National Defence committee  There has not actually been a tremendous change in the number of incidents. In 2004, we recorded 7,500. In 2006, we recorded 8,500, and in 2008-09, we recorded 9,000. So there's been a little bit of growth, but in some years it also fell somewhat. What we have found with the technology and the 406 beacon in particular is that a number of our operations have been a lot shorter, and therefore the number of people whose lives we have saved has increased, because we've been able to respond with precision and current data by using the technology of the 406 beacon.

National Defence committee  We are indeed. I didn't brief it today, but the last time I was here I talked a little bit about our major air disaster plan. We have the capability of delivering to the site of a ship or an aircraft in distress with a large number of people aboard. We can deliver kits that have tentage, medical supplies, food, and survival equipment.

National Defence committee  No, not at all. We have an interdepartmental search and rescue committee that I participated in as well. I'm just not familiar with what was planned or programmed.

National Defence committee  Those comments referred to international cooperation. At least the question I answered was dealing with international cooperation.

National Defence committee  I'm unable to speak to that, I'm sorry.

National Defence committee  I really don't. I don't know what the coast guard's...or whether it's a combined ship. I don't know what the program is, to be honest. My current SAR posture doesn't include that, for sure.

National Defence committee  We do cater to special activities, such as the herring roe fishery on the west coast, where there's an opening period of vulnerability for a number of vessels responding. We have changed our posture to accommodate that. I'm not entirely sure, but I believe that in Ontario in the summer months, we'll modify our standby posture to cater to later times in the day, which speaks to a number of other activities.

National Defence committee  I didn't mention the false alarm in our briefing, but I mentioned the number of SAR incidents. They all start off as an alert, a warning. Until all the information is available, we are not certain whether it's an actual distress signal or a false alarm. Moreover, there are various degrees of false alarms as well, but the most prominent is when these beacons have been inadvertently activated when no distress is involved.

National Defence committee  I haven't had any recent dealings with their successes. I haven't met anybody who has glowing reports, but otherwise I have no.... As I mentioned earlier, I think the whole privatization question is a complex one and deserves a considerable amount of research.

National Defence committee  In terms of...?

National Defence committee  Absolutely. We work with our SAR OPIs in the various committees, and we participate in international committees, such as ICAO, that focus on SAR. We have a number of exchanges in that regard, absolutely.

National Defence committee  I believe there is, sir. It is very timely that you ask that question. First of all, although I didn't mention it in my briefing, CASARA is our federally sponsored voluntary organization. They are more prevalent south of 60 by virtue of the number of private operators of aircraft.

National Defence committee  You are correct, sir. With current basing, we do not have any helicopters that far north. If I may point out, though, the helicopter that we do have, the Cormorant, has a lot better capability to operate in poor weather conditions than the Labrador, the helicopter it replaced. Since we've introduced that helicopter, we've had occasions where we've been able to get it fairly far north in one day's operation.

National Defence committee  If that's the end of your question, yes, I do, absolutely. As we're looking at the big picture and all the statistical data and determining how to make those improvements, by and large our response has been very capable in terms of delivering the SAR service when required and in a timely manner.

National Defence committee  Actually, those two reports that I referred to, the work done in 2007 and 2008, formed the basis for evaluating whether or not it was necessary or desirable or affordable to move to a better posture. I think what the statistical analysis.... When you take over 40,000 incidents and you reduce them to several in which the standby posture may have had an influence....