On the water, on patrol

[five_alarm]

VANCOUVER, BC - Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary boats will be combing the waters around the south arm of the Fraser River this weekend. It's not a real emergency but a series of mock marine rescue operations intended to help train nine auxiliary units, including Delta's own Unit 8. "We're pretty keen on it," said Dave Drysdale, deputy unit leader and training officer for the Delta unit. "We train regularly so we think we're ready for any circumstances thrown at us." Almost 100 Coast Guard auxiliary members will be out from the different units, one coming from as far as Nanaimo, to attend the Zone Search and Rescue exercise. Delta will have its 30 members and two boats, a fast response search and rescue boat and a steel-hulled all-weather boat, out. The exercise starts at 9 a.m. Saturday morning near the commercial fish sales float in Steveston, Richmond, and runs until 4 p.m. A whale watching boat will be available to the public to get an on-water look at the training exercises during the afternoon. Also involved in the exercise will be members from the RCMP, B.C. Ambulance Service and possibly the fire department and helicopter services. To those who might be interested in coming out to watch the exercise, he said, "rest assured, people won't be disappointed if they come and see it."

Source: southdeltaleader.com (http://www.firehall.com/refer.php?url=http://www.southdeltaleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=48()cat=23()id=332003()more=&linkid=1117&parent=news(headlines)&)