From Gander.
Evidence of meeting #41 for National Defence in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sar.
Evidence of meeting #41 for National Defence in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sar.
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
So he would have gotten airborne in about half of the two-hour response time?
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
I want to clarify a couple of things. There were 94 incidents in 2009 and 88 in 2010. In 2009, 29% happened within the 30-minute response time; in 2010, 20% happened within the 30-minute response time. Those are the squadron's statistics.
3:05 p.m.
Fisherman, As an Individual
I'd also like to point out that the weather was excellent at the time. We had a northerly wind of 10 to 15 knots, with clear skies and about one-metre seas. So the conditions were really good.
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
It just makes it easier once you get there.
We talked about additional resources. We had a discussion about that today at 103. I think, Mr. Tucker, you mentioned it. Do you have any idea of what additional resources would be needed to increase their standby posture to 30 minutes 24/7?
3:05 p.m.
Deputy Mayor, Town Council of Gander
I don't know the actual number of personnel required. Obviously, they would need teams. I don't know how many additional teams they would need.
Airport authority, would you folks know that?
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
And we talked about personnel attrition. That's a significant problem with not just the military but anybody who employs high-tech people who are attracted to other organizations. Believe me, it's something that CF is wrestling with all the time. Do you have any suggestions about how to improve that situation of personnel attrition?
3:05 p.m.
Deputy Mayor, Town Council of Gander
You alluded to it yourself. I think a lot of it is money, of course. There's no secret about that--the salary and wages you're paid. But in addition to that, I think there's a lot to be said for quality of life, and I think a lot of professionals are really valuing that now. If you're working with a skeleton crew and you're punching a lot more overtime than would be reasonable, you and your family are only going to take so much of that. I think that's where the issue of putting more resources into it and having more people share the load may help keep some people.
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Yes, I have no doubt. I'm sure you appreciate the recruiting and training bill that goes with that. And of course the CF trains some pretty qualified people who are very attracted to the oil patch and so on, which makes it a challenge.
We talked about Gander being the most suitable location--Gander versus St. John's--and I guess from the airport guys.... Reg, would you have an assessment about the weather in Gander versus the weather in St. John's vis-à-vis the number of flying days you would lose to weather in St. John's versus Gander?
3:05 p.m.
Director of Marketing, Gander International Airport Authority Inc.
I'd have to go back and dig out a comparison. We operate basically on 98.3% weather reliability. The critical incident days are encapsulated in that report I referenced, which I don't have here with me right now.
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
I seem to recall somebody saying there were about 30% more weather days in St. John's than Gander.
Going to the fixed-wing SAR piece, I think everybody would love to have things everywhere. It isn't just a matter of cost, but it is a matter of not unlimited resources. Have you done any studies from the airfield side as to what your assessment would be for the additional resources required to add a couple or three fixed-wing SAR airplanes to 403? Fred, you may have some input on that from your 403 hat.
3:10 p.m.
Chairperson, Gander International Airport Authority Inc.
Yes, just changing my hat slightly, I'll refer to what Zane was talking about with personnel matters. In my conversations with the boys at 103, one of the biggest attrition items is movement of their personnel and their inability to stay in one place for very long. That is a problem. I'd just add that.
However, to get back to your main point, as a board and as an airport authority, on several occasions we have--Reg, I'm sure, will back me up on this. We're willing to enter into joint ventures with the military, the province, the federal government, to provide facilities. We have the room, we have the space, and we are quite willing to enter into any sort of joint arrangement at any time to accommodate additional assets.
3:10 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
We're talking hangars and taxiways and ramps. It's not cheap infrastructure.
3:10 p.m.
Chairperson, Gander International Airport Authority Inc.
No, it isn't.
I don't know if Reg wants to add to that.
January 31st, 2011 / 3:10 p.m.
Director of Marketing, Gander International Airport Authority Inc.
Of course, the big thing is the built infrastructure, the hangar support for maintenance and other things, but the good news is there's ample room for expansion. The airfield doesn't require any great investment for the 103 needs, though.
3:10 p.m.
Chairperson, Gander International Airport Authority Inc.
It would be essential, the hangarage. In my experience--I flew Hercules for 15 years before I retired--you cannot leave search and rescue airplanes out in this weather. We're talking response times. In this weather you've got to de-ice, and that's totally unacceptable with search and rescue. So you've got to provide the hangarage for the big airplanes as well as the helicopters.
3:10 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Yes, of course. And yet we talked about fixed-wing SAR being able to get to somebody faster than a helicopter, obviously. But have you got your heads around a little bit that...we can get a fixed-wing airplane out there, we can get a SAR tech in the water, and presumably picked up by a boat or to help somebody, but now we've got to get him out of the water. So it's not just fixed-wing SAR. Obviously it's got to be a combination of the two, and on the rescue side you're still going to be limited to the helicopter's capabilities.
3:10 p.m.
Conservative
3:10 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
Thank you.
I want to just pick up on that one more time, because I know there was an announcement some time ago about the work that is to be done on the base itself, on 9 Wing as an entire base, not just 103. But I think one of the ramifications of that is...I believe their footprint is going to be reduced somewhat, to the point where that gives them the opportunity to build on the current assets they have. The studies point out obviously that a fixed-wing presence would--in my opinion--reduce the amount of response time, so it certainly seems like all the elements could be lining up. The only thing we're missing, of course, would be the cash element.
One of the other situations that's unique with this particular base is the amount of civilian involvement within the base. From a town perspective--and the authority can probably pipe in on this as well--there are quite a few employees who are not of military rank and who certainly get involved in the base here. It's certainly a unique situation. Would you say that's one of the reasons why this town is so familiar with the issues regarding search and rescue as an industry?
