A week of training and learning for search and rescue crews wrapped up with the toughest challenge yet.
The National Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) brought together around 110 Canadian Air Force members as well as 70 United States armed forces and wrapped September 13 with a major air disaster simulation.
Aircraft pilot Dan Noonan is stationed on the East Coast and said training in Comox offers a unique environment and puts them to the test.
“It’s a great challenge for me and for our crews that come from here or from Greenwood to fly in the mountains, test the machine capabilities, and test our skills as well.”
The final simulation was a major air disaster, with crews having to attend the scene of a plane crash of around 45 people with injuries and casualties differing by person.
The actors wore makeup and fake blood to simulate a crash, and were given notes on how they should act to help responders train for all types of injuries and people they may treat in a real-life scenario.
Pararescue jumpers parachuted down from a Hercules aircraft to assess the scene and distribute first aid before Rotary Wing SAR arrived to extract the casualties and take them to nearby hospitals.
Crews were assessed by evaluators on their work on the scenes and given feedback on what they did right and what could have been corrected.
Over the six-day event that featured over 60 simulations both during day and night, crews responded to air and ground response events, plane crashes, and maritime rescue scenarios.
US Coast Guard Liaison Officer Cdr. George Cottrell said Comox provided everything crews could have wanted for training from an environmental perspective.
“I don’t know if I’ve been to a place that’s quite as ideal as Comox for training and these types of events.”
The event was the first time it had been held in nearly a decade after it was paused due to numerous reasons.
It will become a yearly occurrence again, rotating between different cities and environments each year.
