¶ … maritime search & Rescue The search and rescue (SAR) program in Canada aims to save and protect lives within the maritime environment. Its objectives are to ensure that 100% of the lives at risk are saved, reduce severity and number of SAR accidents, minimize loss of life, injury property damage and any environmental risk, increase the awareness of SAR program and providing humanitarian aid and assistance where needed. However it has become increasingly difficult to achieve these objectives. This is as a result of several challenges that SAR administrators face as they try to improve the emergency response capabilities in Canada. The paper will look at some of the challenges that the Canadian maritime search and rescue program faces when it comes to an improvement of their emergency response capabilities.

Volunteers

The assistance of volunteers is an element that is key when it comes to the maximization of the efficiency of SAR operations. This means that volunteers are very important people when it comes to the success of maritime search and rescue programs. The number of volunteers who are offering their services to the SAR programs in Canada is going down. Fewer people are coming up to enroll themselves into these programs. This has left the administrators with very few volunteers to work with. This lack of volunteers is a big challenge when it comes to make an improvement in the response capabilities in Canada. This is due to the fact that a situation might require volunteers who are not available hence the SAR program fails to adequately deal with the situation (Tor Einar, 2010).

SAR vessels

There are various vessels which are used when it comes to maritime SAR accidents. These are primary SAR vessels which are designed specifically, equipped and crewed with its main responsibility being SAR operations. They are situated in areas where here exists high risk of SAR accidents. Multi-tasked SAR vessels are tasked to deliver SAR programs alongside other operational [programs. Secondary SAR vessels are government vessels that can be used if need arises for SAR operations. The number of vessels that are available in Canada is not sufficient...

There are incidences where a disaster has occurred but there are no sufficient vessels required to carry out the recovery operations. Therefore, inadequacy of SAR vessels is a huge challenge to the administrators in their attempts to improve their emergency capabilities.
Rescue co-ordination vessels and maritime rescue sub-centers

There is need for coordination between the SAR vessels and maritime rescue sub-centers for there to be efficient operations. The responsibility of the maritime rescue sub-centers is planning, coordinating, conducting and controlling the SAR operations. The rescue vessels are responsible for carrying out the actual rescue operation in cases where disasters occur.in most cases there is little or no cooperation between the maritime rescue sub-centers and the rescue vessels. The maritime rescue sub-centers within Canada in most instances do not involve the rescue vessels when it comes to planning and coordinating the SAR operations. This leads to disorganization when it comes to carrying out the actual operations (United Press International, Inc., 2013).

On scene coordinator

In large searches where many resources are required an on-scene coordinator is needed so as to the effectively take care of the scene. The on scene coordinator is expected to give out directions pertaining the resources involved on how and where to search and make reports regularly on the progress of the operations.in Canada there are a few or no on scene coordinators who are extremely necessary on the scene. This leads to absolutely no coordination of what is going on the scene of the accident. This means that it becomes very difficult to effectively carry out the operations on the scene if there is no one who is coordinating the activities that are taking place on the scene. This leads to a lot of confusion on the scene and hence the operations will not be carried out efficiently (Tor Einar, 2010).

Global maritime distress and safety system

This global maritime distress and safety system was effected in 1999.it is a digital electronic communication…