Some Canadian Forces entry points unguarded due to budget cuts

[Eye In The Sky]

CBC News Article

Sources tell CBC News more than 60 commissionaires let go as DND budget trimmed

Many entry points to Canadian Forces bases are now without guards during the day as part of security changes related to budget cuts hitting the Department of National Defence.

Sources told CBC News more than 60 commissionaires, who controlled access to dockyard gates, have been let go, and some of the sites will be looked after by an expanded duty watch of military personnel.

Documents obtained by CBC News through the Access to Information Act revealed eight officers and a civilian made 38 recommendations earlier this year about how to continue guarding the gates to various DND sites.
CFB Shearwater's main gate is now unguarded and the gate remains open during the day.CFB Shearwater's main gate is now unguarded and the gate remains open during the day. (CBC)
Those recommendations were redacted in the document.

The people who attended the January meeting on reducing the operations and maintenance budget at CFB Halifax were warned to be discreet.

"[The chair] reminded all present that because of the nature of this meeting, the contents of this meeting were not be discussed outside or with anyone other than attendees of this meeting," the documents state.

In Halifax, Stadacona's main gate is unguarded, as is CFB Shearwater.

There is a sign at CFB Shearwater's main gate requiring every person to have an ID or pass and warning they may be subject to a search, but the booth is now unmanned.

Other sites, such as Rainbow Gate and Admiral's Gate at CFB Halifax and HMCS Trinity — an intelligence facility at the naval dockyard in Halifax — have been allowed to keep their commissionaires.

The documents obtained by CBC News do not reveal how much the DND is saving with the security cuts — the commissionaires cost more than $5 million annually to staff 44 individual sites.

"These commissionaires provide services ranging from static security posts, escort duties to evidence custodian and dispatcher services. The turnover rate for our commissionaires at DND is very low," the documents state.

"With respect to manning levels at DND commissionaire sites, a critical look has been taken to determine whether there are further savings which could be accrued through the redeployment of tasks or personnel or through the elimination of services."

The Canadian Corps of Commissionaires declined to comment on the story, saying the DND is still a client.

 

[Monsoon]

CBC Sources told CBC News more than 60 commissionaires, who controlled access to dockyard gates, have been let go, and some of the sites will be looked after by an expanded duty watch of military personnel.

So... replacing 60-year-old men with a military duty watch = "unguarded". Thanks for coming out, CBC.

I, for one, don't know how I'll be able to sleep at night in the open base of Stadacona without knowing that there's commissionaire at the gate to wave through cars listlessly without leaving his booth.

 

[MJP]

I heard the story on the radio this morning and they were talking about how these cuts made a bunch of bases across Canada unguarded.  Made it sound like every base has/had commissionares, nevermind that there are a large number of open bases across the country.  Much ado about nothing IMHO...

 

[Jarnhamar]

I'm very much against firing commissionaires and putting a soldier on duty.  Smaller units filling a 24 hour duty rotations can seriously screw with their schedules and family life.

 

[Jammer]

Seriously...screwing with family life?

Welcome to the miilitary...Have you ever been to a US Base?

MPs can be used to sit in guardhouse along with the endless line of defoulters. Forget the charges....put 'em on duty!

 

[bLUE fOX]

I worked for the commissionaires NS for just over a year, most of that time at the dock yard and Stadaconna. At Stadaconna especially, people rarely stopped to present ID, and on at least three separate occasions I had been almost hit by a car when I tried to ask for ID. Despite the base commanders orders, there were a number of drivers who refused to roll their windows down to hand me their ID's to check, and I had been cursed out by PO2 once because I told him his ID was expired and he wouldn't be allowed on base.

That's not to say there isn't a certain culture of apathy. I had once gotten a stern talking to about challenging Adm Gardam for his ID, and was told never to do that again. As well, on more then a few occasions I had been told by other commissionaires not to with checking ID's because I hadn't been around long enough to know who to wave through and who to check, so I was to sit off to the side and watch.

While I was disappointed to find out I would be losing my job, I wasn't surprised when the initial warning came out either. There are a number of positions that I don't think they need commissionaires for (and a few were there aren't, that as a minimum I think there should be). It's a nice job for what it was explained to me as it's purpose (augmenting a military pension), but given the restrictions placed on the commissionaires and the age and abilities of a number of them, I don't know that having them provide security at some sites is appropriate (both for the individual commissionaire and the needs of the military).

