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| Photo courtesy of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary |
The Canadian Cost Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) will receive $22.5 million in new funding from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans over the next five years. The funding will enable the volunteer association, whose members assist the Canadian Coast Guard in providing Search and Rescue (SAR) services and maritime safety education programs to Canadians, to continue this valuable work. The CCGA consists of 4,666 members who volunteer their time and vessels to assist fellow mariners in distress.
SAR day in Alberta
Alberta's search and rescue volunteers showcased their skills and accomplishments
in their first-ever SAR day, May 4, 2002. Hosted by the Search and Rescue
Association of Alberta, the day featured a wide range of activities aimed
at promoting SAR work. Communities across the province marked the occasion
with SAR fun days, information booths, public seminars and workshops and
school presentations. Other events included a mock plane crash in Fort
McMurray, a cold case search in Calgary and a mock search in the Lethbridge
region.
Study shows swimming and boating takes toll in
Quebec
The Secrétariat au loisir et au sport Québec, the Quebec
division of the Canadian Red Cross, and the Life Saving Society have released
a study of provincial drowning data for an eight-year period (1991-1999).
Recreational swimming accounted for most of the water-related deaths,
but boating, canoeing, and fishing also took their toll. In boat related
drownings, the statistics indicated that the majority of the victims weren't
wearing personal floatation devices. Use of alcohol, swimming near rapids
and waterfalls, swimming alone and poor swimming skills were also cited
as factors in most drownings. With increased awareness of drowning circumstances,
the organizations hope to reduce such drowning incidents.
Studying attitudes towards PFD
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| Photo courtesy of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary |
The Canadian Coast Guard's Office of Boating Safety (OBS) has undertaken a project to increase the use of personal flotation devices (PFD) among recreational boaters. The project included a study of attitudes toward PFDs, which showed that women are more safety conscious than men, and that higher income and more highly educated boaters feel they have more control over their environment and are less likely to wear PFDs. Ninety per cent of study respondents said they would be more likely to wear a PFD if asked to do so by the boat operator, making operators a primary audience for safety messages. Bulkiness and fit was cited as the overwhelming problem associated with wearing PFDs among recreational boaters. For more information on the study, contact the OBS, Newfoundland Region at 1-800-230-3693.
NIF project makes the news
The Edmonton Journal, October 10, reports that RCMP K Division in Edmonton
is training volunteers for night searches using a Forward Looking Infra
Red (FLIR) camera mounted on their Bell 206 L-4 helicopters. The cost
of training he volunteers and of the equipment comes from the New Search
and Rescue Initiatives Fund (NIF), which is administered by the National
Search and Rescue Secretariat. The fund supports about 50 projects a year
to enhance SAR capabilities across Canada.
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