The Following Links are regarding Prince Rupert Marine Communications and Traffic Services.
MCTS are the first line of Contact for vessels in distress and have been often called the “911 of the sea”
If you are in trouble on the water you will talk to Prince Rupert MCTS. They screen all vessels entering Canadian waters, the manage Marine Traffic (including all potential oil tankers to Kitimat), and are often the first response to any pollution report.
If you remember the Queen of the North, then you will know that it was Prince Rupert’s time management that relayed their distress call that helped save over 100 lives.
The federal government is trying to reduce the staffing level from three to two at certain times of they year. There will be times where only ONE! one person will be manning all three positions for the whole north coast.
I urge you to listen to the audio link and watch the video and contact you local MLA.
I was of the understand that the government was mandating change that if a) A worker calls in unable to make it to their shift and b) If the replacement worker called in (thus making the replacing worker work overtime) is indeed going to be earning overtime then c) the Supervisor has the discretion to either a) Not call a third person b) The supervisor may use their discretion according to expected workload to either ensure a replacement worker comes in or not use a replacement worker?
Sounds like the problem comes down to the Supervisor’s discretion.
The fact of the matter is, peoples lives and livelihood will he at risk. Prince Rupert MCTS is the first to broadcast a tsunami warning to all coastal communities, they are the first point of contact when your husband or wife or child is caught in a storm and is yelling on the radio to help save their life.
Coast guard MCTS is an essential service, remember we work 24/7 365. So when someone books off vacation leave it should never EVER be up to a supervisor to fill that position. It just needs to he done. Prince Rupert’s AOR(area of responsibility) is the largest in the entire world. By reducing the staff on position you are taking away 33% of the eyes and ears on the water.
If and when prince Rupert goes down to one person on position and they are forced to talk to a foreign vessel entering Canadian waters, the chances of missing a distress call will go up exponentially. The government believes that one person at times can talk to foreign vessels and also maintain a proper listening watch on distress frequencies.
Try this. Go to your tv turn it on very loud, then turn on a radio 30 feet away. Some one n the radio whispers “help”… Ask your self. Did you hear that? Do we want our families and friends lives in danger because the federal government wants to save some money? Maybe next time they will start pulling off RCMP from the roads when they think it won’t be busy…
It’s not about money and overtime. It’s about the government risk managing the mariners life.
[quote=“Ambrose”]The fact of the matter is, peoples lives and livelihood will he at risk. Prince Rupert MCTS is the first to broadcast a tsunami warning to all coastal communities, they are the first point of contact when your husband or wife or child is caught in a storm and is yelling on the radio to help save their life.
It’s not about money and overtime. It’s about the government risk managing the mariners life.[/quote]
it’s nice to see in this day and age fear mongering is still alive and well and exists to hammer points home at all those who are manipulated by it. I can understand the reason you’re posting, but I don’t understand why it’s a problem; all the Supervisors need to do is informally disregard the new staffing mandate. Not hard. Post this to your Supervisor, you can’t fight City Hall - so to speak.
This is coming from Ottawa, the supervisor is at the bottom of the chain when it comes to choosing when to bring someone in. You fail to understand what’s important here. Every single shift needs three people. Every single position needs eyes and ears on watch.
A supervisor CANNOT bring someone in every shift with this proposed minimum staffing. They have no power at all. The problem lies within the proposed directive that states if someone books off at certian times of the year to not back fill.
What I am saying is we need three people at all times. To tell a supervisor this is a mute point.
I am not sure where you are getting your information from but you cannot be more wrong on the subject.
Bottom line: Prince Rupert needs to be fully staffed at ALL times or mariners life is at risk! It’s really that simple.
[quote=“Ambrose”]The fact of the matter is, peoples lives and livelihood will he at risk. Prince Rupert MCTS is the first to broadcast a tsunami warning to all coastal communities, they are the first point of contact when your husband or wife or child is caught in a storm and is yelling on the radio to help save their life.
It’s not about money and overtime. It’s about the government risk managing the mariners life.[/quote]
it’s nice to see in this day and age fear mongering is still alive and well and exists to hammer points home at all those who are manipulated by it. I can understand the reason you’re posting, but I don’t understand why it’s a problem; all the Supervisors need to do is informally disregard the new staffing mandate. Not hard. Post this to your Supervisor, you can’t fight City Hall - so to speak.[/quote]
Lets face it, the supervisors will be under pressure to keep wage costs down and this proposal sounds like the thin edge of the wedge in reducing needed levels of service. When tragedy does strike, the fingers of blame won’t be pointing to the likes of helicopter McKay… it’ll be to the dumb schmuck of a supervisor that was under pressure to keep payroll costs down.
If the Port of Prince Rupert is truly of Strategic National Importance, then surely we can afford to staff the needed service infrastructure properly.
it’s nice to see in this day and age fear mongering is still alive and well and exists to hammer points home at all those who are manipulated by it. I can understand the reason you’re posting, but I don’t understand why it’s a problem; all the Supervisors need to do is informally disregard the new staffing mandate. Not hard. Post this to your Supervisor, you can’t fight City Hall - so to speak.
