National Search and Rescue Program
Encyclopedia
The National Search and Rescue Program (NSP) is the name given by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
to the collective search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR) activities in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The NSP is administered by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat
National Search and Rescue Secretariat
The National Search and Rescue Secretariat is an independent agency of the Government of Canada.It was established in 1986 as one of the recommendations resulting from the Royal Commission of Enquiry into the Ocean Ranger disaster....
(NSS) and it provides for the coordination of public policy for the provision of SAR services.
The primary goal of the NSP is to save lives at risk throughout Canada. This national program involves federal departments, volunteers, organizations, municipalities, provinces and territories, working together to provide this service.
Organizational structure
The Lead Minister for Search and Rescue (LMSAR) in the Government of CanadaGovernment of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
is the Minister of National Defence
Minister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
. Responsibilities are broken down within the federal government as follows:
- The Department of National DefenceDepartment of National Defence (Canada)The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
is the lead ministry responsible for providing and coordinating SAR response for incidents involving aircraft, and incidents involving vessels in federal or international waters. This is accomplished through the air forceCanadian Forces Air CommandThe Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
, which operates 3 Joint Rescue Coordination CentresRescue coordination centreA rescue coordination centre or RCC is a primary search and rescue facility in a country that is staffed by supervisory personnel and equipped for coordinating and controlling search and rescue operations....
(JRCCs) as well as various dedicated SAR squadrons of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
- The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, through the Canadian Coast GuardCanadian Coast GuardThe Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
, is tasked with responding to emergencies involving vessels that occur in waters of federal responsibilitiy (all ocean waters on Canada's 3 coasts, plus the Great LakesGreat LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, St. Lawrence River, and portions of connecting waterways). Coast Guard personnel also help Canadian Forces personnel staff the 3 JRCCs and they exclusively staff 2 Maritime Rescue Sub-CentresRescue coordination centreA rescue coordination centre or RCC is a primary search and rescue facility in a country that is staffed by supervisory personnel and equipped for coordinating and controlling search and rescue operations....
(MRSCs).
- The Department of Transport, through its civil aviation and marine safety programs, works to prevent air and marine incidents requiring a search and rescue response. This is accomplished through its regulation, inspection, enforcement, and safety promotion functions.
The three JRCCs are:
- Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax (JRCC Halifax)
- Joint Rescue Coordination Centre TrentonJoint Rescue Coordination Centre TrentonThe Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton is one of three JRCCs, jointly manned by the Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Coast Guard ....
(JRCC Trenton) - Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria (JRCC Victoria)
The two MRSCs are:
- Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre QuebecMaritime Rescue Sub-Centre QuebecMaritime Rescue Sub-Centre Quebec is a Canadian Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre that coordinates search and rescue operations in waters of the St.Lawrence River system, including all navigable waters of the golf, the estuary and the river of St.Lawrence, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the three main...
(MRSC Quebec) - Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre St. John'sMaritime Rescue Sub-Centre St. John'sMaritime Rescue Sub-Centre St. John's is one of two Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre's operated by the Canadian Coast Guard.MRSC St...
(MRSC St. John's)
Air Resources
The Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
and CASARA
Civil Air Search and Rescue Association
The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association or CASARA, is a Canada-wide volunteer aviation association dedicated to the promotion of aviation safety, and to the provision of air search support services to Canada's National Search and Rescue Program.*...
(Civil Air Search And Rescue Association) provide air resources for SAR incidents under federal jurisdiction. This includes:
- Any aircraft incident within Canada's SAR region of responsibility, regardless of whether the incident occurs over land or water.
- A marine incident that occurs within waters under federal jurisdiction.
- The Canadian Forces and/or CASARA may also be tasked to assist with a ground search and rescue incident, or a marine incident occurring in non-federal (i.e. inland) waters, if requested by the provincial or territorial search and rescue authority. In some jurisdictions, CASARA has established independent agreements with provincial governments to provide air support to ground searches, independent of the federal search and rescue system.
Primary Canadian Forces Search and Rescue squadrons are stationed at CFB Gander
CFB Gander
Canadian Forces Base Gander , is a Canadian Forces Base located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is home to air/marine search and rescue operations that cover a vast swath of the western North Atlantic and southern Arctic...
, CFB Greenwood
CFB Greenwood
Canadian Forces Base Greenwood , commonly referred to as "14 Wing Greenwood" or CFB Greenwood, is a Canadian Forces Base located in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora...
, CFB Trenton
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
, CFB Winnipeg
CFB Winnipeg
Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg , is a Canadian Forces Base located within the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Co-located at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, CFB Winnipeg is home to many flight operations support divisions, as well as several training schools...
, and CFB Comox
CFB Comox
Canadian Forces Base Comox , commonly referred to as CFB Comox, is a Canadian Forces Base located north northeast of Comox, British Columbia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora...
