For the majority of Canadian jurisdictions, the local police service provides "underwater recovery" services. They do not have "rescue" capabilities. In the western provinces, and the martimes, the RCMP "URT" (underwater recovery team) is called in the event of a drowning. In provinces without an URT, the local commercial diver is sometimes contracted to do recovery work (My LDS owner was also a commercial diver, and he called in a bunch of his divemasters when contracted to do a recovery).
In Ontario the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) have a dive team, but again they do not have rescue capabilities. They respond after the fact, and do the recovery. Not sure how things are handled in Quebec.
The Calgary Fire Department has a great water rescue program, that includes divers trained by Dive Rescue International (I was fortunate to have the opportunity to train with them many years ago). They provide service within the City of Calgary, and have been called to locations outside the city to do recoveries.
There are some other teams, such as the Terrace Water Rescue Team in northern BC that do rescue and recovery work, but I belive they have to be tasked by the RCMP. I believe there is also a dive team in northern Alberta, but they would also have to be tasked by the RCMP to respond.
There are a lot of highly trained rescuers out there, who would love the opportunity to form a dive team, but those with jurisdiction will not let it happen.
If anyone has further information about dive rescue programs in Canada, please add to this thread.
Divegoose
In Ontario the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) have a dive team, but again they do not have rescue capabilities. They respond after the fact, and do the recovery. Not sure how things are handled in Quebec.
The Calgary Fire Department has a great water rescue program, that includes divers trained by Dive Rescue International (I was fortunate to have the opportunity to train with them many years ago). They provide service within the City of Calgary, and have been called to locations outside the city to do recoveries.
There are some other teams, such as the Terrace Water Rescue Team in northern BC that do rescue and recovery work, but I belive they have to be tasked by the RCMP. I believe there is also a dive team in northern Alberta, but they would also have to be tasked by the RCMP to respond.
There are a lot of highly trained rescuers out there, who would love the opportunity to form a dive team, but those with jurisdiction will not let it happen.
If anyone has further information about dive rescue programs in Canada, please add to this thread.
Divegoose