SAR partners simulate Arctic disaster
by Louise Crone
Canada's SAR response agencies were put to the test in Cape Dorset on
Baffin Island, Nunavut as they worked with Nunavut Emergency Management
(NEM), the local community and the National Search and Rescue Secretariat
(NSS) to simulate the response to a major marine emergency. This was the
first time that these participants had worked together to carry out a
full-scale multi-jurisdictional exercise.
 The
scenario involved the simulation of a fire on board a cruise ship. The
Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) icebreaker, the Des Groseilliers, acted as
the stricken vessel with an explosion and fire on board. There were 14
casualties with a wide range of injuries. Seven were evacuated to shore,
five remained on board for triage and treatment, and two persons (actually
mannequins) were pulled from the frigid waters of Hudson Strait onto a
Zodiac fast-rescue craft. The CCG icebreaker Henry Larsen played the role
of the rescue vessel.
The exercise assessed how each of the participating organizations (Canadian
Coast Guard, Canadian Forces, Parks Canada Agency, the RCMP, Nunavut Emergency
Management, and the community of Cape Dorset) worked together. It also
tested the ability of the various elements of the SAR response system
- from the first call for help to the final recovery - to handle an emergency
in a remote location. The Baffin Island Regional Health Centre, located
in Iqaluit, used the exercise to test its ability to respond to a mass
casualty situation.
Planning the exercise
Planning for the exercise began in 2000. Three planning sessions, including
a table-top dry run on-site in Cape Dorset, took place before the live
exercise. The site was chosen because of the increase in passenger vessel
traffic in the eastern Arctic.
Although heavy fog prevented the Canadian Forces from fully participating
- the Hercules aircraft could not fly that day - the exercise was deemed
a success. A hot-wash debriefing was held immediately after the exercise
in the Cape Dorset community centre.
Some of the lessons learned provided valuable insights into future exercises,
such as the importance of allowing an extra day for bad weather, if possible,
and the need to hold the exercise in a more remote location, away from
a community, where no immediate help is available.
Lessons learned
Some preliminary lessons about the SAR system include:
- Using VHF repeaters to assist communications between team members
- Having a common radio frequency for RCMP, NEM and Parks Canada
- Equipping all rescuers on-shore with a means to communicate with
the On-Scene Commander
- Improving the interaction with the local response agencies and rescue
personnel when vessels are in Arctic waters.
A more comprehensive report on this exercise will be available in early
2003. Resources permitting, the NSS plans to facilitate one multi-jurisdictional
exercise a year with a different location and scenario each time.
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