Strategic Directions 2005 - 2009
National Search and Rescue Program

Introduction

Search and Rescue in Canada has been and will continue to be a service drawing on the resources and capabilities of various levels of government, the private sector and volunteers in order to prevent tragedies and quickly, effectively and economically respond to the needs of Canadians in distress. From prevention programs which target potential 'at risk' populations at a local, provincial/territorial, regional or national level, to response activities employing resources from any and all of these jurisdictions, Canada's size, topography and climate make cooperation and collaboration essential to the success of our search and rescue program.

This Strategic Directions document is offered as a means by which the federal government may move forward. It provides direction for a five-year cycle, which will be reviewed annually and amended when required, to promote future internal and external cooperation and collaboration. Implementing these directions will require a new way of working. This document recognizes that the actions of one jurisdiction often have significant effects on other jurisdictions, and that interdependence requires a commitment to inform and consult. For the people who work in the SAR community, it will mean adjusting to working in a much more open rather than closed environment-working in concert with their colleagues from other jurisdictions.

What unites those behind the vision of the National SAR Program is the desire to see the benefits delivered in the near future. There is consensus that better cooperation and collaboration between organizations and an increased level of public safety is attainable.

This report, the first of its kind, specifies the Strategic Directions which will guide federal SAR Departments and Agencies from the current to the future business environment.

VISION: TOWARDS A SEAMLESS SAR SYSTEM

A Canada where the critical importance of Search and Rescue is reflected in a multi-jurisdictional approach to promoting individual, collective and organizational behaviours that minimize the risk of injury or loss of life while maintaining timely and effective response services.

Strategic Planning

The following National SAR Objectives set the broad framework for the desired end-state for search and rescue activities in Canada and the intervening objectives towards which federal SAR activities will be applied as the federal contribution towards realizing the Seamless SAR Vision.

Strategic Directions

The following Strategic Directions, which will guide federal SAR Departments and Agencies from the current to the future business environment, were developed from issues identified in the Environmental Scan, a summary of the key trends and issues having an impact on the National Search and Rescue Program.

The Interdepartmental Committee on Search and Rescue (ICSAR) has identified four areas to focus efforts upon in coming years, in addition to managing ongoing activities. These areas form an integral part of the strategic plan. They will assist ICSAR to both plan and report on the results of the work to be undertaken.

Direction 1
Seamless SAR

Individual departments, agencies and organizations each have defined levels of service, roles, responsibilities and capabilities independent of each other. In order to move closer to the vision of "Seamless SAR", it is essential that the prevention and response activities of all stakeholders are aligned in a complementary manner, without unnecessary overlap. Ideally, each department, agency and organization will need to identify its capabilities and plans. This information can then be used by SAR related organizations to increase harmonization of existing activities and to undertake collaborative projects that exceed the resources of a single organization.

ICSAR will continue to develop relationships and build lasting partnerships with provincial, territorial, volunteer and other organizations involved in SAR. To develop these partnerships successfully, ICSAR will need to create new mechanisms, or modify existing ones, in order to integrate new players in the management of the National SAR Program.

To this end, ICSAR will promote this issue through the development and promotion of multi-jurisdictional exercises and the development of training standards that could be applied to the National SAR community. ICSAR will also, in cooperation with other stakeholders such as Industry Canada, work toward the adoption of standards to facilitate interagency radio communications amongst SAR responders.

Further, ICSAR will promote knowledge generation and the development of improved SAR related data and information sharing in order to provide SAR managers with better intelligence to improve their decision making ability.

Direction 2
Marine SAR

Canada has both domestic and international responsibility for the provision of SAR services, which is shared between federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions. The federal government is responsible for maritime Search and Rescue as provided under International Maritime Organization (IMO) Agreements which encompass 15 million square kilometres of open sea, and in Canadian waters of the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence System and waters falling within National Parks. Over 75% of federal SAR responses relate to Marine incidents and all six ICSAR departments play a significant role with respect to Marine SAR Prevention or Response. Provincial and territorial jurisdictions provide SAR services in all other inland lakes and rivers.

Canadian Joint Rescue Coordination Centres (JRCCs) respond to an average of approximately 6000 cases of Marine SAR each year. Over 60% of all marine incidents are related to recreational boating while approximately 23% of all marine incidents involve fishing vessels.

