Volunteers from Station 8 – Delta of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue are dedicated to keeping the waters around Delta safe every day of the year.
Dedication is definitely a key word as the trained crews of the all-volunteer group respond to calls within minutes of being paged, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Station leader Dale Anaka says 20 volunteers make up the station’s four crews that rotate coverage throughout the week. When a call is received, the unit’s boat leaves the dock no more than 30 minutes later, so all volunteers must be ready to respond immediately.
“We need dedicated volunteers, that’s for sure,” Anaka says.
The boat is usually moored at the marina in Point Roberts to provide quicker access to the Strait of Georgia, but given the situation at the border due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the vessel has been temporarily relocated to Ladner Harbour.
Anaka says marine search and rescue volunteers are dispatched to all manner of calls, everything from boats running aground and those experiencing mechanical issues to persons overboard, injuries and health issues.
All members have first aid certificates and some have BC First Responder classification.
Volunteers also offer boating safety programs, provide pleasure craft checks and deliver lectures on boating safety.
Volunteers receive extensive training in a variety of fields, from first aid and radio operations to navigation and radar.
In addition to crew members, the non-profit society has a dozen or so volunteers that assist with administration and fundraising as it costs roughly $100,000 a year to keep the boat on the water.
