Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) is a volunteer marine rescue service that saves lives and promotes public recreational boating safety throughout the coastal and some inland waters of the province of British Columbia and is associated with the national organization of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.[1]

Royal Canadian Marine
Search and Rescue
Motto"Saving Lives on the Water"
Formation1978
HeadquartersHeadquarters and Training Centre
Location
  • East Sooke, BC
Volunteers
About 1,000
Websitehttp://www.rcmsar.com/

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 RCMSAR, effective May 2012. The Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Inc., became the legal name of the organization in 2017.[2]

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).[3]

RCMSAR Unit 14 patrolling British Columbia pacific waters

Operations

About 1,000 volunteers operate more than 30 rescue stations on the west coast and in the British Columbia interior in support of federal marine search and rescue and provincial emergency management mandates. Collectively they respond to an average of about 800 missions per year, or about a third of all marine emergencies in B.C. A small paid staff at the RCMSAR Headquarters and Training Centre near Victoria supports operations, training and volunteer members. RCMSAR receives funding for missions and on-water training from the Canadian Coast Guard through a Contribution Agreement in support of the Coast Guard's marine search and rescue mandate. Funding is provided by the Province of British Columbia through Community Gaming Grants for vessels and equipment. RCMSAR also welcomes corporate and private donations. In 2017, RCMSAR signed a memorandum of understanding with the Province of British Columbia to allow local authorities and provincial agencies to request assistance from RCMSAR directly in times of emergency specifically related to their jurisdictions. Marine search and rescue in federal waters remains RCMSAR's core operation and primary support function. In 2017, RCMSAR also signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a relationship with the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group for the purpose of training and operational collaboration.

Resources

Equipment

RCMSAR is equipped with a variety of vessels ranging from rigid hull inflatables to large enclosed-cabin waterjet-powered boats. RCMSAR also operates a training simulator featuring a full-scale enclosed cabin vessel, large screen, digital projectors and sound. The simulator mirrors RCMSAR's "Brewin" vessel used for on-water training.

Vessels[4]

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 Fast Rescue Craft

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[5]

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 - Lax Kwa´laams
  • Station 70 - Hartley Bay
  • Station 74 - Gitxaala

SAR Prevention
  • Station 103 - Vancouver
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See also

References
  1. "General Information".
  2. "Search and rescue boathouse deal will boost capability". Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. Peninsula News. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  3. "Our History". Rcmsar.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  4. "Our Vessels". Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
  5. "Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue". Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
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