Recreational boating includes all non-commercial marine activities involving the use of watercraft. These include the following: power boats, jet skis, sailing vessels, sail/kite boards, paddle boats, row boats, canoes, kayaks, inflatable rafts and other craft.

Given the high number of Marine incidents each year and the associated risks of cold water immersion prevalent for most of the year, it is critical that the Marine component of the Federal SAR Program operate effectively and efficiently. Particular attention will focus on addressing the number of recreational boating and fishing vessel incidents. Federal and Provincial/Territorial SAR departments and non-governmental organizations are working individually and jointly on a wide range of prevention related activities. ICSAR will commit greater efforts to coordinating and promoting such activities.

Direction 3
The North

Canada's north is a vast, sparsely populated and very hostile environment. Territorial efforts to increase tourism and resource extraction activities will result in increasing numbers of travellers in the north. The government of Canada recently announced the creation of new National Parks in the north which will also attract tourists. Global warming will open previously frozen routes in the Arctic, leading to increased navigation. Further, the economic benefit of flying via polar routes is increasing the number of aircraft in Arctic airspace.

This increase in northern activities increases the risk of SAR incidents. In addition, SAR response can be seriously impeded by meteorological conditions, distance, poor radio communications and sparse surface conditions information. Taken together, these factors suggest there is a need to determine whether plans and resources are appropriate to current and projected levels of risk, as well as to identify what can be done to mitigate these risks.

Identification of the specific types and levels of SAR risk requires a thorough and integrated examination of northern activity:

• Air traffic patterns
• Tourism plans and trends of both governments and industry
• Infrastructure
• Communications
• Resource levels and capabilities of all SAR related departments and organizations

A comprehensive review that addresses the above factors should identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing infrastructure development plans and SAR related plans/procedures, and provide recommendations for risk reduction.

Key to the development of a successful approach to this issue will be the development of lasting partnerships with northern stakeholders, particularly with Territorial governments and Aboriginal peoples.

Direction 4
Volunteers

Volunteers play a critical role in the delivery of the National Search and Rescue Program. Numbering more than 21,000 and bringing with them millions of dollars in assets such as vessels, aircraft and SAR equipment, volunteers contribute significantly to achieving both the prevention and response objectives associated with the vision of Seamless National SAR. The coordinated interaction of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA), the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) and the many ground SAR groups with Federal and Provincial SAR resources is essential to the effective delivery of air, land and marine SAR in all provinces and territories.

Federal funding limitations, socio-economic changes and demographic shifts in Canada have the potential to place these valuable resources at risk. Long-standing budgetary restrictions in Federal departments combined with increasing operational costs may seriously affect the level of availability and effectiveness of federal response and prevention resources. The aging of the Canadian population, as well as other competing commitments, may lead to a reduction in the number of volunteers able to cope with the physical demands of SAR.

The Government of Canada and Canada's voluntary sector, in recognition that a vibrant voluntary component is an essential element in building stronger and more vigorous communities, signed 'An Accord Between the Government of Canada and the Voluntary Sector' in 2001. The Accord spells out the values, principles and commitments that will underlie future relationships between the federal government and volunteer organizations. The long-term objective of the Voluntary Sector Initiative (VSI) is to strengthen the capacity of volunteers to meet the challenges of the future, to enhance their relationship with the federal government, and to increase their ability to serve Canadians.

ICSAR departments, in recognition of the value of volunteers and in keeping with the principles of the Accord, will continue to:

• Seek new ways to promote the sustainability and viability of volunteer SAR groups
• Improve volunteer access to new technologies
• Increase recognition of volunteers among the public and private sectors
• Support the development of harmonized training standards that will assist volunteers in responding to SAR incidents.

Conclusion

The directions found in this document will require varying degrees of investment and commitment to deliver the expected benefits. It is recognized that financial resources are finite and that individual departments and agencies have specific accountabilities for a range of programs. It should be noted though, that investments are being made today by various jurisdictions on an individual basis. Even if each agency were to undertake research and development and buy the most sophisticated technologies available for their own jurisdiction, without a sustained effort to integrate equipment and skill sets with those of other jurisdictions across the SAR community - unless the bridges are built - the full benefits and returns on those investments would not be realized. The federal government needs to make essential improvements which will benefit the National Search and Rescue Program and build the capacity for Seamless SAR.