. Combat support squadrons are also located at CFB Cold Lake
CFB Cold Lake
Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake , commonly referred to as CFB Cold Lake, is a Canadian Forces Base located within the City of Cold Lake, Alberta. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CF-18 Hornet fighter/interceptor...
, CFB Bagotville
CFB Bagotville
Canadian Forces Base Bagotville , commonly referred to as CFB Bagotville, is a Canadian Forces Base located west of Bagotville in the city of Saguenay, Quebec. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CF-18 Hornet...
, and CFB Goose Bay
CFB Goose Bay
Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay , is a Canadian Forces Base located in the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador....
.
Marine Resources
The Canadian Coast GuardCanadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
and the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary or CCGA is a Canada-wide volunteer marine association dedicated to marine search and rescue and the promotion of boating safety, through association with the Canadian Coast Guard under the auspices of Canada's National Search and Rescue Program.-History:Coastal...
provide primary marine resources in waters under federal jurisdiction.
On inland waters, many police services and fire departments operate patrol and rescue vessels that are used to respond to search and rescue incidents. Some ground search and rescue volunteer teams also operate their own watercraft in support of search and rescue, such as British Columbia's Kent Harrison Search and Rescue.
Other volunteer marine search and rescue organizations provide specialty services to local communities and other government agencies. These include:
Ground and Inland Waters Resources
- Parks CanadaParks CanadaParks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
provides search and rescue services within national parkNational parkA national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s, national marine conservation areaNational marine conservation areaNational marine conservation areas are areas along the coast that are intended to preserve flora and fauna. They are, in essence, a combination of marine park and nature reserve....
s, national park reserves, national historic sites and historic canalCanalCanals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s.
- Outside national parks, the police force having jurisdiction responds to SAR incidents. In most of rural Canada, and some urban areas this is the Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) (except OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and parts of Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
).
- The Ontario Provincial PoliceOntario Provincial PoliceThe Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
, Sûreté du QuébecSûreté du QuébecSûreté du Québec or SQ is the provincial police force for the Canadian province of Québec...
, and Royal Newfoundland ConstabularyRoyal Newfoundland ConstabularyThe Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is a police force in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It provides policing to the communities of St. John's and the Northeast Avalon Peninsula, Corner Brook, Churchill Falls, and Labrador City....
respond to SAR incidents in Ontario, Quebec, and parts of Newfoundland and Labrador respectively.
- There are also over 260 municipal police forces who are responsible for search and rescue within their jurisdictions, including large cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and London. Search and rescue in urban areas is also supported by municipal fire departments, many of whom operate high-angle and swiftwater rescueSwiftwater rescueSwiftwater rescue is a subset of technical rescue dealing in whitewater river conditions. Due to the added pressure of moving water, swiftwater rescue involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes and mechanical advantage systems that are often much more robust than those used in standard...
teams to cover the river valleys, bluffs, and ravines found in many cities. Teams specializing in the rescue of persons from collapsed structures and other entrapments (Heavy Urban Search and Rescue) are also being formed in major urban centres across Canada. See HUSAR and Toronto Police Marine unit.
- Volunteer search and rescue organizations frequently assist the primary police agency responding by providing the large amount of manpower necessary for a search, as well as specialized expertise, equipment, and local knowledge. The Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) is the national body representing ground and inland water SAR volunteers in Canada.
National SAR Secretariat
Following the Ocean RangerOcean Ranger
Ocean Ranger was a semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit that sank in Canadian waters on 15 February 1982. It was drilling an exploration well in the Grand Banks area, east of St. John's, Newfoundland, for Mobil Oil of Canada, Ltd. with 84 crew members on board when it sank...
disaster, one of the key recommendations resulting from the Royal Commission of Inquiry was that a national coordinating authority be established.
The National Search and Rescue Secretariat
National Search and Rescue Secretariat
The National Search and Rescue Secretariat is an independent agency of the Government of Canada.It was established in 1986 as one of the recommendations resulting from the Royal Commission of Enquiry into the Ocean Ranger disaster....
(NSS) is an independent agency of government, reporting to the LMSAR, and supports and promotes the activities of the National SAR Program (NSP) as a means to achieve highly effective and economically responsible search and rescue programs throughout Canada.
Provincial/Territorial Breakdown
In addition to the federal air and marine elements of the National Search and Rescue Program, each province and territory has developed its own Emergency Management programs to facilitate ground and inland water search and rescue within their jurisdictions. The police, aided by trained volunteers, respond to SAR incidents in the provinces and territories. Mutual aid is common, however, between all partners in the National Search and Rescue Program.British Columbia
The British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
Provincial Emergency Program
Provincial Emergency Program
The Provincial Emergency Program is a division of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Emergency Management British Columbia, Canada. PEP works with local governments and other provincial and federal agencies year round, providing coordination and support before, during and after...