 

[bLUE fOX]

ObedientiaZelum: sorry, You posted while I was typing. I have been talking to some of the reg force types who volunteer with the cadets, and that was brought up as an issue that, as stupid as sounds, might have some serious impact on retention. It's my understanding that at the moment it's only likely to effect someone once every three months or so, but I might have miss-read that memo.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Seriously...screwing with family life?

Welcome to the miilitary...Have you ever been to a US Base?

Yup, seriously.  Something like this wouldn't impact a battalion very much, but when platoon size subunits have to start doing extra duty within their org it can cause a significant disruption to their routine and home life.


Welcome to the military is, IMO, a poor response to something that can seriously effect a soldiers personal life.
And yes I have been to a US base, in fact I just posted a stat how in 2012 they had a soldier commit suicide every 25 hours.

 

[dimsum]

Yup, seriously.  Something like this wouldn't impact a battalion very much, but when platoon size subunits have to start doing extra duty within their org it can cause a significant disruption to their routine and home life.


Welcome to the military is, IMO, a poor response to something that can seriously effect a soldiers personal life.
And yes I have been to a US base, in fact I just posted a stat how in 2012 they had a soldier commit suicide every 25 hours.

Whoa...we're talking about implementing "Base Duty Watch" much like how HMC ships (and Naden/Stad/Dockyards) do it, correct?  If everyone on base is in the rotation, how often would you actually be on duty for the night? 

 

[Monsoon]

And yes I have been to a US base, in fact I just posted a stat how in 2012 they had a soldier commit suicide every 25 hours.

As a result of their policy of having soldiers stand duty watches? That's... an interesting conclusion you've drawn there.

 

[PuckChaser]

Whoa...we're talking about implementing "Base Duty Watch" much like how HMC ships (and Naden/Stad/Dockyards) do it, correct?  If everyone on base is in the rotation, how often would you actually be on duty for the night?

Once every 2-3 months at my unit right now, and thats just the gate to the compound (that we don't need open all day IMO). Smaller bases its more of an issue, but of course everyone would have an excuse why they can't do it when their name comes up.

 

[Towards_the_gap]

I'm very much against firing commissionaires and putting a soldier on duty.  Smaller units filling a 24 hour duty rotations can seriously screw with their schedules and family life.

At my next-but-last unit, an RE regiment in the UK which was the sole occupant of the barracks, the 4 squadrons shared the guard shift. 1 sqn's shift (12 dudes[Gd Comd, 2IC, Driver, 9 sentries]) rotated between a week of days (0900-1800), nights (1800-0900) and a week off. It was a nice break for some from the training/deployment schedule, and as it was relatively sedentary duty, did allow for injured pers to return to full duties whilst fulfilling a more meaningful task than being the SSM's clerk or working in the mail room. Whilst on duty, the sentries rotated between QRF, roving sentry, gate guard and rest. Soldiers would also be tasked to the guardroom for 6 month stints.

Now, genuine question here, would you think this pattern to be wholly un-sustainable for a base like petawawa?

 

[211RadOp]

I'm very much against firing commissionaires and putting a soldier on duty.  Smaller units filling a 24 hour duty rotations can seriously screw with their schedules and family life.

If the duties are shared proportionally with all units at the base, then this would not be an issue.  If,  for example, a unit has 10% of the personnel eligible for duty on the base, then they should fill 10% of the duty roster monthly.  I do not see an issue with this at all.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Whoa...we're talking about implementing "Base Duty Watch" much like how HMC ships (and Naden/Stad/Dockyards) do it, correct?  If everyone on base is in the rotation, how often would you actually be on duty for the night?

For large bases where duty is shared across units it's not that big of a deal, Petawawa for example has a base duty NCO, duty driver and duty officer on top of the commissionaire. Soldiers can go months or even years without having a duty. 
The commissionaire basically trains a new crew every day. They're the ones who know everything and what needs to be done if something happens, less so for someone who does the job once every half a year or more.

For a smaller unit that has a commissionaire, say Petawawa's ammo compound that has only a platoon working out of it, loosing a commissionaire makes a bigger impact.

As a result of their policy of having soldiers stand duty watches? That's... an interesting conclusion you've drawn there.

I'm not sure the causes but I'm going to guess a significant number of the causes are from various problems at home, some of which I'm sure could be caused from the military side of the house. 

