Back to news

January 7, 2019 | Local, Naval, Security

Sailing into the Ice

THERESA McGUIRE, © 2018 FrontLine (Vol 15, No 6)

The Arctic Ocean is so beautiful in the late summer and early fall, but can be deathly cold & unpredictable. Having a well-prepared, self-sufficient team is critical when it comes to marine safety and emergency response.

We had sailed from the port of St John's, Newfoundland on August 21st, and were heading toward Resolute, Nunavut, on the six-deck, Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Henry Larsen, high-endurance, multi-tasked icebreaker. Onboard as the Health Officer, I was looking forward to another safe Arctic mission on the 100-metre-long ship.

Henry Larsen is well equipped with additional transportation equipment and emergency vessels that included a Bell 429 helicopter, two new lifeboats, two hydrographic survey boats, a Zodiac Fast Rescue Craft, a metal barge for scientific technical work, and a variety of inflatable rafts.
In addition to assisting in scientific research, the Canadian Coast Guard's expanded mandate includes marine SAR (search and rescue), icebreaking, supporting and maintaining marine communications and navigation, and even responding to environmental pollution. We are always ready for the wide range of search and rescue calls, which can come from vessels in distress or downed aircraft.

If you're working on a Coast Guard vessel, you'd better be comfortable working in unusual environments and working independently – and that's also true for any health professionals on board. As a former army nurse and now occupational health nurse specializing in workplace health and safety, I enjoy these missions immensely with a full scope of nursing practice and a supportive crew to assist if needed. Sick bay on the Larsen is also well equipped, with oxygen, emergency airways and medications, sutures, defibrillator and ECG, and trauma and mass casualty kits all at the ready.

Full article: https://defence.frontline.online/article/2018/6/10844-Sailing-into-the-Ice

On the same subject

  • House lawmakers aim to cut F-35 buy as patience with delays wears thin

    May 13, 2024 | Local, Aerospace

    House lawmakers aim to cut F-35 buy as patience with delays wears thin

    Lawmakers have grown "frustrated" as the newest F-35s sit at Lockheed Martin's facility in Fort Worth, Texas, because their upgrades don't work.

  • Red Arrows rock Gatineau-Ottawa

    August 14, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

    Red Arrows rock Gatineau-Ottawa

    by Eric Dumigan Under blue skies, the team wowed thousands in a special one-day edition of Aero Gatineau-Ottawa. The Red Arrows, who last performed in North America more than a decade ago, are conducting an 11-week North American tour that “aims to promote the best of British and deepen partnerships with close friends and allies.” The contingent includes 108 people, 12 Red Arrows Hawk T1 aircraft and one Atlas A400M RAF transport aircraft. In their 55th season, the Red Arrows will travel coast to coast across North America, conducting aerobatic displays, flypasts and ground engagements. The Red Arrows use a mix of red, white and blue smoke during their performances to enhance visual presentation. Eric Dumigan Photo The team's leader, Martin Pert, leads the nine-plane formation in a series of manoeuvres with formations that salute the 50th anniversary of the Apollo mission; the Concorde, the world's only supersonic commercial aircraft; the Second World War Lancaster bomber; and the Tornado, a multi-roll strike aircraft that was retired from the RAF in 2019. The team uses red, white and blue smoke to enhance its visual presentation. The Red Arrows were formed in 1965 and have performed over 5,000 displays in 57 countries around the world. The Folland Gnat was replaced in 1980 with their current aircraft, the BAE Systems Hawk T1 trainer. The Hawk is a standard military two-seat advanced trainer with a tweaked engine to allow for faster response times. The Red Arrows performed a flypast in Halifax this past weekend and will perform in Toronto on Labour Day weekend, and in Victoria and Vancouver between September 24 and 27. Aero Gatineau-Ottawa will host a full airshow from Sept. 6 to 8, featuring the U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II Demo Team. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/red-arrows-rock-gatineau-ottawa/

  • No title found

    March 16, 2021 | Local, Aerospace

    No title found

All news