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More than 80 personnel from 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron, with their CC-130H Hercules aircraft and CH-146 Griffon helicopters, are conducting TIGEREX 2014, a search and rescue (SAR) exercise, Gatineau, Que, from May 5 to 9, 2014.
“Our SAR team from 8 Wing Trenton consistently trains to provide reliable SAR services to Canadians,” said Colonel David Lowthian, the commander of 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario, where the squadron is based. “TIGEREX provides realistic training opportunities for our SAR personnel to maintain and further develop their skills through the enactment of simulated casualties and complex rescue scenarios.”
Throughout the week, multiple simulated SAR scenarios are organized to put the skills of the SAR team to the test. This provides 424 Squadron’s SAR crews and the crews of partner agencies valuable opportunities for interaction as well as exposure to how SAR operations are conducted and how they can better work together in responding to life-saving calls.
Scenarios throughout the week include a simulated aircraft crash at Mont Cascades, simulated maritime distress at the Cumberland-Masson ferry as well as other simulated crash scenarios in more remote locations of the Gatineau hills.
“TIGEREX 2014 serves to exercise a multi-day major search with operations taking place away from the squadron’s main operating base,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Bernier, commanding officer of 424 Squadron. “In such circumstances, our partner organizations from the areas of operation usually help during the search, requiring large scale cooperation and coordination. This exercise provides 424 Squadron great training opportunities and exposure to such an environment.”
Volunteer SAR organizations, including Sauvetage et recherche aériens du Québec (SERABEC) and the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), participate in TIGEREX annually. This year’s exercise will also include participation of the Sureté du Québec, Ontario Provincial Police as well as local paramedics and fire rescue crews from the Gatineau area.
424 Squadron and 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron out of 17 Wing Winnipeg, Manitoba, are responsible for 10,000,000 square kilometres of the Trenton Search and Rescue Region. This comprises most of Quebec, all of Ontario, the Prairie Provinces and the entire Arctic.
SAR incidents under the federal SAR mandate are defined as “all aircraft incidents and all marine incidents in waters under federal jurisdiction.” With the exception of federally owned National Parks, the overall responsibility for ground search and rescue rests with the provinces, territories and municipalities. The Canadian Armed Forces may, however, provide assistance to land and inland water rescues when possible.
