Search and rescue dive team , dismantled.

[OldBlackDog]

Coast Guard dismantles Vancouver's search and rescue dive team
Emergency rescue dive team will be assigned to new roles, says Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Canadian Coast Guard emergency dive team responds to sunken vessels, vehicles, and aircraft. (CBC)
The Canadian Coast Guard's only team of emergency rescue divers is being shut down.

The Richmond-based Sea Island emergency crew is the only one of its kind in Canada. The team is responsible for rescues and recoveries of people trapped in submerged boats, vehicles and aircraft.

The divers will be assigned new jobs within the Coast Guard as part of the organization's reinvestment strategy.

"Funding is not being cut, but rather redirected as the government is reprioritizing resources to enhance search and rescue capacity and response," said Fisheries and Oceans Canada spokesperson Michelle Imbeau in an emailed statement to CBC News.

The dive team was also dismantled in 2001 — a decision that was highly criticized for leaving boaters vulnerable. The team was reinstated months later.

 

[aheny]

Our government, while second to only certain countries in northern Europe, could still really improve it's decision making process

 

[Cuba Libre]

Its does not end there-- DFO has also dismantled the Resource Restoration Unit that did major stream restorations and provided invaluable assistance to Stream Keeper groups. And it gets worse.... the Stream to Sea Educational program for BC schools has also been cancelled after 30 years of teaching our kids the importance of clean waters and healthy salmonid stocks in Canada..... http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/education/index-eng.html Disgusting .............................................

 

[ziggy]

I blame Harper! He must have really hated science and the environment to imbed this diabolical plan. Thank goodness Justin will sort this out, right after the next election, or maybe the one after that. Lol

 

[cracked_ribs]

I blame Harper! He must have really hated science and the environment to imbed this diabolical plan. Thank goodness Justin will sort this out, right after the next election, or maybe the one after that. Lol

I was so tempted to post similarly.

 

[agentaqua]

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/coast-guard-me...lost-with-decision-to-axe-dive-team-1.3429992

 

[fishin_magician]

This is sad.

Find out who the guys are who made this decision and fire them all....and when the first lives are lost due to this, charge them all with manslaughter.

 

[wildthing]

someone tying to justify there job thinking there saving us money
then guess what?
when there is an issue we can go spend a load of tax payers money on a resource we once had
but now have to pay huge dollars to a private company ....
yeah makes loads of sense....?????

 

[ziggy]

Well if it's just about manpower?Every major Canadian warship has a dive team made up of volunteers from its crew. These folks get paid a small amount of dive pay to take on this as a secondary duty. They all have other roles because there is no justification to have a group sitting around with nothing to do most of the time
I'm surprised the Coast Guard doesn't have something similar. Maybe make it a requirement for he plumb postings in Victoria and Vancouver?

I also note the CG saying it's not part of their mandate? Whose is it then, RCMP dive team? Military Fleet diving unit or SAR or perhaps Vancouver Police? Be nice to know.