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1992 Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Assistant Auditor General: Len McGimpsey
Responsible Auditor: Douglas Timmins

Main Points

8.1 "Search and rescue" involves looking for and aiding people in distress. Although individuals are primarily responsible for their own safety, all levels of government, as well as members of the public, respond when people are in distress.

8.2 The times and locations of distress situations are not predictable, and no amount of resources can guarantee that all people will be saved. The federal government has located search and rescue resources at selected sites to respond to marine incidents in international and coastal waters and to air incidents. Other federal and non-federal resources are expected to, and do, respond to incidents in other areas. For air and marine incidents that are a federal responsibility, the federal government co-ordinates the response of all available resources.

8.3 Timeliness of response, which usually depends on the proximity of rescue resources to incidents, is a critical factor in saving people in distress. Our review of the reported air and marine distress incidents for 1989 and 1990 noted that even in areas where federal search and rescue resources were available, other resources often performed the rescue because they were closer to the scene.

8.4 The federal search and rescue system provides a reasonable response delivered by limited federal resources, volunteer groups and other resources. Federal resources play a key role in co-ordinating the response in air and marine incidents, but our analysis of distress incidents shows that federal search and rescue vessels and aircraft were instrumental in incident resolution less than 20 percent of the time. The search and rescue vessels of the Canadian Coast Guard played a key role in 12 percent of the reported marine distress incidents. The search and rescue aircraft of the Canadian Forces played a key role in 26 percent of the air and 3 percent of the marine distress incidents reported.

8.5 The requirement for federal search and rescue resources has the potential to be reduced by expanding the use of other federal and non-federal resources, such as the Canadian Marine Rescue Auxiliary.

8.6 Search and rescue patrol vessels often provide towing service to vessels requiring assistance. They provided critical assistance to a distress incident in the offshore area in one case. It should be possible to ensure that virtually the same extent of response for such incidents would be maintained by using other government vessels and vessels of opportunity, which are required to respond to distress incidents.

8.7 Information necessary to determine the need for search and rescue resources and alternatives for providing search and rescue services is incomplete.

8.8 Service standards, specifying a standard timeframe for resources to reach the incident site, have not been developed. Performance in relation to such standards should be used to assess the appropriateness of the location and extent of resources and, where applicable, the need to change the standards.

Introduction

8.9 "Search and rescue", as defined by the federal government, "comprises the search for and the provision of aid to persons, ships or other craft that are, or are feared to be, in distress or imminent danger." Search and rescue activities also include efforts to prevent the occurrence of such events.

8.10 Canada's population is widely dispersed throughout its vast, rugged and varied terrain. The coasts are exposed to the full effect of storms off the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans, and our inland bodies of water are among the largest in the world. The Canadian Rockies and Canadian Shield overlie much of the land mass. Our weather involves extreme cold in winter and significant levels of annual precipitation, often aggravated by wind, fog, fire and avalanche conditions. It is not surprising that incidents occur that require search and rescue operations.

8.11 Individuals are primarily responsible for their own safety and for not endangering others. Nevertheless, when dangerous and life-threatening situations arise, assistance is often required. In many cases, private citizens provide assistance. All levels of government also maintain resources to be able to respond to people in distress.

8.12 Provincial, territorial and municipal governments, usually through their police forces, are responsible for the search for and rescue of persons who are missing or in distress on land or inland waters.

8.13 The federal government has established a program to provide search and rescue services to:

  • aircraft using Canadian airspace and part of the international airspace over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as specified in the Convention on International Civil Aviation;
  • vessels using the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and the Canadian waters, and parts of the international waters, of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans as specified in the International Conventions for Safety of Life at Sea, on the High Seas, and on Maritime Search and Rescue; and
  • users of our national parks.
8.14 The search and rescue activities of the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments are referred to in the Department of National Defence Part III of the Estimates as the National Search and Rescue Program. The objective of the program is to save lives by enhancing search and rescue prevention and the provision throughout Canada's accepted area of responsibility of effective and affordable search and rescue services. In providing search and rescue services to marine and air incidents, federal resources are assisted by volunteers, the private sector and other levels of government. In the context of the above, the objective of the federal element is to prevent loss of life and injury through search and rescue alerting, responding and aiding activities, which use public and private resources, including, where possible and directly related thereto, reasonable efforts to minimize damage or loss of property; and by ensuring appropriate priority to aviation and marine safety measures focussed on owners and operators most commonly involved in search and rescue incidents.

Background

8.15 The Department of National Defence (DND) co-ordinates federal search and rescue activities through Rescue Co-ordination Centres located in Halifax, Trenton, Edmonton, and Victoria. In addition, the Department provides 11 fixed-wing aircraft and 13 helicopters, which are primarily used for response to air and marine search and rescue incidents (see Exhibit 8.1 ). These resources are established and equipped for search and rescue operations and manned by search and rescue trained crews. Other DND air and marine resources are secondary search and rescue resources, which respond to search and rescue non-distress incidents when available and distress incidents when required.

