Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton
Encyclopedia
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton (JRCC Trenton) is one of three JRCCs, jointly manned by the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF) and Canadian Coast Guard
(CCG).
JRCC Trenton is responsible for coordinating the Search and Rescue (SAR) response to air and marine incidents within the Trenton Search and Rescue Region (SRR). This region covers the majority of the onshore, offshore and territorial waters in the Canadian Arctic including the entirety of the Northwest Territories
and most of Nunavut
except for the southern half of Baffin Island
(70 degrees north latitude) which is part of Halifax SRR. It also includes the western half of Quebec
and the entirety of the provinces of Ontario
, Manitoba
, Saskatchewan
, and Alberta
. This area measures 11 million km2 of which approximately 30% is water (including Hudson Bay
and the Great Lakes
).
As a secondary role, JRCC Trenton coordinates requests by other levels of government for federal SAR resources. These secondary request are commonly made for humanitarian reasons that fall within provincial or municipal jurisdiction (eg. searching for missing hunters, hoisting injured hikers and medical evacuation when civilian agencies are unable due to weather or location).
JRCC Trenton coordinates and controls Search and Rescue Units (SRUs) within its area of responsibility. The centre serves as a communications hub and primary point of contact for the coordination and direction of rescue units and on-scene commanders in order to meet the national objective in the safest and most effective manner possible.
AIRCOM also operates the Canadian Mission Control Centre (CMCC) from JRCC Trenton. CMCC is tasked with monitoring the Cospas-Sarsat
system that detects transmissions from emergency locating beacons on aircraft or marine vessels in distress through Canada's search and rescue area of responsibility.
has overall responsibility for the operation of the coordinated federal SAR system with primary (full-time) SAR resources provided by the Canadian Forces and Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Within the Canadian Forces, SAR policy and procedures are the responsibility of Canada Command
with each JRCC being operationally responsible to the senior military officer in their region. JRCC Trenton is responsible to the Commander of Joint Task Force (Central) but also straddles the jurisdiction of JTF (East), JTF (West), and JTF (North).
Air and Marine controllers are collectively called "mission coordinators". All JRCC personnel function together as a team to ensure that response to distress incidents is co-ordinated effectively.
in Trenton
, Ontario
. JRCC Trenton is connected with the Canadian Mission Control Centre (CMCC), NAV CANADA
, and the Canadian Coast Guard
Marine Communications and Traffic Services radio systems.
helicopter and the CC-130 Hercules fixed wing aircraft whereas 435 squadron is equipped with the CC-130 Hercules. There are also resources available from the 417 Combat Support Squadron at 4 Wing Cold Lake, the 439 Combat Support Squadron at 3 Wing Bagotville which fly the CH-146 Griffon
.
Secondary resources include the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association
(CASARA) which is a national organization of volunteer pilots/aircraft owners who actively participate in aircraft searches and receive compensation for their services.
and St. Lawrence Seaway. A variety of secondary SAR vessels including other CCG vessels and occasionally Canadian Forces Maritime Command
(MARCOM) warships are available in Arctic waters during summer operations.
Secondary resources include the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
(CGA) which is a national organization of volunteer mariners/vessel owners who actively participate in marine searches and receive compensation for their services.
The JRCCs share common air and marine radio circuits and all JRCCs are linked by hot line telephones. Canadian JRCC's and are mutually connected through the Canadian SAR Mission Management System (SMMS) Computer Network. It is not unusual for American or Canadian rescue units to respond to distress calls in each other's area when they are the closest available unit. Joint operating agreements and special customs procedures promote maximum cooperation that provides an optimal response to any distress.
. MRSC Quebec is staffed exclusively by CCG personnel for coordinating marine rescues in support of JRCC Trenton within all marine waters in southern Quebec, namely the upper St. Lawrence River and St. Lawrence Seaway, the Ottawa River, the Richelieu River and the Canadian part of Lake Champlain.
is the Cospas-Sarsat
satellite surveillance system that was jointly founded in 1981 by Canada, USA, France and USSR. At present 18 countries participate. The Canadian system uses three earth stations - Edmonton, Churchill and Goose Bay, to monitor satellites in polar orbit. These satellites detect and locate air and marine emergency beacons, referred to as Electronic Location Transmitters (ELTs) and Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), which transmit on 121.5, 243.0 and 406.0 MHz. The resultant distress signals are relayed to the Canadian Mission Control Centre, co-located at JRCC Trenton and then routed to the appropriate JRCC for action.