'
Am I the only one curious to know what “meepmeepzoom” does for a living? Would your thoughts remain the same if your life (or a someone you even know) was at stake? If you were at sea, simply someone that ran out of gas, broke down, ran over a log…or even suddenly subject to the inclement weather conditions of the North West? Or one of most that think all you need is a Pleasure Craft Operator Card to save you? or a medevac from one of the outlying communities perhaps that is subject to uncontrollable weather conditions and have to rely on CG fast response crafts that have already been subject to cut backs and changes that aren’t appropriate for the distances & weather that Prince Rupert is subject to?
Think about it this isn’t an employee cash grab demanding wage increases…its cut backs. If you are truly knowledgeable in the cutbacks that MCTS is faced with you’d ALSO know that they’ve been with out a contract for going on 2 years or even know that benefits have been reduced &/or wages and hiring has been frozen? hmmm ok well I await your reply…
As for “fear mongering” < really what are you? 12? Come on you can do better than that AND if so, lets hear it as apparently the Federal Government could use your knowledge, ideas and hey…not only is working for the COAST GUARD a career its an ADVENTURE! So apply today!
Or maybe you’re already a government employee that is so bittered that you’ve given up and now encourage the wrong doings or oversights that cutbacks can create?!
Remember … no one can control the weather, nor can they predict when it might be a busy night…
it’s nice to see in this day and age fear mongering is still alive and well and exists to hammer points home at all those who are manipulated by it. I can understand the reason you’re posting, but I don’t understand why it’s a problem; all the Supervisors need to do is informally disregard the new staffing mandate. Not hard. Post this to your Supervisor, you can’t fight City Hall - so to speak.
'
Am I the only one curious to know what “meepmeepzoom” does for a living? Would your thoughts remain the same if your life (or a someone you even know) was at stake? If you were at sea, simply someone that ran out of gas, broke down, ran over a log…or even suddenly subject to the inclement weather conditions of the North West? Or one of most that think all you need is a Pleasure Craft Operator Card to save you? or a medevac from one of the outlying communities perhaps that is subject to uncontrollable weather conditions and have to rely on CG fast response crafts that have already been subject to cut backs and changes that aren’t appropriate for the distances & weather that Prince Rupert is subject to?
Think about it this isn’t an employee cash grab demanding wage increases…its cut backs. If you are truly knowledgeable in the cutbacks that MCTS is faced with you’d ALSO know that they’ve been with out a contract for going on 2 years or even know that benefits have been reduced &/or wages and hiring has been frozen? hmmm ok well I await your reply…
As for “fear mongering” < really what are you? 12? Come on you can do better than that AND if so, lets hear it as apparently the Federal Government could use your knowledge, ideas and hey…not only is working for the COAST GUARD a career its an ADVENTURE! So apply today!
Or maybe you’re already a government employee that is so bittered that you’ve given up and now encourage the wrong doings or oversights that cutbacks can create?!
Remember … no one can control the weather, nor can they predict when it might be a busy night…
sign me disappointed
Yikes what a mess to read
We all hope for a day when lucid and easy to comprehend conversation, er make that screeds, becomes the norm on htmf.
Wow am I to understand that the Coast Guard is now attaching a dollar figure to the price of life at sea? That’s what it sounds like to me!
I can see it now… Coast Guard I need assistance!
Roger please go ahead with your valid credit card # after the tone… BEEP.
it’s nice to see in this day and age fear mongering is still alive and well and exists to hammer points home at all those who are manipulated by it. I can understand the reason you’re posting, but I don’t understand why it’s a problem; all the Supervisors need to do is informally disregard the new staffing mandate. Not hard. Post this to your Supervisor, you can’t fight City Hall - so to speak.[/quote]
’
Yikes what a mess to read
We all hope for a day when lucid and easy to comprehend conversation, er make that screeds, becomes the norm on htmf.
Wasn’t trying to be nonsensical, or insensitive and I know many that are, on a daily basis, possibly put in danger by the mandates. Including many close to me. Perhaps let’s call it a bad “pick your battles” example here, but I am also irritated and fed up with bloated bureaucracy, erroneous government spending and poor decision making on the whole. I would also call “Three people to monitor the entire West Coast” a very poor staffing choice as well considering the geographical area to cover.
Also, I am not against this:
[quote=“Ambrose”]
This is what im trying to say. If you are concerned for you family or friends who work and play on the ocean then please contact your MLA or MP.[/quote]
[quote=“RupertCowboy”]Wow am I to understand that the Coast Guard is now attaching a dollar figure to the price of life at sea? That’s what it sounds like to me!
I can see it now… Coast Guard I need assistance!
Roger please go ahead with your valid credit card # after the tone… BEEP.[/quote]
Of course the Coast Guard attaches a dollar figure to the price of life at sea, just as government attaches a price to the cost of having hospitals, police forces, armed forces, fire departments, ambulances, and other emergency services to protect or save lives. There are not unlimited budgets for those services, ultimately because citizens are not willing to elect governments that will collect unlimited taxes to pay for them.
As for your credit card scenario, there may be circumstances where those who are rescued should pay some of the cost. Mountain rescue services in BC and elsewhere in the world charge people for costs if they put themselves (and potentially the rescuers) in danger by ignoring posted signs and warnings. If people operate vessels when they are drunk or they ignore other marine safety requirements they should have to pay at least some of the cost of rescuing or assisting them.