8.16 The Department of Transport provides an air and a marine communications network to detect distress radio signals and to provide a communications capability for safety, search and rescue and other purposes with aircraft and vessels at sea. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) also provides primary marine search and rescue response through a fleet of 42 search and rescue vessels and 27 seasonal inshore rescue boats (see Exhibit 8.2 ). The balance of its fleet of vessels and aircraft is involved in search and rescue as a secondary role. The Coast Guard also operates the marine rescue sub-centres in Quebec City and St. John's, Newfoundland, and provides marine controllers at three of the Rescue Co-ordination Centres. The Coast Guard controllers are primarily involved in co-ordinating marine search and rescue response.

8.17 These arrangements enable Canada to fulfil its air and marine search and rescue obligations under international conventions to:

  • monitor air and marine distress calling frequencies for distress calls and provide the capability to conduct safety and search and rescue communications;
  • arrange for the establishment and provision of 24-hour search and rescue services to specific areas;
  • co-ordinate and arrange for provision of adequate search and rescue services around the sea coast;
  • designate, as rescue units, elements of public or private services suitably located and equipped for search and rescue; and
  • abide by other international standards and recommended practices in the provision of search and rescue services for aircraft and vessels.
8.18 A "search and rescue incident" is recorded when the federal resources in the search and rescue system are alerted. An incident is classified as a "distress incident" when there is reasonable certainty of people being in imminent danger and requiring immediate assistance. There were 1,800 air search and rescue incidents recorded in 1989 and 1990. Of these, 326 were recorded by the Rescue Co-ordination Centres as distress incidents. There were 14,361 marine search and rescue incidents recorded over the same period. Of these, 1,594 were recorded by the Rescue Co-ordination Centres as distress incidents.

8.19 In addition to the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard, volunteers, commercial operators, members of the public and other levels of government and federal departments, all make a contribution in the provision of search and rescue. One organization that is involved in many of these distress and non-distress incidents is the Canadian Marine Rescue Auxiliary (CMRA). Under Canadian Coast Guard direction, the Auxiliary was established in 1979 to provide co-ordinated volunteer assistance in marine search and rescue incidents, particularly where Canadian Coast Guard vessels were not in proximity, and to aid in the prevention of incidents. The CMRA participated in 3,762 incidents, distress and non-distress, in 1989 and 1990. More recently, in 1986, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association was formed to provide similar co-ordinated volunteer assistance related to air incidents. Further, 14 Department of Fisheries and Oceans vessels provide support to the search and rescue program as a secondary role. In the fiscal year 1989-90, these vessels were involved in 184 incidents, while the remainder of its fleet was involved in an additional 115 incidents.

8.20 The federal search and rescue system has been developed over the years to deal with Canada's large area of search and rescue responsibility. A reasonable response is provided through limited federal resources, assisted by volunteer groups developed over the years and by other resources. In comparison, the United States has normally less severe weather conditions, more federal resources available and less volunteer involvement.

8.21 The main users of federal search and rescue resources are people engaged in marine and air activities, such as recreational boating or flying and commercial shipping or fishing. There are currently more than two million recreational boats, 20,000 registered fishing vessels and 7,760 registered commercial shipping vessels in Canada, a significant portion of which are in waters served by the federal government. In addition, there are approximately 28,000 aircraft, including 1,440 helicopters, registered in Canada. The large number of foreign vessels and aircraft that travel through Canada's area of responsibility also rely on the Canadian search and rescue system.

8.22 The operating expenditures for federal search and rescue activities are about $200 million annually, the majority of which is to provide federal primary search and rescue resources. Total federal search and rescue resources have a replacement value of more than $1.5 billion, about $1 billion for the Department of National Defence and about $360 million for the Canadian Coast Guard, which excludes $185 million for the equivalent cost of patrol vessels where such vessels have been decommissioned and patrolling operations have been continued through other Canadian Coast Guard vessels.

8.23 The federal search and rescue resources also respond to requests for humanitarian aid or assistance to civil authorities. Most of the 1,564 such incidents in 1989 and 1990 were the responsibility of provincial and local authorities. However, some involved the evacuation of people from vessels because of medical emergencies. Although these incidents did not involve searches, federal resources were expected to, and did, respond to these incidents, which are considered distresses under international convention. Federal search and rescue resources, mainly helicopters, responded to 145 of these incidents. We have included the time spent on all these incidents in our review of the hours of utilization of federal search and rescue resources.

Audit Scope and Criteria

8.24 This audit focussed on the federal search and rescue activities, particularly the operation of federal resources used to aid people in distress. We also reviewed the management of the National Search and Rescue Program. Exhibit 8.3 shows the scope of our examination.

8.25 In carrying out our audit, we expected to find that the federal search and rescue program would be planned, controlled and monitored in such a manner as to contribute to the prevention of loss of life or injury. In this regard, we expected to find that search and rescue services were delivered with due regard to economy and efficiency.

