One possible plan to replace the Kits Point Coast Guard station once it is closed is to use auxillary members, but the Coast Guard union isn’t amused.
The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees National President Christine Collins says volunteers aren’t replacements for trained coast guards.
“Coast Guard auxillary’s mandate is to supplement and support Coast Guard. It is a volunteer organization they do not have the same training, certification, and one of their vessels they are operating is a pleasure craft, not a search and rescue vessel.”
Collins says response time is also a concern as volunteers would have to be woken up at their various homes then get to the station to respond.
She says if the federal government really valued safety they would prefer trained specialists to volunteer search and rescue crews.
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