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NEW SAR INITIATIVES FUND

NIF supports Basic Survival and Prevention Program

Wilderness adventure and eco-tourism are growing in popularity with novice outdoor enthusiasts from all walks of life exploring Canada's backcountry in increasing numbers. Many of them are ill prepared for the challenges and dangers they may encounter resulting in a greater number of lost persons, survival ordeals and tragedies.

Through a NIF-funded project, the Wilderness Training Institute (WTI) is working to improve this situation with the development of a Basic Survival and Prevention Program. Sponsored in partnership with Emergency Management Ontario, the goals of the WTI are to increase awareness of the importance of wilderness survival skills, to decrease lost person incidents, to predict the outcome of search and rescue missions and to prevent needless loss of life.

Survival Game Plan

Signalling and shelter - key wilderness survival skills

Aimed at outdoor leaders and professionals, national and provincial park staff, volunteer searchers and teachers, as well as private organizations and individuals, the Basic Survival and Prevention Program includes a Basic Survival Skills Course with a supporting student guidebook and instructor manual, and focuses on two areas of wilderness survival.

The first, Survival Preparedness, provides instruction on trip and itinerary planning and survival essentials such as kit construction and wilderness navigation. The second, the Survival Game Plan, is a how-to guide to reduce a person's chances of getting lost, and to increase a person's chances of survival and of being found if they do become lost. It focuses on risk management, hazard evaluation and avoidance, and survival preparedness techniques.

Evaluate and prepare for risks

"We educate people to understand that there are uncontrollable and controllable-avoidable risks," explains Mr. Arama. "Avalanches and lightning strikes do occur without advance warning, and accidents can happen to even the most prepared, but a large proportion of mishaps can be avoided or, at the very least, planned for with Survival Game Plan."

The Survival Game Plan outlines what risks and hazards should be examined when planning an expedition including everything from weather, topography, animals and insects to warnings issued by authorities and specific activity-related dangers. Then it provides guidance on how to apply that information to plan for worst-case scenarios or to even avoid certain elements of the outing if the risks are too high.

Preparation is a must

Authorities cite the lack of preparedness as the major factor in a typical search and rescue scenario. This includes not leaving behind trip plans and not taking along survival essentials such as flashlights, fire-starting items, shelters and compasses. Poor physical and even mental ability to cope with an unexpected overnight stay, as well as alcohol and non-prescription drug consumption, are often contributing factors to poor or even tragic outcomes in lost person incidents.

For more information on the Wilderness Survival School, Wilderness Training Institute's Basic Survival and Preparedness Course and other survival and safety workshop, visit the school's web site at www.wscsurvivalschool.com.

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