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF) and Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
(CCG).
JRCC Trenton is responsible for coordinating the Search and Rescue (SAR) response to air and marine incidents within the Trenton Search and Rescue Region (SRR). This region covers the majority of the onshore, offshore and territorial waters in the Canadian Arctic including the entirety of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
and most of Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
except for the southern half of Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
(70 degrees north latitude) which is part of Halifax SRR. It also includes the western half of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the entirety of the provinces of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. This area measures 11 million km2 of which approximately 30% is water (including Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
and the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
).
As a secondary role, JRCC Trenton coordinates requests by other levels of government for federal SAR resources. These secondary request are commonly made for humanitarian reasons that fall within provincial or municipal jurisdiction (eg. searching for missing hunters, hoisting injured hikers and medical evacuation when civilian agencies are unable due to weather or location).
Mission
"The national search and rescue (SAR) objective is to prevent loss of life and injury through search and rescue alerting, responding and aiding activities using public and private resources."
JRCC Trenton coordinates and controls Search and Rescue Units (SRUs) within its area of responsibility. The centre serves as a communications hub and primary point of contact for the coordination and direction of rescue units and on-scene commanders in order to meet the national objective in the safest and most effective manner possible.
AIRCOM also operates the Canadian Mission Control Centre (CMCC) from JRCC Trenton. CMCC is tasked with monitoring the Cospas-Sarsat
Cospas-Sarsat
Cospas-Sarsat is an international satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection and information distribution system, established by Canada, France, the United States, and the former Soviet Union in 1979. It is best known as the system that detects and locates emergency beacons...
system that detects transmissions from emergency locating beacons on aircraft or marine vessels in distress through Canada's search and rescue area of responsibility.
Command and control
The Minister of National DefenceMinister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
has overall responsibility for the operation of the coordinated federal SAR system with primary (full-time) SAR resources provided by the Canadian Forces and Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Within the Canadian Forces, SAR policy and procedures are the responsibility of Canada Command
Canada Command
Canada Command is one of the seven commands of the Canadian Forces. Stood up on February 1, 2006, it is responsible for all domestic operations and national security missions; as an operational command, it works closely with the environment commands Canada Command (CANADACOM) (in French :...
with each JRCC being operationally responsible to the senior military officer in their region. JRCC Trenton is responsible to the Commander of Joint Task Force (Central) but also straddles the jurisdiction of JTF (East), JTF (West), and JTF (North).
Personnel
JRCC Trenton is staffed by personnel from the RCAF and CCG 24 hours a day, year-round. Duty staff are- two Maritime SAR Co-ordinators commonly referred to as the "marine controllers" (experienced CCG officers),
- one Maritime SAR Co-ordinators marine assistant experienced officer,
- one Aeronautical SAR Co-ordinator commonly referred to as the "air controller" (experienced RCAF pilot or navigator); and
- one Assistant Aeronautical SAR Co-ordinator or "air assistant" (experienced RCAF air traffic controller or air weapon controller).
Air and Marine controllers are collectively called "mission coordinators". All JRCC personnel function together as a team to ensure that response to distress incidents is co-ordinated effectively.
Location
JRCC Trenton is located on CFB TrentonCFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
in Trenton
Trenton, Ontario
Trenton is a community in Southern Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the main population centre in Quinte West....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. JRCC Trenton is connected with the Canadian Mission Control Centre (CMCC), NAV CANADA
NAV CANADA
Nav Canada is a privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system .The company employs approximately 2,000 air traffic controllers , 800 flight service specialists and 700 technologists...
, and the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
Marine Communications and Traffic Services radio systems.