8.26 The provincial and municipal search and rescue activities were not audited, although their impact on federal activities was given consideration. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were not audited because their search and rescue activities are generally carried out on behalf of provincial authorities. Activities in the national parks were also excluded because they are not a major portion of the federal expenditures.

8.27 For our review of search and rescue prevention activities, our focus was on the regulation, enforcement and promotion of safe operation for small vessels. Large commercial and fishing vessel safety, examined by our Office in 1989, and aviation safety were not reviewed in this audit.

8.28 The Department of National Defence helicopter replacement project, which was in the planning phase at the time of our audit, was reviewed in relation to its potential impact on federal search and rescue resources.

Observations

Previously Proposed Solutions Have Not Been Fully Implemented

Significant elements of a National Search and Rescue Program have not been developed
8.29 There have been several studies on the organization, mandate and interdepartmental co-ordination of federal search and rescue activities. These studies include the 1976 Report to the Treasury Board on the Interdepartmental Review of Marine Search and Rescue, the 1982 Report to the Cabinet on an Evaluation of Search and Rescue and the 1985 Report of the Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster. These reports made numerous detailed recommendations to improve the management of and accountability for search and rescue. As an overall solution, both the 1982 Evaluation and the 1985 Royal Commission reports recommended the establishment of a National Search and Rescue Program with roles for federal, provincial and local authorities and participation by the private sector and members of the public, and the creation of an organization, independent of the delivery departments, to design and manage this program.

8.30 In 1986, the Minister of National Defence was reaffirmed as having authority and accountability for the co-ordination of the National Search and Rescue Program. The National Search and Rescue Secretariat was given responsibility for the development of the program. Delivery departments, in particular the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard, were to be accountable for the delivery of the federal element of the program in accordance with approved levels of service.

8.31 Volunteers and other levels of government do participate in search and rescue activities. Nevertheless, to fully implement a National Search and Rescue Program, as endorsed by Cabinet, other levels of government need to be more fully integrated into the program. Other aspects of the program not yet implemented include agreement on a national policy, a management information system, and service standards needed for effective management.

8.32 The Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster identified the principal approaches for providing search and rescue services. These approaches range from a "dedicated rescue service", which would require full support by federal resources, to "response when all else fails", which might not require any federal search and rescue resources. The appropriate approach within this range has not yet been clearly identified as a basis for determining the required level of federal search and rescue resources.

8.33 Major computer-based projects for policy research and for operational and management information, costing more than $4 million, have not been successfully implemented. A level of service initiative has been underway for several years, but no agreement has been reached on ways of measuring levels of service, let alone the standards or targets that should be achieved.

8.34 Although the federal government is expected to respond to people in distress, it does not, and could not be expected to, provide all search and rescue response. Volunteers, the public, or provincial or other jurisdictions are expected to, and often do, provide the resources necessary to carry out a rescue. Our review has indicated that although the federal search and rescue resources were often called upon first in search and rescue incidents, they did not carry out the actual rescue for most distress incidents, because other resources closer to the scene were able to.

8.35 The recommendations of the 1982 Evaluation of Search and Rescue and the Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster, as well as subsequent directions arising from these reports, directed federal search and rescue activities towards greater integration, more extensive management planning, more examination of trade-offs and increased prevention efforts. Some of these recommendations and policy directions have not been achieved to date. As a result, opportunities still exist to deliver search and rescue more economically and efficiently through the greater use of volunteers and other resources and through more use of other federal resources. These opportunities warrant further consideration.

8.36 Despite efforts and recent agreement on the roles and responsibilities of federal participants, much more needs to be done in the development of the National Search and Rescue Program. A truly national program would rely on a combination of federal and other resources in program delivery. The provincial and other jurisdictions responsible for land and inland water search and rescue services would have to play a significant role in the development and delivery of a national program. In view of the lack of progress, legislation may be required to set out the objectives and principles of the program and to provide for the establishment of arrangements with provincial and other jurisdictions as to responsibility for providing search and rescue resources. To be effective, the program requires a process that would facilitate and encourage the co-operation and co-ordination of all participants.

8.37 All departments and agencies involved in search and rescue should accelerate efforts to reach agreement on the principles of the National Search and Rescue Program and should develop applicable legislation, if required.

Interdepartmental response: The federal participants with responsibilities for search and rescue have agreed on the objectives and principles of the National Search and Rescue Program as published in the National Search and Rescue Program Concept, which was approved by the Interdepartmental Committee on Search and Rescue (ICSAR) on 17 October 1991 and signed by the Lead Minister for Search and Rescue on 25 February 1992, and on the federal search and rescue activities as stated in the Roles and Responsibilities Documents approved by the Interdepartmental Committee on Search and Rescue on 9 April 1992. Development of applicable legislation is not required at this time.

