Early returns

It may not be finished, with some voices still to be heard from, but Robert Wells already has made recommendations to improve the search and rescue response to the offshore oil industry.

Mr. Wells, the commissioner for the inquiry examining the matter following last year's fatal Cougar helicopter crash, made those recommendations in a letter addressed to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board.

Of interest to people in this region is how Mr. Wells views the search and rescue response time for offshore incidents. Many people have expressed displeasure about the current arrangement, under which Cougar is contracted by oil companies to provide first-response search and rescue in one hour or less.

Mr. Wells said this should be reduced to 15-20 minutes. It's a big jump, for sure, but it is also within the standards Cougar has set in other regions. According to an article in The Beacon's sister publication, The Telegram, Cougar helicopters are in the air to provide first response in 20 minutes for the Gulf of Mexico, and 30 minutes for Alaska and the Northwest Territories.

A full report is expected from Mr. Wells later this year, and that may provide more details on the role to be played by the Canadian Forces. Since the Cougar helicopter crash, vocal supporters have trumpeted the idea of basing a Cormorant helicopter in St. John's, and with it the necessary support mechanisms.

At present, 92 military personnel work to maintain operations for 103 Squadron, which has three Cormorant helicopters. They are required to have a 30-minute response time during the day. At night, this jumps to approximately 61 minutes.

Mr. Wells has not made public comments explicitly addressing the role of the Canadian Forces, but has said in the past first-response capabilities at the St. John's airport should be world class.

Supporters of the move to bring a Cormorant to St. John's will approve of Mr. Wells' early recommendation on reducing the response time, and will hope to eventually see the Canadian government act on their wishes.

However, as has been discussed by local politicians on numerous occasions, more than one Cormorant helicopter is necessary at a given location to provide proper search and rescue services.

Setting up shop in St. John's would be an expensive proposition, and when the country is still trying to come out of a recession while also funding an expensive military operation in Afghanistan, extra funds for search and rescue may not be in the cards.

The offshore workers who now fly to oil platforms must still deal with anxieties in the aftermath of what happened in March of last year. Their safety fears need to be addressed in some manner, and hopefully the inquiry headed by Mr. Wells will find a way to do that.

Whether that pans out is beyond his capabilities. His final report will certainly draw attention once it's published.

info@ganderbeacon.ca