Transport Publication - TP 13585 E
Details:
Marine Safety Management System - Policy
Number:
TP
13585
E
1 Policy Objective
1.1 The objective of this policy is to allow water rescue vessels operated by a municipal fire department to exhibit a blue flashing light while providing assistance.
2 Policy Statement
2.1 Even though the Collision Regulations Rule 45 does not recognize water rescue vessels operated by a municipal fire department, such vessels will be deemed to meet the intent of Rule 45 and therefore to be compliant with the Regulations only when exhibiting a blue flashing light in Canada for safety reasons while providing assistance to any vessel or other craft, aircraft or person that is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance.
2.2 It should be noted that any vessel allowed to exhibit a blue flashing light as an identification or safety signal is not relieved from the obligation to comply with the Steering and Sailing Rules set out in the Collision Regulations.
2.3 Misuse of the blue flashing light could detract from its effectiveness, both as a safety and as an identification signal, create confusion, or distract vessels. Furthermore in the United States, the blue flashing light is only permitted by law enforcement vessels. Consequently it should be made clear that the light may only be exhibited while the vessel is providing assistance (i.e. not during transit to and from the incident location or during towing operations).
3 Scope
3.1 This policy applies to water rescue vessels operated by a municipal fire department.
4 Authority
4.1 This policy comes under the overall administrative authority of the Marine Executive Committee, and the Executive Director, Navigation Safety and Environmental Programs, has approved this policy for general application.
5 Responsibility / further information
5.1 The Executive Director, Navigation Safety and Environmental Programs (AMSE), is accountable for this policy, while the Regional Directors are responsible for the application of this policy.
5.2 Regional offices are responsible for informing, where necessary, local enforcement authorities who have been authorized under the CSA 2001 to ensure compliance with respect to vessels that are not more than 24 metres in length.
5.3 The Manager, Navigation Safety and Radiocommunications (AMSEC), may be contacted at 613-991-3134 should further clarification be required.
6 Related Documents
6.1 Collision Regulations.
6.2 MSSE power point presentation RDIMS # 8808802.
7 Background
7.1 Collision Regulations Rule 45 permits any government vessel or any vessel that is owned or operated by a harbour, river, county or municipal police force to exhibit as an identification signal a blue flashing light when the vessels providing assistance in any Canadian waters to any vessel or other craft, aircraft or person that is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance, or is engaged in law enforcement duties in Canadian waters.
7.2 This policy was initiated by a request from L’Association des chefs en sécurité incendie du Québec (ACSIQ) to allow their water rescue vessels to exhibit the blue flashing light when providing assistance. This will facilitate the identification of their vessels when providing assistance and thereby increase safety at the scene of an incident.
7.3 The ACSIQ also indicated that the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) supports the request.
7.4 The ACSIQ presented its request and rationale at the Navigation and Operations Standing Committee (CMAC) in April 2013 and no objections were expressed.
7.5 Across Canada, it appears to have been a common practice for fireboats to use a blue flashing light.
8 Date of Application
8.1 This policy becomes effective on April 14, 2014.
9 Date for Review or Expiry
9.1 This policy shall be in effect until rescinded.
10 RDIMS Reference
10.1 The English version of this document is found under RDIMS reference number 9132171. The applied naming convention is PUBLICATION – TP 13585 – POLICY – ACCEPTANCE OF BLUE FLASHING LIGHT ON WATER RESCUE VESSELS.
10.2 This is the first approved and finalized revision of the English version of this document.
10.3 La version française du présent document est dans le SGDDI et porte le numéro de référence 9290836. La règle d’affectation des noms est PUBLICATION — TP 13585 — POLITIQUE – ACCEPTATION DES FEUX À ÉCLATS BLEUS SUR LES BÂTIMENTS DE SAUVETAGE MARITIME.
10.4 Il s'agit de la première révision approuvée et finalisée de la version française de ce document.
11 Keywords
- Blue flashing light.
- Collision Regulations.
- Water rescue vessels.
- L’Association des chefs en sécurité incendie du Québec (ACSIQ).