Service standards are lacking
8.38 One of the major recommendations of previous studies concerned the development of service standards. Service standards should be based on need and indicate the extent to which available resources should be able to respond to incidents and provide assistance within a specified period of time. The 1982 Evaluation of Search and Rescue stated that there was no policy on required service standards for search and rescue in Canada and that standards would be valuable for determining resource needs, showing the public the amount of self-help expected and providing the basis for performance measurement. The Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster also identified service standards as a key accountability tool for delivery departments.

8.39 The Canadian Coast Guard monitors performance against effectiveness goals that state, depending on the severity of the incident, a percentage of lives that are expected to be saved. Neither the Coast Guard nor DND have established service standards that cover all the time elements of search and rescue response. Both have established a standard for the readiness time element only. DND search and rescue aircraft are expected to be able to take off within 30 minutes of notification during normal working hours and two hours otherwise. The Coast Guard search and rescue vessels are expected to be able to get underway within 30 minutes of notification when on stand-by.

8.40 Service standards need to be developed, taking into account such factors as transit time, weather, severity of incident (distress or non-distress), need for search, and speed of notification. Changes in the average number of distress incidents in a location could also be a factor in establishing service standards. For less populated areas, where there are fewer incidents, federal search and rescue resources are not nearby, and thus the response time from these resources would be longer. Other resources often perform rescues in these locations. As a result, and given that operators of aircraft and vessels have the basic responsibility for carrying out their own activities safely, federal search and rescue resources should not be expected to be available to meet all needs.

8.41 The United States Coast Guard has established a standard for federal resources to arrive at the scene within two hours of notification of an incident. The two-hour timeframe includes time for getting ready, travelling to the area and locating the scene. Adherence to this standard is monitored. The standard response time would not necessarily be the same in Canada because of differences in availability of resources, weather and distances to be covered. Nevertheless, the United States example indicates that service standards can be established.

8.42 Each of the delivery departments should establish and use search and rescue service standards to:

(a) plan for resources;

(b) monitor the use of and need for resources; and

(c) indicate to the public the response standards to be expected of search and rescue resources.

Interdepartmental response: It is agreed that service standards capable of addressing the recommendation are required and both CCG and DND have developed service standards which satisfy their individual requirements. Departmental statements differ because of the inherent differences between air and marine search and rescue incidents, response requirements and geographical factors. DND and CCG remain unconvinced that time-based service standards as envisaged by the OAG would be beneficial or practical, as they do not provide a true indication of the search and rescue program's effectiveness.

Opportunities Exist to Improve Program Delivery

Federal search and rescue resources do not perform the rescue in most distress incidents
8.43 Out of the 1,800 air incidents to which the federal search and rescue service was alerted in 1989 and 1990, the Rescue Co-ordination Centres recorded 326 as distresses (see Exhibit 8.4 ). Our analysis indicated that federal primary search and rescue resources played a critical role in locating or rescuing in 86 of these distress incidents. It also indicated that the search and rescue technicians and the specialized equipment carried by these resources, such as hoists and survival kits, were used in 37 distress incidents.

8.44 Of the 14,361 marine incidents to which the federal search and rescue service was alerted in 1989 and 1990, 1,594 were recorded as distresses (see Exhibit 8.5 ). We examined the 916 of these marine distress incidents that involved federal search and rescue resources, and our analysis indicated that the Canadian Coast Guard resources played a critical role in locating or rescuing in 187 of these incidents. The Department of National Defence resources played a critical role in locating or rescuing in 48 marine distress incidents; they used specialized equipment in 23 of these. Search and rescue resources often participate in a search, even though they may not locate the scene or may not perform the rescue. This may be due to the nature of the incident or because others performed the rescue. In some cases, the federal search and rescue resources provided on-scene co-ordination of all the other resources participating in the search.

8.45 Our analyses were based only on the distress incidents to which the Rescue Co-ordination Centres were alerted. However, there are many distress situations to which they do not get alerted. Many air and marine accidents reported to the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board (CTAISB) were of a nature similar to distress incidents, but federal search and rescue resources were not alerted. Any response necessary in these air and marine accidents was provided by other resources.

Expanded use of volunteer and other resources should be pursued
8.46 Although all incidents, distress or non-distress, need to be resolved, not all require response. When response is required, proximity of resources to the scene is critical to saving people in distress. Current federal primary search and rescue resources are not able to provide a timely response in all distress situations. In 1989 and 1990, volunteer and other federal and non-federal resources played a critical role in five out of six marine distress incidents, often because of their proximity. In a country as vast as Canada, with the large number of incidents requiring response, the expanded use of such other resources could reduce the demand on and requirement for federal search and rescue resources.

8.47 With the assistance of the Canadian Coast Guard, the involvement of the Canadian Marine Rescue Auxiliary in search and rescue activities has grown, since its inception in 1979, to the point where the Auxiliary is now participating in about 25 percent of the marine incidents. The Coast Guard has, in a few locations, established the practice of loaning vessels to the Auxiliary for search and rescue service. Although it will take time and planning, there is the potential to expand the Auxiliary's role by increasing the reliance on volunteers and the number of loaned vessels.