I'm not saying doing extra duty is going to make someone commit suicide but I think units that may be already stretched thin for man power picking up even more work could lead to problems at home.  One soldier I've spoke with had 27 hours of last minute overtime in 2 weeks.

At my next-but-last unit, an RE regiment in the UK which was the sole occupant of the barracks, the 4 squadrons shared the guard shift. 1 sqn's shift (12 dudes[Gd Comd, 2IC, Driver, 9 sentries]) rotated between a week of days (0900-1800), nights (1800-0900) and a week off. It was a nice break for some from the training/deployment schedule, and as it was relatively sedentary duty, did allow for injured pers to return to full duties whilst fulfilling a more meaningful task than being the SSM's clerk or working in the mail room. Whilst on duty, the sentries rotated between QRF, roving sentry, gate guard and rest. Soldiers would also be tasked to the guardroom for 6 month stints.

Now, genuine question here, would you think this pattern to be wholly un-sustainable for a base like petawawa?

Great point
I think it's doable in a place like Petawawa.  Petawawa has some 200+(?)  soldiers in various stages of health on JPSU I've heard, many whom I'm told sit around and do nothing (they can't find enough work for them) or they might check in once a day.  I bet a lot of them would appreciate being treated like a soldier and given a force protection/security type task instead of, as you say,working in a mail room.

 

[Tank Troll]

Whoa...we're talking about implementing "Base Duty Watch" much like how HMC ships (and Naden/Stad/Dockyards) do it, correct?  If everyone on base is in the rotation, how often would you actually be on duty for the night?

So I spend a month or so gone on exercise or on course come home and first weekend back I get a nice base duty, doesn't matter if it is only once every 2-3 months or only twice a year that coupled with regimental duty just adds another level of f**kery on top of what is already there. Now you can argue well it is poor planning on who ever does the duty schedule to put you on duty right after you get back but it happens more times than not.

 

[upandatom]

I am all for using defaulters, duties. to fill this. Your late and miss a timing, you f*$%ed up, well guess what, your saturday/sunday is now gone. It would save alot of time and effort and I am positive someone drank to much on a thursday and missed Friday morning role call would prefer an extra duty as opposed to a summary trial. It was right, yeah 12 hour duty shift, depending on the size of the base, could be once in 6 months you have to do it, and even then, most RSMs and COs nowadays, if you arent on that duty for pulling a sh!tpump move, then youll get a short later on.

Funny thing, my last RSM said straight up he was a sh!t disturber, got in trouble, but never had a conduct sheet because in the older days, they used to handle these things with a weekend of duties or extras. Nowadays its summary trial here, summary trial there, for trivial matters that can be handled with a simple weekend of duties for first time offenders. If it repeats itself, then yes I am all for the hatless dance.

Alot of bases have an open gate policy and it causes alot of grief. (even on the PMQ sides of bases) The last base I was on people were having their BBQs and bikes stolen Trailer Park Boys style for the scrap metal from their back yards. Had that of happened if some old shady dude drove in with a POS pickup truck and a commisionare or member on duty was saying to himself "this doesnt look right" and made a quick call to the MPs.

 

[ModlrMike]

All well and good however at a number of bases, Edm/Wpg/Esq for example the PMQ patch is outside the base. Are you proposing that the duty watch drive the PMQ patch?

 

[Jammer]

That seems more like a culture of apathy. Most military folks that live in the 'Qs know pretty much who is supposed to be there and who's not.

I've seen many cabbies in Kingston who sit in empty parking lots on Base waiting for a fare been asked to leave by military members.

As for being sacked on duty shortly after an Ex...shitty mate. Poor planning by rear party.

Garrison MPs are also pretty visible as well....and cameras are plentiful around public areas. If you don't notice them they're doing the job, right?

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Anyone curious how the Hfx Duty Watch is run need only take look thru the ROs on the DIN.

 

[MeanJean]

Duty watches are part of life in the CF.  Some units have it better than others.  When you are posted to a ship, time between duties are measured in days.  I have been on rotations that were one in ten.  It is also not uncommon to come home from a month or two of sailing and be on duty the day of return.  It sucks but it is part of the navy life.

As for weekend duty watches on ships, it is typical to get the Monday or Friday off if you are duty on Saturday or Sunday respectively.