HARP In 1978, the RCMP commenced the
Emergency Response Team (ERT) Program developing an Emergency Response Team Course and establishing 31 part-time Emergency Response Team tactical units across Canada. In 1981, the
Solicitor General directed the RCMP to form a counter terrorist unit the Hostage Assault and Rescue Program (HARP) to be based in
Ottawa from the best ERT members in the ERT Program. HARP was to provide security for the
7th G7 Summit to be held in July 1981 in
Montebello. Neither the RCMP or CAF wanted the responsibility.
Formation In March 1986, the SERT was established tasked to respond to hostage incidents involving foreign diplomats or other crises beyond the capability of the ERT. SERT consisted of 49 operators divided into two sub-units of 24 who rotated on a monthly basis between on call and training, and if required, could deploy as a whole unit. Volunteers had to pass a nine-day selection course and complete a six-month training course to respond to incidents on land such as barricaded strongholds, trains, planes and vehicles. The course was based on methods and tactics of the 22 SAS, the US FBI
Hostage Rescue Team and the German Federal Police
GSG 9. The Dwyer Hill Training Facility construction was completed in 1989 with the facility providing an indoor swimming pool, 50-metre indoor range, Close Quarter Battle House, Method of Entry building, four-storey concrete tower, large passenger bus, 300-metre range sniper range and a former
Air Canada Douglas DC-8. In 1990, the
Royal Canadian Air Force formed the SERT Assault Helicopter (SAH) Flight in
450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron to provide dedicated aviation support to SERT with three
CH-135 Twin Huey helicopters. Earlier in 1987, a
MOU had been agreed between the RCMP and the CAF for the provision of fixed wing and rotary wing support for SERT training and operations. The
Senate Special Committee on Terrorism and the Public Safety produced a report in 1989 that criticized the RCMP for failing to have conducted training exercises between SERT and other Canadian police forces tactical units. There was a view in some large police forces that their own tactical units were as capable as SERT and that they would not require assistance from the RCMP to resolve a terrorist incident.
Disbandment In February 1992, the federal government decided to transfer responsibility for national counter terrorism response to the Canadian Armed Forces. The CAF view on raising a special operations force had changed from 1985 and it was now open to a proposal being driven by the Deputy
Minister of National Defence Robert Fowler to assume the responsibility from the RCMP. ==References==