8.48 Recent Coast Guard search and rescue capital resourcing decisions have not taken into consideration the availability of other resources such as the Auxiliary. For example, the information submitted regarding the decision to replace 15 lifeboats made no reference to the availability of other resources. Nor did this submission assess the continuing need for some of those lifeboats, which had not played a critical role in any distress incidents in recent years. Our analysis indicated that 4 of these 15 lifeboats had not performed the rescue in any distress incidents for 1989 and 1990. In addition, in one of the communities where a lifeboat replacement was planned, there were already several Auxiliary vessels and a police vessel. Also, the fire department planned to acquire a hovercraft. Further, there was only one distress incident in which this lifeboat performed the rescue for 1989 and 1990.

8.49 The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) was established in 1986 to provide co-ordinated volunteer assistance in searching and to aid in the prevention of air incidents. The volunteers of the Association participated 298 times in incidents in 1989 and 1990. DND has stated that there is potential for having more fixed-wing search activities conducted by CASARA. The Department needs to develop, in conjunction with the Association, a plan to ensure that this potential is achieved.

8.50 Other volunteer groups that have been set up to assist in searches on land or inland waters have been used in air and marine incidents under federal jurisdiction. There may be opportunities to rely more on these groups in the future. In addition, there are opportunities to rely more on chartered helicopters in search and rescue operations.

8.51 The Canadian Coast Guard and the Department of National Defence should continue to pursue the opportunities to increase the use of volunteers and other resources in search and rescue activities.

DND response: DND is extremely pleased with the development of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA). Canadian Forces search and rescue officials will continue to work closely with CASARA executives to achieve the full potential of the volunteer contribution to the Canadian search and rescue service.

Canadian Coast Guard response: Agreed. The Canadian Coast Guard will continue to support the use of volunteers in search and rescue activities, while keeping in mind the importance of adequate training and procedures.

The provision of search and rescue service with patrol vessels requires re-examination
8.52 Even with appropriate survival equipment, the typical limit of life expectancy in the vast majority of search and rescue incidents is less than six hours. Search and rescue patrol vessels (Types 600 and 500) can reach any location within an area of approximately 25,000 square miles in a six-hour period. Canada is responsible for providing marine search and rescue services over hundreds of thousands of square miles of ocean. The combined coverage of the search and rescue patrol vessels is only a small fraction of this and, in effect, only provides a few additional vessels at sea that may or may not be close enough to respond in time. ( see photograph )

8.53 The 1989 National Search and Rescue Secretariat offshore study noted that the Type 600 vessels had not been critical to saving any lives during the period 1983 to 1987. A 1992 Department of Transport program evaluation of search and rescue indicated that the costs of providing these vessels exceeded the benefit provided.

8.54 Our analysis indicated that the eight patrol vessels in service in 1989 and 1990 played a critical role in one distress incident offshore, although other resources were on-scene at the time. The patrol vessels did play a critical role in a number of incidents inshore during this period. In practice, patrol vessels perform as any other vessel at sea, in that they respond and play a critical role in distress incidents only when they are the closest resource. The patrol vessels were also used to respond to non-distress incidents, some of which the Coast Guard judged to have the potential to deteriorate into a distress situation if assistance were not provided. For the years under review, incidents of this type were not distinguished from other non-distresses. A revision to the classification of incidents is currently under way to provide this distinction.

8.55 The Coast Guard has implemented an overall fleet restructuring, which has reduced the size of the fleet. As part of this restructuring, the Coast Guard recently decommissioned two search and rescue patrol vessels and plans to decommission one of the five remaining patrol vessels. Search and rescue services in the ocean have remained unaffected, since other vessels from the overall fleet now carry out search and rescue patrols on a rotational basis.

8.56 If there were no search and rescue patrol vessels, distress situations would continue to be handled by aircraft as well as other government and non-government vessels which, in accordance with the "law of the sea", must respond to such incidents. It would be necessary to assess the risk of search and rescue incidents in particular areas at certain times of the year and to develop a plan to ensure that resources would be available if and when needed. For potential distress and other non-distress incidents, other government vessels should be able to provide the response required, since the nature of these situations normally does not call for as urgent a response. This would require some change in the current approach in order that other government vessels would respond to potential distresses on a priority basis when deemed appropriate.

8.57 The Canadian Coast Guard should consider the appropriateness of decommissioning all search and rescue patrol vessels and discontinuing search and rescue patrols.

Canadian Coast Guard response: Agreed. However, caution must be exercised so as not to jeopardize the effectiveness of the search and rescue response and the Coast Guard's capabilities in other program areas such as pollution response, which these units also support. It must also be noted that search and rescue missions are inherently dangerous, and the right capability in both people and equipment has a direct impact on distress resolution and saving life.

