"The national search and rescue objective is to prevent loss of life and injury through search and rescue alerting, responding and aiding activities using public and private resources."
JRCC Halifax coordinates and controls Search and Rescue Units within its area of responsibility. The centre serves as a communications hub and primary point of contact for the coordination and direction of rescue units and on-scene commanders in order to meet the national objective in the safest and most effective manner possible.
JRCC Halifax is staffed by personnel from the RCAF and CCG 24 hours a day, year-round. Duty staff are
three Maritime SAR Co-ordinators commonly referred to as the "marine controllers",
one Assistant Maritime SAR Co-ordinator or "marine assistant",
one Aeronautical SAR Co-ordinator commonly referred to as the "air controller" ; and
one Assistant Aeronautical SAR Co-ordinator or "air assistant".
Air and Marine controllers are collectively called "mission coordinators". All JRCC personnel function together as a team to ensure that response to distress incidents is co-ordinated effectively.
The Canadian Coast Guard provides the primary maritime resources to the federal SAR system, with vessels continually on offshore SAR patrols off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to approximately 20 dedicated rescue cutters there are 11 seasonal inshore rescue boats. Secondary resources include other CCG vessels and Royal Canadian Navy warships, as well as vessels operated by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary which is a national organization of volunteer mariners/vessel owners who actively participate in maritime searches and receive compensation for their services.
Adjacent RCCs
JRCC Halifax works closely with, and shares resources freely with three adjacent RCCs:
JRCC Trenton, to the west,
RCC Boston to the southwest and RCC Norfolk to the south, and
RCC Southampton to the east.
Canadian JRCCs share common air and marine radio circuits and all JRCCs are linked by hot line telephones. Canadian JRCC's are mutually connected through the Canadian SAR Mission Management System Computer Network. It is not unusual for UK, American or Canadian rescue units to respond to distress calls in each other's area when they are the closest available unit. Joint operating agreements and special customs procedures promote maximum cooperation that provides an optimal response to any distress.
MRSCs
The Halifax SRR includes two Maritime Rescue Sub Centres which are staffed exclusively by CCG personnel for coordinating maritime rescues in support of JRCC Halifax within specific geographic areas. These include:
One of the most useful tools in the National Search and Rescue Program is the Cospas-Sarsat satellite surveillance system that was jointly founded in 1981 by Canada, USA, France and USSR. At present 18 countries participate. The Canadian system uses three earth stations - Edmonton, Churchill and Goose Bay, to monitor satellites in polar orbit. These satellites detect and locate air and marine emergency beacons, referred to as Electronic Location Transmitters and Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacons, which transmit on 121.5, 243.0 and 406.0 MHz. The resultant distress signals are relayed to the Canadian Mission Control Centre, co-located at JRCC Trenton and then routed to the appropriate JRCC for action.
