FEDERAL SEARCH AND RESCUE PROGRAM PLAN 2004

This Plan provides guidance and direction to the collective activities of the six federal government departments participating in the Federal Search and Rescue Program. Departments and/or their agencies or components delivering search and rescue services are responsible to Government through ministerial accountability both for the individual departmental activities and for participation in and support of collective Program level initiatives.

The Plan has been developed cooperatively by staff of the six departments and is promulgated in accordance with the accountability of the Interdepartmental Committee on Search and Rescue and on the authority of the Lead Minister for Search and Rescue for the federal government.

Note: As this is a working document intended for use by departmental staff, many acronyms and abbreviations are contained herein in the interest of brevity. See glossary for definitions.

OVERVIEW OF THE FEDERAL SEARCH AND RESCUE PROGRAM (FSP)

The Federal Search and Rescue Program (FSP) consists of the individual and collective activities of the federal government departments and agencies having either primary or secondary roles and responsibilities with respect to the provision of search and rescue services in the federal mandate areas of Canada's search and rescue areas of responsibility.

Lead Minister for Search and Rescue (LMSAR)
In 1976 Cabinet designated the Minister of National Defence to be Lead Minister for Search and Rescue (LMSAR) in the Government and as such the spokesperson on SAR matters.

Participating Federal Departments/Agencies
The following federal government departments (and as indicated, their specific agencies) participate in the FSP:
• Department of National Defence (Canadian Forces)
• Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canadian Coast Guard)
• Environment Canada (Meteorological Service of Canada and Parks Canada)
• Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
• Transport Canada.

Canadian SAR Area of Responsibility & the Federal Mandate

Figure 1 - Canadian SAR Area of Responsibility

In addition to the entire landmass of Canada the federal government has accepted, under international agreements and conventions, responsibility for providing aeronautical SAR services over certain portions of the surrounding oceans. The federal maritime (marine) SAR Area of Responsibility includes these same portions of the surrounding oceans and adds the Canadian portions of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes system. The Canadian SAR Area of Responsibility is depicted at Figure 1. In addition, response to marine and ground SAR (GSAR) incidents occurring within National Parks is also within the federal mandate. Response to all other GSAR and inland waters marine SAR incidents falls within the mandate of provincial/territorial authorities.