More use of other federal resources for search and rescue is possible
8.58 The Department of National Defence currently uses its fleet of Hercules fixed-wing aircraft in Edmonton to carry out search and rescue as well as air transport operations. One of the 14 Hercules aircraft is available for search and rescue on a continuous basis. This provides the advantage that fewer primary search and rescue aircraft are needed because back-up services are provided through the larger aircraft fleet. A similar approach has recently been adopted with Hercules fixed-wing aircraft in Trenton. The number of primary search and rescue fixed-wing aircraft have been reviewed, and a plan is being implemented to reduce them from 18 to 6.

8.59 There are a number of military helicopters assigned primarily to meet search and rescue operational and training requirements. At the time of our review, there were two Labrador helicopters in Comox used primarily for initial air crew training. Three Labradors were located at each of Comox, Trenton, Greenwood and Gander for search and rescue operations. On average, each operations helicopter flew 165 hours per year for search and rescue operations. ( see photograph )

8.60 Two helicopters at each base meet the majority of the search and rescue training allocation and operational requirements. A review of DND's predicted availability data indicated that to achieve a high probability of having one available, a third helicopter could be required for backup in the event of maintenance on the first two helicopters, for 22 days or approximately 30 operational flying hours per year. This third helicopter also provides additional training hours. However, the number of training hours is not determined solely based on standards. A more precise system of scheduling training and a more rigorous review of training hours allocated might allow DND to reduce training requirements.

8.61 In addition to its primary search and rescue helicopters, the Department of National Defence has 173 other helicopters at 14 different locations, many of which may be able to be used more for search and rescue activities. These helicopters include 34 Sea Kings, 9 Iroquois and 44 Twin Huey helicopters, which, although seldom used for search and rescue, have performed rescues in the past. In Canada, the Sea King helicopter is primarily used for naval purposes, although this type of helicopter is used by other countries for search and rescue. The Iroquois and three of the Twin Huey helicopters are designated as base rescue helicopters. The need for search and rescue rotary-wing aircraft has been met in the Edmonton region using chartered and secondary military helicopters rather than a three-helicopter search and rescue squadron.

8.62 The Department of National Defence recently announced plans to replace its existing naval and search and rescue fleets by acquiring 35 new naval helicopters and 15 new search and rescue helicopters, at an estimated cost of about $4.4 billion. The naval helicopters are being acquired partly on the basis of their capability to carry out a support role in search and rescue. The Department also plans to acquire 100 utility helicopters for other military purposes. It would appear that more use of other military helicopters for search and rescue is possible. In particular, the new naval helicopters will be useful in responding to marine incidents and the utility helicopters can be used for inland incidents. This, in conjunction with a review of training requirements and of ways of meeting those requirements, may lead to opportunities to reduce the number of primary search and rescue helicopters.

8.63 We also identified opportunities for increased utilization of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet and of other federal fleets. Search and rescue vessels, on average, spend about three percent of their available time responding to search and rescue incidents. In some communities, other Coast Guard vessels could handle these operations. For example, in the Western Region, three replacement marine emergency vessels that are being acquired may be able, in conjunction with other vessels in the area, to take on search and rescue responsibilities. In the Maritimes region, marine emergency response and search and rescue operations have already been integrated.

8.64 Vessels of other departments could also be used more to provide search and rescue services. In certain locations, this could eliminate the need for some Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue vessels. For example, on the Great Lakes, two Department of Fisheries and Oceans hydrographic launches support search and rescue activities as a secondary role. Program commitments need to be taken into account; however, with more use of the additional hydrographic launches, it is possible that one Coast Guard search and rescue vessel valued at more than $3 million could be decommissioned or used for other purposes.

8.65 Resource-sharing arrangements could also be developed with provincial and municipal jurisdictions to permit further fleet rationalization.

8.66 The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard should pursue the opportunities for increased use of other federal resources in providing search and rescue services.

DND response: The recent Canadian Forces search and rescue fleet rationalization review identified the opportunity to reduce the size of the Canadian Forces fixed-wing fleet based on an increased role for CASARA and other federal resources as well as an expanded operational role for the new search and rescue helicopter. Functions such as the demanding mountain search role, currently assigned, for the most part, to fixed-wing aircraft, will be performed primarily by the new search and rescue helicopter in the future. With this expanded rotary-wing mandate, there is a clear operational need to have at least three search and rescue helicopters at each search and rescue squadron from which to draw resources for search and rescue operations.

Owing to the demanding environment faced by operational search and rescue crews, training programs are carefully scrutinized and minimum training requirements are objectively established to ensure that all crew members are qualified and capable of operating safely. Should DND be able to reduce flying training hours in the future, the operational need for a minimum core search and rescue helicopter fleet would still remain.

Canadian Coast Guard response: Agreed. The Department currently and actively pursues the use of other federal and non-federal resources.

Performance information is lacking
8.67 Management needs performance information to make decisions on such matters as the resources required for service delivery, their location, the levels of service they can provide and the need for additional or better-focussed prevention efforts. Performance information should capture data necessary to manage the program, such as the nature of each incident, the time and type of response that resolved the incident, the location of the incident and the measurement of actual performance against service standards.