Air
The primary SAR air resource in the Trenton SRR is 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron, a lodger unit of 8 Wing Trenton, and 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, a lodger unit of 17 Wing Trenton. 424 squadron is equipped with the CH-146 GriffonCH-146 Griffon
The Bell CH-146 Griffon is the Canadian military variant of the Bell 412EP, a multi-use utility helicopter. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissance, search and rescue and aero-mobility tasks....
helicopter and the CC-130 Hercules fixed wing aircraft whereas 435 squadron is equipped with the CC-130 Hercules. There are also resources available from the 417 Combat Support Squadron at 4 Wing Cold Lake, the 439 Combat Support Squadron at 3 Wing Bagotville which fly the CH-146 Griffon
CH-146 Griffon
The Bell CH-146 Griffon is the Canadian military variant of the Bell 412EP, a multi-use utility helicopter. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissance, search and rescue and aero-mobility tasks....
.
Secondary resources include the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association
Civil Air Search and Rescue Association
The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association or CASARA, is a Canada-wide volunteer aviation association dedicated to the promotion of aviation safety, and to the provision of air search support services to Canada's National Search and Rescue Program.*...
(CASARA) which is a national organization of volunteer pilots/aircraft owners who actively participate in aircraft searches and receive compensation for their services.
Marine
The Canadian Coast Guard provides the primary marine resources to the federal SAR system, with dedicated rescue cutters and seasonal inshore rescue boats stationed in the Great LakesGreat Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and St. Lawrence Seaway. A variety of secondary SAR vessels including other CCG vessels and occasionally Canadian Forces Maritime Command
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
(MARCOM) warships are available in Arctic waters during summer operations.
Secondary resources include the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary or CCGA is a Canada-wide volunteer marine association dedicated to marine search and rescue and the promotion of boating safety, through association with the Canadian Coast Guard under the auspices of Canada's National Search and Rescue Program.-History:Coastal...
(CGA) which is a national organization of volunteer mariners/vessel owners who actively participate in marine searches and receive compensation for their services.
Adjacent RCCs
JRCC Trenton works closely with, and shares resources freely with three adjacent RCCs:- Halifax, Nova Scotia to the east,
- Victoria, British Columbia to the west, and
- Langley, Virginia to the south.
The JRCCs share common air and marine radio circuits and all JRCCs are linked by hot line telephones. Canadian JRCC's and are mutually connected through the Canadian SAR Mission Management System (SMMS) Computer Network. It is not unusual for American or Canadian rescue units to respond to distress calls in each other's area when they are the closest available unit. Joint operating agreements and special customs procedures promote maximum cooperation that provides an optimal response to any distress.
MRSCs
The Trenton SRR straddles part of the territory covered by Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre QuebecMaritime Rescue Sub-Centre Quebec
Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre Quebec is a Canadian Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre that coordinates search and rescue operations in waters of the St.Lawrence River system, including all navigable waters of the golf, the estuary and the river of St.Lawrence, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the three main...
. MRSC Quebec is staffed exclusively by CCG personnel for coordinating marine rescues in support of JRCC Trenton within all marine waters in southern Quebec, namely the upper St. Lawrence River and St. Lawrence Seaway, the Ottawa River, the Richelieu River and the Canadian part of Lake Champlain.
SARSAT
One of the most useful tools in the National Search and Rescue ProgramNational Search and Rescue Program
The National Search and Rescue Program is the name given by the Government of Canada to the collective search and rescue activities in Canada...
is the Cospas-Sarsat
Cospas-Sarsat
Cospas-Sarsat is an international satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection and information distribution system, established by Canada, France, the United States, and the former Soviet Union in 1979. It is best known as the system that detects and locates emergency beacons...
satellite surveillance system that was jointly founded in 1981 by Canada, USA, France and USSR. At present 18 countries participate. The Canadian system uses three earth stations - Edmonton, Churchill and Goose Bay, to monitor satellites in polar orbit. These satellites detect and locate air and marine emergency beacons, referred to as Electronic Location Transmitters (ELTs) and Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), which transmit on 121.5, 243.0 and 406.0 MHz. The resultant distress signals are relayed to the Canadian Mission Control Centre, co-located at JRCC Trenton and then routed to the appropriate JRCC for action.