Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue

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Royal Canadian Marine
Search and Rescue
325px
Motto "Saving Lives on the Water"
Formation 1978
Volunteers
 1,110
Website http://www.rcmsar.com/
Formerly called
 Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary - Pacific

The Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) is a volunteer marine rescue service that saves lives and promotes public recreational (pleasure craft) boating safety throughout the coastal and some inland waters of the province of British Columbia and Yukon Territory of Canada[1][2] and is part of the national organization the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.[3]

History

In 1978, the Canadian Coast Guard (at the time under the federal Minister of the Department of Transport) established the Canadian Marine Rescue Auxiliary (CMRA) across Canada in order to involve volunteers in a structured way to provide marine rescue assistance and rescue prevention education. This national auxiliary program provided funding for volunteer operations, such as reimbursement of fuel costs and insurance coverage, when volunteer boats and crews were formally tasked to respond to marine incidents by the Victoria (Joint) Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) of the Department of National Defence (DND). Guidance in volunteer training and provision of some specialized rescue and life saving equipment were also provided under this program. The CMRA underwent a name change to Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. In the Pacific Region of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, under which the Canadian Coast Guard (Special Operating) Agency now falls, the CCGA-Pacific underwent a rebranding doing business under the name Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue or RCM SAR, effective May of 2012.[4]

It should be noted, however, that volunteers have been an integral part of marine rescue response services along the British Columbia coast for more than 100 years, initially as part of the Canadian Life Saving Service (CLSS). The Canadian Coast Guard was formally established in 1962 and shortly thereafter engaged volunteers called Volunteer Search Masters (who operated suitable boats equipped with VHF radio communication) and Volunteer Marine Rescue Agents (who were local coastal contacts for Coast Guard Rescue Officers and who established "posts" in coastal communities for providing information and communications related to search and rescue incidents in the nearby waters).[5]

File:RCM SAR 1.JPG
RCM-SAR Unit 14 patrolling British Columbia pacific waters

Operations

The RCM-SAR patrols more than 29,500 square kilometers of coastline, 6,500 islands, and approximately 450,000 square kilometers of internal and offshore waters. There are over 1,500 committed volunteers who have dedicated themselves to the RCM-SAR and helping individuals in danger. The volunteers are spread out in one of 49 stations throughout the region. Each station is community-based, enabling the services to be associated with local needs. The stations are equipped with community-owned response vessels, while other stations provide SAR service through dedicated owner-operator vessels.[6][1] In addition RCM-SAR has some paid administrative and training staff. RCM-SAR receives funding from the Canadian Coast Guard, the province of British Columbia gaming grants, various other government grants, private and corporate donations.[7] RCM-SAR receives direction and taskings from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC).[8]

Resources

Equipment

The RCM-SAR is equipped with a variety of high-speed vessels ranging from Zodiac-style inflatables to large enclosed-cabin jet boats that can assist all sizes of vessel from lone kayakers to huge cruise ships.[9][10]

RCM-SAR also operates a simulator that is housed in the brand new training facility at the regional headquarters located in East Sooke.

Training

RCM-SAR volunteers train at a high-tech vessel simulator in Victoria, British Columbia and on the water, investing more than 5,000 training hours annually. The simulator's computer-generated scenery allows new volunteers to practice and improve their skills virtually.[11]

Vessels[12]

Type 1 Fast Rescue Craft

Design: Rigid Hull Inflatable

Length: 9 metres

Power: Twin Yamaha 250hp Outboard Motors

Range: 250 nautical miles

Speed: 40+ knots

Crew Complement: 4

Features:

  • Shockwave Integrated Controlled Environment (ICE)
  • Self Righting
  • Electronic Navigation Instruments
  • Two Marine VHF radios
  • Searchlights
  • Night Vision (FLIR)
  • First Aid Equipment
  • Towing Equipment

Type 2 "Falkins Class"

Design: Enclosed cabin Rigid Hull Inflatable

Length: 11.12 metres

Power: Twin Diesel Engines and Water Jets (870hp)

Range: 250-300 nautical miles

Speed: 39 knots

Crew Complement: 5

Features:

  • Enclosed cabin for longer, more complex missions
  • Self righting
  • Electronic navigation instruments
  • Three marine VHF radios
  • Radio Direction Finders
  • Searchlights
  • Night vision (FLIR)
  • First aid equipment
  • Towing equipment

Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBS)

Various designs are used such as the Zodiac 733 or the Titan 249.

Stations[13]

Southern Region

  • Station 1 - West Vancouver
  • Station 2 - North Vancouver
  • Station 4 - Squamish
  • Station 5 - Crescent Beach
  • Station 8 - Delta
  • Station 10 - Richmond
  • Station 12 - Halfmoon Bay
  • Station 14 - Gibsons
  • Station 61 - Pender Harbour
  • Station 106 - Shuswap

Central Region

  • Station 20 - Salish Sea (Pender Island)
  • Station 25 - Gulf Islands
  • Station 27 - Nanaimo
  • Station 29 - Ladysmith
  • Station 31 - Brentwood Bay
  • Station 33 - Oak Bay
  • Station 34 - Mill Bay
  • Station 35 - Victoria
  • Station 36 - Saanich
  • Station 37 - Sooke
  • Station 38 - Ucluelet
  • Station 39 - Port Alberni
  • Station 43 - Port Alice
  • Station 50 - Port McNeill
  • Station 59 - Deep Bay
  • Station 60 - Comox

Northern Region

  • Station 45 - Masset
  • Station 63 - Kitimat
  • Station 64 - Prince Rupert
  • Station 65 - Port Simpson
  • Station 68 - Ocean Falls
  • Station 74 - Gitxaala
  • Station 75 - Kincolith

SAR Prevention

  • Station 54 - Campbell River
  • Station 101 - Southern Interior
  • Station 102 - Fraser Valley
  • Station 103 - Vancouver
  • Station 104 - Kootenay

Statistics

Total missions Total person hours Average total person hours Average POB SAR vessel Average mission duration Total people saved Total people assisted Property value saved/assisted (est.)
5,108 32,600 128 4 1.79hrs 1,244 4,594 $181,668,380

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Zodiac rescue vessel Retrieved July 11,2012
  10. ↑ Titan rescue vessel Retrieved July 11,2012
  11. ↑ Training simulator Retrieved July 11, 2012
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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