OTTAWA, May 18, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Coast Guard plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of mariners and the marine environment. To augment its search and rescue services during the busy summer boating season, each year the Coast Guard hires and trains close to 100 post-secondary students to work at 26 Inshore Rescue Boat stations in strategic locations on the Great Lakes, the Saint John and St. Lawrence Rivers, and Canada's coastal waters.

On May 12, 2018, the 46 students who will work at stations in the Coast Guard's Central and Arctic Region graduated from an intensive two-week training program, held at Canadian Forces Base Trenton. This group included the eight crew members who will staff the Coast Guard's first Inshore Rescue Boat station in the Arctic.

The students received classroom and on-water training in advanced boat handling, how to respond to capsized, lost and disabled vessels, how to rescue persons who have fallen overboard, and how to respond to medical emergencies. All graduates are certified in First Aid and Level C CPR.

The students also took part in a simulated search and rescue exercise in partnership with a Royal Canadian Air Force CH-146 Griffon helicopter from 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron, to familiarize them with joint search and rescue operations.

The Coast Guard's new Arctic Inshore Rescue Boat station is located in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. It was announced in January 2018 as part of the Government of Canada's $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan, which aims to improve marine safety and protect Canada's marine environment and coastal communities. The station is expected to open in June 2018 using interim facilities.

Quote

"The Canadian Coast Guard has a strong relationship with the communities where we operate our Inshore Rescue Boat service, and we are committed to strengthening these relationships. This service not only enhances marine search and rescue in the Central and Arctic region, including in northern communities, it is also a unique and rewarding summer job, with crew members often continuing on to careers in the Coast Guard."

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Quick Facts

• In the regions where they operate, Inshore Rescue Boat crews are often the first to respond to distress calls from mariners or to those in need of assistance. Across Canada, the crews respond to approximately 1,200 incidents each season.
  
  
• The crews also provide public education on boating safety, and each year conduct more than 1,400 Pleasure Craft Courtesy Checks in partnership with Transport Canada's Office of Boating Safety Program.
  
  
• The Arctic Inshore Rescue Boat station will be operated by Indigenous students from Arctic communities, initially under the leadership of an experienced Coast Guard officer until the crews are experienced enough to operate independently.
  
  
• The Government of Canada worked with local governments and community leaders on the choice of Rankin Inlet as the location for the Arctic station, and will continue to involve partners and stakeholders as construction plans for the permanent station progress.

Associated Links

• Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue services
• Inshore Rescue Boat program
• Oceans Protection Plan

For more information about the Canadian Coast Guard, visit www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca.

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2018/18/c8701.html