OTTAWA -On April 30, 2013, the Auditor General of Canada, Michael Ferguson, tabled his Spring Report in the House of Commons. Chapter 7 of the Auditor General’s Report, “Federal Search and Rescue Activities” examines whether the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces have the necessary trained personnel, equipment and information systems available to support Search and Rescue activities. This report also looks to determine whether the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces have designed and implemented prevention programs and activities to reduce the number and severity of Search and Rescue incidents. Finally, the Office of the Auditor General Report examines whether the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces adequately administer Search and Rescue activities.
The findings and recommendations of the Auditor General are found on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s website, at the following link: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201304_07_e_38192.html
The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces welcomes the findings and recommendations made in Chapter 7 of the Report of the Auditor General. In order to ensure key contextual information is available about the Department’s Search and Rescue activities, the Department of National Defence issues the following statements:
Recommendations of the Auditor General
As mentioned in the report, the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces agrees with the recommendations made in Chapter 7, and will take the necessary actions to address each one. Canada has one of the world’s largest and most challenging areas of Search and Rescue responsibility. The Canadian Armed Forces Search and Rescue system is effective and is just one tool within the Canadian Search and Rescue inventory. Search and Rescue crews work with federal, provincial and municipal partners to ensure the most effective and efficient search and rescue service to Canadians across the country.
The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces continues to work with its Search and Rescue partners to improve collective Whole of Government Search and Rescue efforts.
Readiness to Respond
Canada has one of the most effective search and rescue systems in the world, which includes a network of three Joint Rescue Coordination Centres and five dedicated Search and Rescue squadrons strategically located across the country. Search and Rescue is a shared responsibility, across all levels of government and delivered with the support of the private/commercial sector and volunteers. Regardless of their response posture, Canadian Armed Forces Search and Rescue crews always react immediately to ensure they can provide assistance to those in distress as soon as possible.
Human Resources
Every year, specially-trained Canadian Armed Forces Search and Rescue crews track thousands of incidents and bring hundreds of people in peril to safety. The Department and the Canadian Armed Forces will continue to ensure that Search and Rescue squadrons are fully staffed with highly-trained professionals in order to maintain one of the most effective search and rescue systems in the world.
National Defence will continue its assessment of relevant policies and their applications in relation to Search and Rescue squadrons’ staffing levels, and will determine options to address any identified concerns.
Vessels and Aircraft
The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces has a project underway to buy new Search and Rescue aircraft. The acquisition of a new fixed-wing Search and Rescue aircraft replacement capability will give the Canadian Armed Forces the equipment required to carry out critical, life-saving Search and Rescue missions anywhere in Canada, anytime, including the Arctic.
The project remains a high priority. It is currently in the definition phase and is expected to be in the implementation phase upon contract award in 2014/2015. This new aircraft will replace the Hercules and Buffalo aircraft currently performing Search and Rescue in Canada. Until the new fleet of Search and Rescue aircraft is delivered, the Canadian Armed Forces will continue to maintain their existing Search and Rescue aircraft without interruption to ensure Search and Rescue crews can continue to respond to incidents across Canada, and bring people in peril to safety.
With respect to Search and Rescue helicopter fleets, improvements have recently been made to the availability of the Cormorant fleet allowing it to fly a record number of hours in 2012, and the Griffon fleet has undergone enhancements which are allowing it to provide a more robust Search and Rescue capability.
Information Management and Technology
Work is underway to replace the current Search and Rescue Mission Management System, used jointly by the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans/Canadian Coast Guard to manage Search and Rescue-related information. In the meantime, both the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces and Fisheries and Oceans/Canadian Coast Guard continue to work together to ensure that Search and Rescue services are effectively managed at the three Joint Rescue Coordination Centres across Canada.
The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces agrees that delays in the replacement of the Search and Rescue Mission Management System need to be immediately addressed, and work is already underway. However, deficiencies in the Search and Rescue Mission Management System will not impact on Search and Rescue operations. Until the Search and Rescue Mission Management System is replaced, Joint Rescue Coordination Centres staff will continue to use backup systems if and when required.
The project to develop a new integrated Search and Rescue Mission Management System was approved in November 2012. In the meantime, the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces is working with Fisheries and Oceans to provide better technical support to the current system and will review the current processes used to ensure that, should the system become unavailable, Search and Rescue services can continue to be managed at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centres until a replacement system is implemented.
Prevention Activities
The Department of National Defence and the National Search and Rescue Secretariat recognize the value of prevention in reducing the number and/or the severity of Search and Rescue related incidents.
Established in 1986, the National Search and Rescue Secretariat is responsible for the management and coordination of the National Search and Rescue Program,, and works with all levels of government, industry and volunteer organizations to improve search and rescue activities throughout Canada. The National Search and Rescue Secretariat is an organization within the Department of National Defence, accountable to the Lead Minister for Search and Rescue, who is also the Minister of National Defence.
Governance of Federal Search and Rescue
The Department of National Defence and National Search and Rescue Secretariat acknowledge that Search and Rescue is a shared responsibility, across all levels of government and delivered with the support of the private/commercial sector and volunteers. As such, effective governance and coordination among federal departments and with provinces and territories is essential. This, in turn will assist overall coordination. Furthermore, the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces with the support of relevant federal departments, will assess the Search and Rescue governance structure at the federal level to determine whether it is optimally designed to effectively execute the Search and Rescue mandate across departments and to ensure appropriate coordination with federal-provincial and other responders.
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