Business Plan - Canadian Coast Guard

Section 4: What We Do Every Day38Search and Rescue ServicesCanada is a maritime nation bounded by three oceanswhose population and economy make significant useof waterways for commercial and recreational use. Themarine environment can be dangerous, and CCG is animportant player in responding to emergencies that occuron water.The federal Search and Rescue (SAR) program is acooperative effort by federal, provincial, and municipalgovernments. CCG’s SAR program, in conjunctionwith the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, leads,delivers, and maintains preparedness for the 5.3 millionsquare kilometre maritime2008-2009 AccomplishmentsSearch and Rescue Services• Implemented a new five-yearContribution Agreement with theCCG Auxiliary.• Completed the Search and RescueNeeds Analysis.What we do…component of the federalSAR system. Throughdistress monitoring,communication, and searchand rescue activities, theCCG SAR program increasesthe chances of rescue forpeople caught in dangerouson-water situations.• Coordinate and manage the response to marine SARcases, rescuing close to 2,900 people a year acrossCanada and supporting the protection of human lifeat sea;• Assist the Department of National Defence (DND)with aeronautical and humanitarian cases;• Operate in-shore rescue boats during the summerseason; and• Manage partnerships, which are essential for theefficient coordination of activities.The Search and Rescue program is delivered with thesupport of:• CCG Fleet, which operates a total of 116 multitaskedvessels, all with SAR responsibilities.• A partnership with DND, which is the leaddepartment for the coordination of all aeronauticaland marine SAR and is responsible for the threeJoint Rescue Coordination Centres (JRCCs), whichare located in Halifax, Trenton, and Victoria andstaffed by both DND and CCG personnel. CCGoperates two Marine Rescue Sub-Centres (MRSCs),in St. John’s and Quebec City, which report to aJoint Rescue Coordination Centre.• A partnership with the CCG Auxiliary, the CCGAuxiliary consists of some 4,300 volunteers using1,200 vessels that are either individually owned boatsor community vessels. They respond to approximatelyone-quarter of all marine SAR cases.Looking Forward…Continuous effort to ensure efficient partnershipsis essential to the future of the SAR program. Inaddition, the program needs to be constantly aware ofinnovations in technologies and management practicesthat can support more efficient operations. Changingdemographics and economic activities will also impactSAR needs across the country.To achieve thisresult…• Preventionof loss of lifeand injuryProvides theseservices…• SAR co-ordinationand response **To achieve thisresult…• Search and rescuealerting, respondingand aiding activitiesusing public andprivate resources. **Search and Rescue ServicesMeasured thisway…• Percentage oflives saved vslives at-riskWith these targets…• 90% overall; this figurerepresents an operationalbenchmark, while thetarget — althoughoperationally unattainable —is that CCG saves 100%of lives at riskSearch and Rescue Services – CCGMeasuredthis way…*• Percentage of primarySAR vessels meetingreaction time of 30minutes or less formaritime incidentsMeasured thisway…*• Number of peopleassisted by MaritimeSAR Program, i.e.people who were not ina distress situation butrequired assistance* These are the performance indicators in the CCG PerformanceMeasurement Framework.** In accordance with Levels of Service and Service Standards(www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca).With thesetargets…• 99%With thesetargets…• Benchmark of13,142 based onaverage of lastfour yearsCanadian Coast Guard — www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca