Dave Martin
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 22/98) - Imagine a wonderful day of boating has gone horribly wrong. You find yourself adrift in a small boat. Or worse. Whether it's Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River or Frobisher Bay -- who can you count on for assistance?

You may not realize it, but the person next to you right now could very well be the local hero that you call for help. In the grocery store or at the doctor's office, if that person is wearing a pager, he or she just may be a volunteer member of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA).

The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, established in 1978/79 by the Canadian Coast Guard to enhance search and rescue capabilities in Canada, assists the Coast Guard in search and rescue (SAR) services.

If you're on the North or East Arms of Great Slave Lake, for instance, response to your emergency would likely come in the form of CGA Unit 71 of Yellowknife. In Iqaluit, a local amalgam made up of Emergency Measures Organization personnel; RCMP and municipal volunteers make up the rescue teams. If you're in the southern portion of Great Slave, CGA Unit 72 from Hay River would respond.

From Inuvik to Iqaluit, one thing the units have in common is that every year they work closely with the local fire departments, the RCMP, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and, of course, the Coast Guard to provide marine search and rescue coverage across the North.

Beginning early in the year, members study navigation and navigation electronics, first aid and CPR, fire-fighting, towing, search and rescue techniques, radiotelephone training and licensing and boat handling and manoeuvring skills. It's a serious amount of studying, but it's a serious business.

Virtually anyone may volunteer. Experience isn't necessary and requirements are simple: a willingness to attend regular training sessions and the ability to drop anything at a moment's notice and respond to a call. Volunteers unable to commit to the response requirements are welcome; they can contribute in other ways.

For the 1998 season there are approximately 3,500 members across the country.

In Iqaluit, Tom Watson, a firefighter and EMT heads the Rigid Hull Inflatable Operator Training (RHIOT) program. He instructs members on the intricacies of conning the group's 7.33 Boston Whaler Hurricane.

Unit 71 operates three vessels: its own 19 foot Boston Whaler, the shared-use 27 foot RCMP Boston Whaler "Nick Martin," and an inflatable Zodiac Hurricane. In Hay River, Unit 72 also operates three vessels.

What causes otherwise rational people to volunteer for service that sees them out in unpleasant weather, enduring physical hardship and risking themselves in dangerous situations?

Information on Unit 71's web page (ssimicro.com/~coastguard) holds one clue and it applies to CGA members across the country: It says employers have been particularly good in supporting their employee's participation in the Unit.