Northern SAR team believes they have been overlooked by the province when it comes to training

BCSARA CEO, Dwight Yochim, says in the next five years, they’re going to be hitting about 2000 searches a year and this year they are approaching about 1700.

Not being able to access training affects volunteer involvement and since SAR is volunteer-based, it’s not as appealing for people to step up.

“When a new volunteer or an existing volunteer with capacity gets told ‘you are going to be a ground pounder for the rest of your life’…in other words, all you’re going to do is ground search and rescue, it’s incredibly disheartening.”

– Frank McDonald, SAR Manager

EMCR released a statement saying, “Make no mistake, our government is funding training and tools to support British Columbia’s search and rescue volunteers who play their vital role in keeping people safe. While the old government refused to provide search and rescue with the annual funding they needed, through a historic agreement the Province is providing $6 million annually in core funding to Ground Search and Rescue Groups so they can meet the complex training and equipment needs in each region of the province. This funding is the first of its kind in Canada. It can be used for various types of specialized training for approved capabilities based on local risk and needs, including swift water rescue, helicopter operations, avalanche training, mountain rescue, technical rope rescue, First-Aid, and much more.”

by Kaytlyn Poberznick

Northern SAR team believes they have been overlooked by the province when it comes to training

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