Volunteer Professionals

Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue Society

Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue Command Vehicle

Search and Rescue in B.C.

GROUND AND INLAND WATER SEARCH AND RESCUE SERVICE IN THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

HOW IS GROUND AND INLAND WATER SAR IN BC ORGANIZED

Responsible Ministry:                         Solicitor General

Responsible Agency/Group/Dept. for:

Missing (lost) persons and required investigation: Police force with jurisdiction

Support to the unpaid professionals

Support to the unpaid professionals who volunteer their time to deliver SAR services Provincial Emergency Program Delivery of ground and inland water

SAR services SAR Member (unpaid professionals volunteering their time)

· * Four thousand, two hundred (4,200 women and men, belonging to ninety-nine (99) search and rescue groups throughout the province.

· Number of hours volunteered by SAR Members for (from latest statistics)

· seven hundred, fifty-seven (757) search and rescues

·  that lasted an average of six (6) hours each with a

· minimum of ten (10) SAR Volunteers per call =

· forty-five thousand, four hundred, twenty man hours(45,420)

 

HOW IS THE SAR SERVICE DELIVERED

 Accessing the Service: Public contacts the local police to report missing (lost) person and after initial investigation, police contact appropriate SAR resource

Delivery of Service: Local SAR Volunteers

* Four thousand, two hundred (4,200 women and men, belonging to ninety-nine (99) search and rescue groups throughout the province.

Police Role: To activate appropriate SAR response and act as Search Commander

PEP Role: to support search and rescue volunteers:

 

· to pay all operational expenses for search and/or rescue

· to enter into agreements with local government on provision of equipment and facilities

· to provide training and funding to enable practicing of skills learned

· to provide education and awareness programs to reduce the number of incidents.

· Policy Generation: PEP/Police upon advice from the SAR Advisory Committee

· SAR Advisory Committee: An Advisory Committee made up with police (municipal and RCMP), SAR Volunteers and PEP was formed to provide advice to PEP and Police

· Standards: PEP, Police and the SAR Advisory Committee jointly establish training and operational standards

 

· HOW IS THE SAR SERVICE TRAINED

 

· Delivery: PEP, through the Justice Institute of BC, provides training to all Search and Rescue Groups meeting the criteria of an operational group

Courses: Core Training includes:

· Ground Search and Rescue

· Ground Search and Rescue Team Leader

· Ground Search and Rescue Instructor

· Track Aware

· Rope Rescue Team Member/Team Leader

· Rope Rescue Instructor

· Search and Rescue Management

· Search and Rescue Management Recurrency

· Swiftwater Search Operations

· Swiftwater Rescue Technician I

· Organized Avalanche Response

 

Instructors/Support:

· 1-1/2 support staff - JIBC

· 2 full time Instructors - JIBC

· 250 Volunteer Ground SAR Instructors

· 25 Volunteer Rope Rescue Instructors

· 25 Volunteer Ground Search Team Leader Instructors

· 20 Volunteer Track Aware Trainers

· 5 Volunteer SAR Management Assistant Instructors

 

 

· HOW IS THE SAR SERVICE SUPPORTED

 

· Training: PEP provides funding - $350,000 to the Justice Institute of BC for Core training to all SAR Groups. The average cost per student training day for 2000-2001 was $73.00

· Practice: PEP Regional Offices initiate and jointly fund, with local government and the local group, exercises to provide practice of knowledge and skills obtained from Core Training.

· Operations: PEP provides the necessary funding for all operational tasks, liability insurance and WCB coverage

· Reviews: PEP provides the necessary funding for Reviews of all SAR operations.

· Equipment: SAR Groups purchase equipment initially and then PEP provides funds for equipment that is lost or damaged during an operation or training.

 

PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAMS

 

· $200,000 Funds were provided to develop and deliver programs that would reduce/eliminate the number of deaths, injuries, overdue, missing (*lost) and stranded persons that are involved with outdoor activities.

· $0 Funding was withdrawn – NO delivery of programs

· This is a MUST DO item for the residents and visitors to the province.

· NOTE: This initiative has a direct relation to reduced SAR incidents which also reduces related costs to the volunteers, government and taxpayers of BC.

 

STATISTICS

· 2000-2001 Number of incidents – province wide:

· 757 Search and Rescue Incidents, involving 1011 persons

· 898 found alive

· 66 found deceased

· 47 not located