BG–13.012 - May 2, 2013
Canada has one of the world’s largest and most challenging areas of Search and Rescue (SAR) responsibility. Search and Rescue coordinators and crews work with federal, provincial and municipal partners as well as thousands of volunteers to respond as quickly as possible to save the lives of those at risk whenever and wherever an incident occurs.
SAR is a shared responsibility. This includes several federal departments, the Canadian Armed Forces, provinces and municipalities. SAR is also delivered with the support of the private sector and thousands of dedicated volunteers. The Canadian Armed Forces SAR system is effective and is just one tool within the Canadian SAR inventory. Search and rescue crews work with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal partners and SAR volunteers to ensure the most effective and efficient search and rescue service to Canadians across the country.
The Government of Canada announced a number of important initiatives including the establishment of a quadrennial review to ensure it continues to deliver world-class service to Canadians, as follows:
Quadrennial Review: The review will be led by the Minister of National Defence as the Lead Minister for Search and Rescue with the support of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat. The review will provide a comprehensive perspective of Search and Rescue in Canada, with a view to enhance integration and alignment to provide a seamless system for Canadians. We will work with other federal partners including the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian Coast Guard, Parks Canada, Public Safety Canada and other departments as well as with provincial/territorial governments, SAR volunteers and Canadians to assess the evolving needs of SAR and how we can work together to ensure these needs are met.
Optimization of Search and Rescue Readiness Postures: To help optimize the Canadian Armed Forces search and rescue readiness posture, a comprehensive analysis of peak periods of seasonal, weekly, and daily search and rescue activity across Canada has been conducted. Commencing this summer, search and rescue region commanders will be able to adjust their search and rescue postures based on this updated data. Successful search and rescue operations rely on, among other factors, having the right capability ready at the right time. These capabilities include the right equipment, highly skilled personnel, the location of search and rescue resources and well-established procedures. These processes will be periodically reviewed to ensure they reflect the unique and changing nature of each search and rescue region’s activities.
Improved Search and Rescue Asset Management System: Following a review conducted by the Royal Canadian Air Force, a new process has been implemented to better track and optimize available search and rescue resources to improve overall response and effectiveness. This enhanced management system will be implemented by the three Joint Rescue Coordination Centers located in Halifax, Trenton, Ont., and Victoria. The system will enable the optimization of Canada’s search and rescue resources by actively tracking not only all primary search and rescue aircraft (and crew) but also all other potential backup aircraft and crews, such as the CC-138 Twin Otters and the CH-146 Griffon Helicopters.
$16.2 million for the Development of Satellite-Aided Search and Rescue: As part of the Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (MEOSAR) project, the Canadian Armed Forces will invest $4.7 million to place search and rescue repeaters on the next generation of U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System satellites. This will provide a more capable system to COSPAS-SARSAT (Cosmicheskaya Sistyema Poiska Avariynich Sudov – Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking). COSPAS-SARSAT is an international satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection system established by Canada, France, the former Soviet Union, and the U.S. in 1979. It is credited with saving more than 33,000 lives since its inception. Another $11.5 million will be invested into the current low Earth orbit system, which will reach its end of life in the next decade. The Canadian-developed and manufactured repeaters will allow for a near instantaneous distress beacon detection and notification to the Canadian Mission Control Centre leading to a faster response time to search and rescue victims. Analyses indicate that response times to Canadian distress incidents would potentially be reduced.
The completion of the renovated Joint Resource Coordination Centre in Halifax : The Government of Canada recently invested $2 million in renovating and upgrading the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax. This included upgrades to the phone management system, audio visual systems, and computer systems, all of which are paramount to a successful Search and Rescue mission. The modernization of our technical infrastructure and the consolidation of our efforts in maritime search and rescue coordination will better serve those in need.
Improved Canadian Beacon Registry: When a distress beacon signal is received via satellite, the Canadian Mission Control Centre personnel are quickly able to retrieve information from the Registry’s database containing the beacon owner’s contact information, emergency contact information, and the vessel/aircraft identifying characteristics and equipment. This information allows for an appropriate search and rescue response to a distress call. Canada has one of the highest emergency beacon registration rates in the world. The improved registry website (www.cbr-rcb.ca) makes it even easier for Canadians to register and update their beacon information to reduce investigative time in responding to those in distress.
The Department of National Defence is currently engaged in a comprehensive renewal exercise to identify savings in internal processes and lower priority areas that can be reallocated to support and respond more efficiently and effectively to front-line priorities. The entire defence team is dedicated to making the adjustments necessary to position the Canadian Armed Forces to successfully meet future responsibilities. As part of this exercise, savings and efficiencies realized at the Department of National Defence, including some of the funds currently allocated to supporting the Challenger fleet, will be re-allocated to front-line priorities, including SAR, which is a no-fail mission for the Government of Canada.
The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces continue to work with SAR partners at the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels to improve collective SAR efforts and promote education and training to prevent SAR incidents from occurring. Further work in this area to provide coordinated, consistent and sustainable messaging will strengthen the capacity of the prevention community and encourage a shared responsibility for safety.
