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)
Pollution
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 comes so naturally to you
You know what you’re doing, its what you’ve been trained to do your whole life…
Nothing could 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 AND TRAFFIC SERVICES VANCOUVER

51. North Window View

52. MCTS Mission Statement
To provide communications and traffic services for the marine community and for the benefit of the public at large to ensure:
Safety of life at sea in response to international agreements
Protection of the environment through traffic management
Efficient movement of shipping
Information for business and the national interest
In 1996, Coast Guard Radio was amalgamated with Vessel Traffic Services to create the combined service of Marine Communications and Vessel Traffic Service (MCTS).
The two distinct services bring varied expertise into the operations room, aiding in the expeditious resolution of marine incidents.

53. MCTS Program Statement
Within the Coast Guard, MCTS programs provide:
the initial response to ships in a distress situation;
a reduction in the probability of ships being involved in collisions, groundings, and strikings;
a cornerstone in the marine information collection and dissemination infrastructure.
The tools we use include: radar; VHF, MF and HF radio transceivers; Digital Selective Calling (DSC); Automated Identification Systems (AIS); Satellite communications; Encrypted communications (U.S./Can); various computerized vessel databases.

54. MCTS: Mandated Services
Distress - Safety - Communications & Coordination
Vessel Screening to prevent the entry of unsafe vessels into Canadian waters
Regulating Vessel Traffic Movements for marine risk reduction
Managing an Integrated Marine Information System in support of economic benefits and national interests.

55. MCTS in British Columbia
The Pacific Region, Canada Coast Guard (CCG) operates three Vessel Traffic Services Zones: Vancouver; Tofino; and, Prince Rupert.

56. MCTS in British Columbia
The Vancouver Zone is comprised of 4 sectors:
Sector 1 = Victoria MCTS Centre (SOG / JDF)
Sector 2 = Victoria MCTS Centre (S. ARM)
Sector 3 = Vancouver MCTS Centre
Sector 4 = Comox MCTS Centre

57. Vancouver MCTS: Area of Responsibility
From Iona Sewer Jetty westward (15A) until it intersects with line running south from Cape Roger Curtis (15B);
From Cape Roger Curtis westward to Gower Point (15C)
All waters in Howe Sound, English Bay, Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm, including Port Moody and False Creek.

58. Vancouver MCTS Operations
Located on the 23 floor of 555 West Hastings Street, it is comprised of 4 distinct operations consoles:
Vancouver Vessel Traffic;
Safety (Coast Guard Radio);
Watch Supervisor; and,
Regional Marine Information Console (RMIC)

59. Watts Point VHF
Bowen Is Radar
MCTS Vancouver

60. Traffic Console (view to Second Narrows)

61. Traffic Console Bowen Radar // Kap-E and Kap-W Radar // Berry Pt Radar
VTOSS (Vessel Transit Operating Safety System)
CCS (Communications Control System)
First Narrows Camera (capacity to video record)

62. Vancouver Coast Guard Radio
Vancouver Coast Guard radio operates out of MCTS Vancouver

63. Safety Console Vancouver Coastguard Radio
Communications Control System (CCS) / Message Data System (MDS) / VHF Digital Selective Calling (DSC) // Internet // Intranet / Nobletec Chart Program / Tide & Current Program

64. Communications Control System
Harbour Centre VHF
Ch. 04A,16, 22A, 26, 83A
Watts Point VHF
Ch. 16, 26, 83A
These VHF channels are all recorded and tapes kept.
In addition, any of these channels can be set to repeat in JRCC Victoria (1709)

65. Communications Control System
The CCS enables the MCTSO to conduct simultaneous transmissions on multiple frequencies. The JRCC can be immediately alerted to any distress or urgency communications by simply selecting the dedicated “1709” telephone icon and the appropriate VHF channel. The JRCC telephone line can be “linked” to any VHF frequency to provide direct communications to vessels or aircraft engaged in SAR operations.

66. Supervisor’s Console Deep Sea vessel anchorage assist (CH77)
Switch between Bowen & Kap-E/Kap-W Radar, plus Berry Pt radar
CCS
MDS
Encrypted Phone
Comlog

67. Vancouver Port Authority and Vancouver MCTS (Memorandum of Understanding)
The purpose of the MOU is to ensure a strong operational interface and an enhanced and efficient level of safety in the Port.
Second Narrows Movement Restriction Area
First Narrows Regulations
Marine Emergencies
Anchorages
Tankers
Engine Immobilization Requests

68. Vancouver Approach: Winter

69. Inner Harbour (Winter)

70. Berry Pt. Radar (Winter)

71. Vancouver Approach: Summer

72. Foggy Sunrise

73. Winter Sunrise

74. CANADIAN COASTGUARD KITSILANO BASE

76. CCG Kitsilano Base
Situated at the south east corner of Vanier Park, by the Burrard Street Bridge. It is manned 24 hours a day, and have two craft:

77. CCG Kitsilano Base CCGC Osprey Built 1985 Displacement 15.7t
Length m
Draft m

78. CCG Kitsilano 1- a 733 RHIB with twin 150hp outboards
CCG Kitsilano Base
CCG Kitsilano 1- a 733 RHIB with twin 150hp outboards

79. CCG Hovercraft There are two hovercraft based at Vancouver Airport:
Penac
Siyay

80. CCG Hovercraft
Penac

81. CCG Hovercraft
Siyay

82. ROYAL CANADIAN MARINE SEARCH & RESCUE

84. RCM-SAR Southern Area Station 1 - Howe Sound Station 2 - Indian Arm
Station 4 - Squamish
Station 5 - Crescent Beach
Station 8 - Delta

85. RCM-SAR Station 10 - Richmond Station 12 - Halfmoon Bay
Station 14 - Gibsons
Station 61 - Pender Harbour

86. RCM-SAR Northern Area Station 45 - Massett Station 62 - Klemtu
Station 63 - Kitimat
Station 64 - Prince Rupert
Station 65 - Port Simpson
Station 66 - Queen Charlotte

87. RCM-SAR Station 67 - Stewart Station 68 - Ocean Falls
Station 69 - Sandspit
Station 74 - Kitkatla
Station 75 - Kincolith

88. RCM-SAR Central Area Station 20 - Salish Sea Station 25 - Gulf Islands
Station 27 - Nanaimo
Station 29 - Ladysmith
Station 33 - Oak Bay
Station 34 - Mill Bay

89. RCM-SAR Station 35 - Victoria Station 36 - Saanich Station 37 - Sooke
Station 38 - Long Beach
Station 39 - Port Alberni
Station 42 - Kyoquot
Station 43 - Port Alice

90. RCM-SAR Station 50 - Port McNeill Station 51 - Alert Bay
Station 52 - Port Hardy
Station 53 - Bamfield
Station 54 - Campbell River
Station 55 - Powell River
Station 58 - French Creek

91. RCM-SAR
Station 59 - Deep Bay
Station 60 - Comox