, under the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, coordinates volunteer ground and inland water search and rescue throughout the province. Local police, including the RCMP, are the main organizations responsible for responding to requests for ground and inland water SAR, with volunteer groups providing support for their local detachment. Civilian volunteer search and rescue is represented by the BC Search and Rescue Association, which represents the 93 registered search and rescue teams in the province.
Alberta
Emergency Management Alberta is responsible for disaster management and preparedness for the province of AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Their civilian volunteer organization is SAR Alberta
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Emergency Management Organization (SaskEMO) coordinates provincial government resources in support of ground search and rescue activities. Under a contract with the province, the RCMP is the primary organization responding to requests for ground and inland water SAR in SaskatchewanSaskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. The Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers represents the 21 civilian teams in the province.
Manitoba
ManitobaManitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
has the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization MEMO. In partnership with RCMP "D" Division, the Office of the Fire Commissioner has worked to create and support SAR networks in the province including 29 teams of trained volunteers.
Ontario
The Ontario Provincial Police is responsible for security and public safety in the province. This includes land and inland water search and rescue activities in Ontario. Ground SAR coordination is promoted through the Ontario SAR Advisory Council and carried out through Emergency Management Ontario. A number of volunteer organizations in the province provide SAR support to the OPP when requested. These teams are organized under the Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association (OSARVA), which is responsible for co-ordinating training and standards between the volunteer units, with oversight and accreditation coming from the OPP. Also within Ontario, volunteer SAR units are becoming specialized divisions within St. John Ambulance, leading to a more precise training structure, and cohesion and interoperability province-wide. The starting foundation for this unique implementation has been spearheaded with the London Search And Rescue Team also known as Division 1182 of St John Ambulance.Quebec
The Sûreté du Québec (Direction des mesures d'urgence) is the primary organization providing ground and inland water search and rescue services in Québec, under the authority of the Ministère de la Sûreté publique. QuébecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
also has a civil volunteer association called Association Quebeçoise des Bénévoles en Recherche et Sauvetage.
New Brunswick
The provincial Department of Municipalities, Culture and Housing is responsible for providing ground search and rescue services throughout the province through the Emergency Measures Organization. New BrunswickNew Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
is divided into 12 zones, each with an official volunteer ground SAR team, trained and organized by the New Brunswick Ground Search and Rescue Association
Prince Edward Island
The Emergency Measures Organization coordinates provincial government resources in support of ground search and rescue services. Under contract with the province, the RCMP, as the provincial police force, responds to requests for ground and inland water SAR in Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
but is assisted by the Prince Edward Island Ground Search and Rescue Association.
Nova Scotia
The Government of Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, with the assistance of the Emergency Measures Organization, leads search and rescue programs for the province. The civilian volunteer association is the Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Association. Under contract with the provincial Department of the Solicitor General, local police forces, including the RCMP, coordinate and assign resources as required. The EMO has an agreement to provide assistance to local police forces by providing air SAR support when required.
Newfoundland and Labrador
The responsibility for responding to requests for ground and inland water search and rescue in NewfoundlandNewfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
is shared by the RCMP and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is a police force in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It provides policing to the communities of St. John's and the Northeast Avalon Peninsula, Corner Brook, Churchill Falls, and Labrador City....
. Additional support is provided by volunteer teams tasked and trained by either the RCMP or RNC, depending on the jurisdiction. All provincial volunteer SAR teams are members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association, and registered with the Emergency Measures Organization, which represents the provincial Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.
Yukon
The Emergency Measures Organization coordinates the use of territorial government resources in support of search and rescue through the Emergency Measures Branch of the YukonYukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
government. The EMO also recruits volunteers and trains volunteer organizations in mountain and cliff rescues, as well as in other SAR techniques. The EMO has established permanent ground SAR societies in communities across the Yukon. These societies exist as independent organizations, have written agreements with the EMO, and are registered under the Societies Act. The RCMP, as the territorial police force, is the primary organization responding to requests for ground and inland water SAR in the Yukon. Each volunteer group is tasked by the RCMP and provides support to their local detachment.
Nunavut
The territorial government of NunavutNunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
is responsible for providing search and rescue services on land and inland waters through the RCMP. The Government of Nunavut has mandated the RCMP to respond to requests for ground and inland water SAR in the territory. Because of the vast size of Nunavut, with a small and widely distributed population, some SAR emergencies are handled by local authorities as well as trained community volunteer teams.
Northwest Territories
The government of the Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
maintains the Emergency Management Organization, and much like Nunavut, are served by a number of Emergency Management Organizations distributed at the population centres in the territory.