While critics continue to slam the decision to close the Kitsilano Coast Guard base, the federal government insists maritime safety will not be at risk.
In an email to CKNW, Fisheries and Oceans Canada staff write “reorganizing Coast Guard assets” will be consistent with the services provided in other Canadian ports and harbours, including Victoria Harbour, the Port of Montreal, and the Halifax Harbour.
But staff also claim the standard of using all available resources, including volunteers, vessels of opportunity, and dedicated responders is internationally accepted.
DFO points to the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States as all having volunteers and dedicated responders who work together to provide search and rescue services on the water.
In fact, it turns out in the UK, Her Majesty’s Coast Guard is solely responsible for coordinating maritime search and rescue, while the actual rescue effort is carried out by volunteers.
Chief Coast Guard Peter Diamond says most of the rescue boats in the UK are provided by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charitable organization with boats crewed by volunteers.
HM Coast Guard also can dispatch the volunteer Coast Guard Rescue Team.
The only paid responders are those on the Coast Guard helicopter teams.
“Our volunteers are all highly trained, they’re highly committed to carrying out rescue work,” says Diamond, “and although although they’re volunteers they perform in a very professional and skilled manner, and I think their record speaks for itself.”
As for response times, Diamond thinks they average between seventeen and thirty minutes, but are often shorter than that.
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