PARA CROWDFUNDING TO FINANCE ZODIAC HURRICANE 753
June 12, 2016
There are approximately 2.8 million recreational boats and personal watercraft in Canada.
Recreational boaters are involved in approximately 65% of all Marine SAR incidents with about 200 boating fatalities each year, most of them preventable.
• About 30% of all water-related deaths occurred while boating.
• The majority of fatal accidents are caused by capsizing, collision or falling overboard.
Each year, over 2,000 rescue missions are conducted and more than 200 lives are saved by Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) Search and Rescue Units. PARA is a founding member of the CCGA. Our mission is dedicated to the preservation of life on the water. We are frequenting called upon for Search and Rescue missions due to the enhanced capabilities of our one vessel. PARA currently maintains one patrol vessel, call sign PARU (Pickering Auxiliary Rescue Unit). This boat has been in service since 1997. The proud and respected marine call-sign P.A.R.U. has remained through generations of vessels with a long history of community service, dedication to duty and a commitment to safety on the waters of Lake Ontario. Based on the statistics above and our working partnerships with the CCGA, Durham Regional Police, Fire and Paramedics, PARA has looked at additional ways that we can continue and enhance our dedicated mission and capabilities. We need your help to do so. Your donation to this campaign will allow us to purchase a second vessel – PARU2.
Why do we need a second vessel? PARU is our only vessel and is often tasked by the CCGA because of its advanced capabilities. This means that we can only respond to one incident at a time. A second vessel would allow us to provide additional resources to any one particular tasking but will also allow us to respond to a second incident if need be.
What we need
PARA has determined that in order continue a tradition of providing best in class SAR capabilities to Recreational Boaters, the region and CCGA on Lake Ontario, we require a mission specific vessel that provides the utmost in ruggedness and reliability. The Zodiac
Hurricane 753 range of RHIB’s are designed for used in search and rescue, aids to navigation maintenance and law enforcement missions.
Price: Starting at $225,000
Why the Hurricane?
Here are a couple key design features that make the Hurricane Range the ideal vessel for PARA and its’ SAR missions. • The Deep V Hull allows high-speed operation in rough waters, making it possible for PARA to respond faster in all weather conditions. • The Milpro AIR jockey seat has been developed to meet perfectly the high requirement of military and professional users. Its’ design provides the capacity to stay at sea during long range operations and to preserve the crew from fatigue and injuries. • The Hurricane is equipped with a self-righting system providing stability, maneuverability and additional safety for SAR missions. Why are we Crowdfunding? The cost of a new boat is prohibitive to PARA. We are a Not-for-profit Canadian registered charitable organization with very limited funding resources. The funding we currently receive has limited use restrictions, such as, it can only be used for operational expenses associated with the vessel. No capital projects such as new or replacement equipment can be purchased with these funds.
Do you do other fundraising? Yes, PARA is made up entirely of volunteers who tirelessly devote their time and energy to SAR missions and fundraising activities. The funds we generate from our fundraising is typically used to purchase equipment for PARU and to ensure our crews have the tools and safety equipment they need to do the outstanding job they do, to provide our volunteers have the personal gear on board PARU to execute their responsibilities costs upwards for $1000 per crew member.
Money we raise is also used to ensure our members are trained in accordance with CCGA Guidelines and Transport Canada Regulations so that we are effective in our mission. Your donation to this campaign will allow us to purchase a second vessel – PARU2.
