Three helicopters and 65 people to carry out search and rescue operations
The Canadian military will send helicopters and dozens of personnel to Jamaica to help the country deal with the upcoming hurricane season, Defence Minister Peter McKay said Wednesday. The initiative will see 65 members of the Canadian Forces and three Griffin helicopters travel to the Caribbean country to conduct anticipated search and rescue operations. They will remain there until November. More than a dozen tropical storms have been forecast to hit Jamaica in the coming months. The Jamaican Defence Force does not have the capabilities to carry out search and rescue operations on its own. McKay’s announcement comes after the Canadian International Development Agency funded a $2.1 million disaster simulation exercise in Jamaica. The operation involved the country’s military, police, health ministry and other agencies.