The British Columbia Aviation Council (BCAC) presented on November 12 the Back and Bevington Safety Award for Aviation Safety to 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, “for their outstanding service to the people of British Columbia”.
The Council recognizes excellence in the aviation industry by presenting this non-monetary award every year.
Mike Matthews, Chair of BCAC, said that “the diversity in which the squadron operates and their high level of skill and professionalism in order to save those in distress are the reasons for the award. Significant missions in the past year included a helicopter crash in the fast-flowing, icy Kitsault River, near Alice Arm in northern BC; the late-night rescue of two young brothers in the Port Renfrew area and hoisting down to the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship to retrieve a 54 year-old female who required advanced medical care.”
“It is a most welcome confirmation of our past efforts and of the professionalism of our men and women, both military and civilian,” said Major Kevin Toone, who accepted the award on behalf of 442 Squadron. “It is validation of our practices and procedures and most importantly….it is encouragement to maintain our operational tempo. That Others May Live.”
Canada is divided in three SAR regions under the responsibility of the Minister of National Defence. Resources from the Canadian Forces, the Canadian Coast Guard, the RCMP and a variety of volunteer organizations are employed to save the lives of people lost or injured, often in remote and dangerous locations. 442 Squadron is the main provider of air support to Search and Rescue on the West Coast, ready to launch in as little as thirty minutes and travel anywhere over 920,000 square kilometers of British Columbia and the Yukon or across 560,000 square kilometers of the Pacific. In all, 442 Squadron operates a total of six CC-115 Buffalos and five CH-149 Cormorants available to the Victoria Search and Rescue Region. Aside from the impressive hardware, the unit is home to over 200 men and women including pilots, navigators, flight engineers, search and rescue technicians, maintenance personnel and administration staff.
The BC Aviation Council awarded in 2005 the Back and Bevington Safety Award to the Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue (CFSSAR), also located at 19 Wing, for their “outstanding contribution and leadership in developing safety and rescue techniques for all Canadian Forces Search and Rescue technicians thereby providing paramedics, divers, and land & sea survival specialists as an elite element of the Canadian Air Force”.