8.68 Previous studies have identified the need for better performance information. A joint DND/CCG team evaluating the search and rescue program concluded in 1980 that the existing statistics were inadequate to determine the need for search and rescue resources. The 1982 Evaluation of Search and Rescue identified problems in the definition and validity of data. It stated that there was no agreement among departments involved as to what information should be provided for performance measurement and program planning and that such agreement was required before an overall management information system could be developed.

8.69 In 1991, a $2-million effort to develop the Search and Rescue Information System (SARIS), a policy and operational information system started in 1986, was halted because a study of the project indicated that there was a lack of agreement and clarity in understanding the purpose of the system, a lack of procedures to ensure data integrity and inadequate system testing and training. A review is currently underway to determine if some of the operational information aspects of the system can be retained.

8.70 Throughout this period of system development, the Canadian Coast Guard maintained its incident data base. Although this system has weaknesses, it continues to be used because no other system is fully operational. A review of this system has recently been completed, and improvements are planned. Currently, only minimal performance information is available. Information is recorded on response times and on the use of resources in service delivery by location, resource type and incident type. Although analysis of needs and resource availability has been done, neither department uses the information for ongoing analysis of the impact on the levels of service to be provided or the need for or location of resources. Information is not recorded on the extent to which search and rescue resources are involved in incidents or are instrumental in rescuing people in distress.

8.71 Information on air and marine accidents is recorded by the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation Safety Board. The aircraft accidents recorded by the Board often involve serious injury or loss of life.

8.72 We reviewed the aircraft accidents in Canada reported to the Board for 1989 and 1990 and found that just over half of the search and rescue air distress incidents were also recorded as aircraft accidents by the Board. We also noted that 852 aircraft accidents recorded by the Board did not involve federal search and rescue resources. Some of these accidents occurred at airports, and therefore search and rescue resources were not required or alerted. However, many others were of a nature similar to search and rescue distress incidents. For example, we noted that the search and rescue system was alerted in only 29 of 60 air accidents that involved serious injury or loss of life, even though all of them were reported as not happening at or near an airport.

8.73 The large number of accidents in which federal search and rescue resources were not involved may indicate the need for changes. A review of all aircraft accidents is required to determine how they were resolved without the involvement of federal search and rescue resources, why federal resources were not alerted and whether this indicates that changes are required in search and rescue services, equipment or the location of resources.

8.74 In our review of search and rescue incidents, we noted that most of the time, false alarms and mechanical breakdowns of vessels were recorded as non-distress incidents. However, some such incidents were recorded as distresses because at some point in responding it was determined that there was reasonable certainty of danger to life. Further categorization as to the severity of the incident and the type of assistance required would provide more meaningful information for decision making.

8.75 All departments involved in search and rescue should develop additional information required to:

(a) acquire resources economically;

(b) manage resources efficiently;

(c) make levels of service decisions; and

(d) measure performance.

Interdepartmental response: Agreed. Search and rescue operatin g departments are enhancing current data-gathering systems and developing new ones, utilizing some aspects of the SARIS system, which will continue to satisfy the recommendation.

Analysis of the causes of beacon failures and false alarms is required
8.76 Emergency beacons, which are designed to be activated automatically, transmit a distress signal. Satellites, aircraft and vessels use this signal to identify the site of an incident. The majority of aircraft and all vessels over 20 metres must carry such beacons. Our analysis shows that aircraft beacons were used to alert the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in 28 percent of the air distress incidents for 1989 and 1990.

8.77 Failure of the aircraft beacon to activate automatically has been a major issue since it was regulated into use in 1974. These beacon failures can result in extensive searches. For example, because of beacon failures, three large searches in British Columbia in 1990 required 1,590 hours of primary air resources. This is in comparison to the 874 total hours for 1989 spent by primary air search and rescue resources on all air distresses in Canada. Clearly, beacon failures can be costly, but what is more important, lives may not be saved.

8.78 Little information on aircraft beacon failures in Canada is available, but our analysis of 1989 and 1990 distress incidents revealed that beacons did not activate in 27 percent of the incidents involving crashes. Furthermore, we could not determine whether they activated in another 19 percent of such incidents. As a result, beacons may not have activated in up to 46 percent of the incidents involving crashes.

8.79 The problem of aircraft beacon failures exists throughout the world and has not yet been resolved. Studies have been carried out on beacon failures in the United States. Canada participated in the development of new technical design standards that were issued in 1985. Recently, the Department of Transport's Aviation Group started field-testing beacons manufactured to those standards. The Aviation Group expects to complete this testing in late 1993.

8.80 Emergency beacons also generate many false alarms. In 1989 and 1990, the Department of National Defence noted 932 beacon false alarms, mainly from aircraft beacons. Our analysis indicates a false alarm rate of 85 percent for beacon alerts. In 1990, federal search and rescue resources responded to 95 false alarms related to beacon alerts. In 1985, the Department of National Defence started testing a 406 Mhz beacon. The positive identification possible by such beacons should reduce the number of false alarms to which resources were responding. In the event of a false alarm, contact with the owner could eliminate the need to send a resource to the scene. At the present time, there is no requirement to carry this type of beacon in Canada or elsewhere.

