these locations adequate • If additional resources are required at these locations how will they get there and how quickly

44. What needs to be remembered • Keep the Major Marine Disaster Plan up to date- review it regularly • Exercise realistically but in a controlled manner- remember to include external agencies in exercises • Continue exercises beyond the shoreline • Speak to stakeholders – shipping interests • Every major incident will be different – be prepared to improvise around the basic plan

45. PLANNING AND TRAINING

46. You’ve carefully thought out all the angles… • You’ve done it all a thousand times before… • It comesso naturally to you • You know what you’re doing, its what you’ve been trained to doyour whole life… • Nothingcould possibly go wrong, right?

48. SEARCH AND RESCUE AROUND VANCOUVER

49. Canadian Coast Guard • The Canadian Coastguard is represented in the Vancouver area by: • MCTS Vancouver • Marine resources at Kitsilano Base • Hovercrafts at Vancouver Airport

50. MARINE COMMUNICATIONS ANDTRAFFIC SERVICES VANCOUVER