Canadian Search and Rescue Program

Last Update: October 2006 Events Calendar

Overview The Canadian Air Force has a proud responsibility for search and rescue in Canada, yet it never goes alone in this important task. It draws support from the Canadian Coast Guard and from a vast network of civil and government organizations, volunteers and other agencies. To understand the search and rescue story is to realize what sets this complex system in motion and guides its many parts. It begins with a distress call to one of the three Joint Rescue Coordination Centres (JRCCs) staffed by military and Coast Guard personnel or to one of the two Maritime Rescue Sub-Centres (MRSCs) staffed by Coast Guard personnel whose areas of responsibility include: Canadian JRCC Areas JRCC Victoria covers all of B.C., the Yukon and reaches out over 1200 kms into the Pacific Ocean; JRCC Trenton covers 7 million square kms from the Alberta-B.C. border east to Quebec City and from the Canada-US border to the North Pole; JCC Halifax blankets nearly 5 million square kms, including the inhospitable waters of the North Atlantic; MRSC Laurentians, in Quebec City handles maritime incidents on the Federal navigational waters between Ontario and the mouth of the Gulf of St-Lawrence; and MRSC Newfoundland, in St-John's handles maritime incidents within the surrounding shores of Newfoundland and Labrador and extending further offshore Eastward into the North Atlantic. To put these areas in perspective, let's take a look at these Canadian SAR regions with some recognizable European countries! Geographical Comparison of European Countries and Canada Once the JRCC/MRSC has verified that the call is a genuine emergency, the well-practiced machine swings into action. The next stage is swift and decisive, with the JRCC/MRSC tasking the appropriate resources. If it's a maritime emergency, the Canadian Coast Guard and its Auxiliary volunteers are mobilized. If it's an aeronautical emergency, the air force is called into action, as can the many volunteers of the Canadian Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA). Within minutes of an alarm being sounded, the crews are briefed, search areas assigned and the search and rescue teams are dispatched to the scene to find, administer medical attention, and rescue the victims. Searches that previously would have required days of effort are now being solved within a few hours with the help of satellites. Since 1982, the COSPAS-SARSAT system has been used to detect signals from emergency radio beacons of Aircraft, ships or people in trouble. The satellites relay these signals to receiving ground stations which forward the information to the appropriate Mission Control Centre (MCC). They, in-turn, process the information and forward it to the appropriate JRCC for action. Roots In 1986, the Federal government of Canada directed the establishment of a National Search and Rescue Program (NSP).  The NSP is a cooperative effort by federal, provincial and municipal governments along with private SAR organizations. The key focus is to save lives by enhancing SAR prevention and provide effective and affordable SAR services. Objective The NSP's objective is to prevent loss of life and injury through search and rescue alerting, responding and aiding activities using public and private resources.  Where possible, resonable efforts will be made to minimize damage or loss of property.  Through preventive measures focused on owners and operators most commonly involved in SAR incidents the NSP will attempt to reduce the number and severity of SAR incidents. The Canadian SAR system is responsible to search for survivors of SAR incidents.  A search will continue untill JRCC is convinced that there is no longer any hope of finding survivors in the search area, and that every reasonable effort has been expended and that all leads have been exhausted.    CASARA members from across Canada are proud volunteers in the national SAR effort... So that others may live!  For more information ... http://www.dnd.ca/menu/SAR/eng/sar/index.htm Top