8.81 Beacons are the source of alert in air distresses much more often than in marine distresses. Our analysis indicates that only three marine distress calls in 1989 and 1990 came from a beacon alert. We found seven cases where beacons should have been on board, but were not used to signal the distress. During the same period, marine beacons generated 26 false alarms that resulted in the tasking of resources.

8.82 Ongoing analysis of the causes of aircraft and marine beacon failures and false alarms in Canada is not carried out. Such information would be useful in determining the need for further education of users, enforcement of regulations or changes to beacon specifications.

8.83 The Coast Guard is considering a revision to the beacon regulations that would require all commercial vessels over 12 metres to carry a beacon by 1995 and those over 8 metres by 1999. The total cost to commercial vessels, based on an estimated price of $1,500 each, would be approximately $30.5 million. The Coast Guard, in targeting these craft, will be affecting only a small percentage of the vessels in Canada. The benefit of this change in regulations has been identified as a reduction in search time and in lives lost, but no estimate of savings in search time has yet been made. Although no reasonable determination can be made of the number of lives that could have been saved by having beacons on more vessels, it is possible to estimate the number of cases where a beacon would have resulted in a faster alert. The potential for a much higher number of false alarms also needs to be taken into consideration.

8.84 The Department of Transport should ensure that information on the causes of beacon failures and false alarms is collected, analyzed and considered before taking action designed to address beacon failures.

Department's response: Agreed, and implementation ongoing.

Information is needed on small boat activities
8.85 The aviation community has extensive regulation and safety promotion. A pilot is required to have a licence to fly, and all aircraft must go through regular safety checks to remain certified. Commercial and large fishing vessels are also highly regulated. However, the over two million small boats, less than 15 tons or 20 metres, are not similarly regulated. Small boats accounted for more than 6 out of 10 of the marine distress incidents in 1989 and 1990.

8.86 There are federal Small Vessel and Small Fishing Vessel Regulations related to equipment standards, but there is no provision for federal enforcement of these regulations. There is some enforcement of the regulations by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on behalf of provinces, and by regional, municipal and ports police under a variety of authorities.

8.87 The search and rescue prevention activities involve promotion and awareness of small boat safety. The Canadian Coast Guard is assisted in the delivery of its small boat safety awareness program by Canadian Marine Rescue Auxiliary members who are trained as prevention officers. There are opportunities to expand the use of these resources for prevention, as well as the volunteer air resources of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association. In addition, the Canadian Red Cross, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other police forces participate in promotion and awareness. Other bodies such as the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons deliver education programs.

8.88 Because the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is in regular contact with fishermen and issues licences to them, it could more actively participate in promotional and awareness aspects of search and rescue prevention activities. At the present time, there is no requirement for fishing vessels to demonstrate adherence to the Canada Shipping Act safety regulations prior to the granting of a licence. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans licensing process likely could be better co-ordinated with the inspection of fishing vessels by the Department of Transport, where the responsibility for vessel and navigational safety standards lies. However, this may have implications on program commitments and workload and would likely require legislative or regulatory change.

8.89 There is no organized collection and analysis of information on which to make decisions regarding small boat safety awareness, promotion and regulation. Such an analysis could provide a profile of the small boating population and indicate the causes of small boat incidents. It could also identify which prevention measures would be most successful. Provincial co-ordination and co-operation would be required in the collection of this information and in effective regulation and enforcement.

8.90 The Canadian Coast Guard should examine the options for collecting information on small boat activities with the assistance of the organizations involved in small boat safety. The causes of small boat incidents should be reviewed by the Coast Guard and the results used to redirect prevention efforts, including promotion, regulation, enforcement and investigation.

Canadian Coast Guard response: Agreed. Efforts are underway to ensure that prevention efforts target the major causes of small boat incidents. In addition the Canadian Coast Guard will continue to work with the appropriate non-federal and non-governmental organizations.

Cost recovery possibilities exist
8.91 The federal government provides services that do not directly contribute to the program objective of preventing the loss of life and injury in search and rescue incidents. These services include the provision of towing in non-distress marine incidents.

8.92 We noted that there were 6,804 incidents involving the towing of vessels in 1989 and 1990. Although in some cases towing is required to protect other vessels or the environment, most of these were incidents that did not involve a distress situation. Where there is a reasonable basis to determine that people are not in distress or potential danger, there are opportunities to recover the costs for services provided by search and rescue resources or to expand private sector operations to provide assistance on a commercial basis.

8.93 The Canadian Coast Guard should consider the opportunities to recover costs for services that are not directly related to the search and rescue program objectives.

Canadian Coast Guard response: Agreed. However, any cost recovery policy must be carefully structured so as not to deter those legitimately requiring assistance from requesting help before their situation further deteriorates to a more serious emergency.