Rescue teams ‘adapt and react’
Royal Canadian Air Force searchand-rescue specialists, pilots, flight crews and ground support are conducting exercises at Victoria International Airport this week.
A total of 73 RCAF women and men are in the exercises, which began Tuesday and will last until Thursday.
Taking part are a CH 149 Cormorant helicopter, two CC-115 Buffalo fixed-wing aircraft from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Comox, and one CC-138 Twin Otter from 440 Squadron in Yellowknife, all in their distinctive yellow and red rescue colours.
The exercises are a chance for air force crews to link up with other agencies, including the Canadian Coast Guard, RCMP, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue.
Together they will carry out scenarios during the day and after dark, every one designed to sharpen rescue skills under conditions made as realistic as possible.
Maj. Kristen Simpson of 442 Squadron, co-ordinator of the exercise, said all scenarios are pitched to the air force crews at the last minute with the civilian agencies either linking up as part of the exercise or filling in as people in distress.
“It’s a total team concept,” Simpson said.
“Everybody is bending over backward to make sure we get the experience we need.”
That could include finding a lifeboat in open water and parachuting in from a Buffalo with medical assistance, then arranging for a helicopter hookup. Or it could be a medical evacuation off a ship or a small motor boat. “There is always a lot of on-scene decision-making, so that’s what we are trying to simulate,” Simpson said. “It’s all adapt and react.” Master Cpl. Nathan Seal, a search-and-rescue specialist with 442 Squadron, said in his job he has to be ready for just about anything. When he flies out on mission in a Buffalo, he must be ready to parachute out the back. Once in the water, he must be ready to swim to a victim, administer first aid and arrange for helicopter pickup.
“We are hanging from hooks or jumping out of airplanes on a regular basis,” Seal said. “We often don’t get much time to think. We are just reacting and using our skills and training.”