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SAR NEWS

Volunteers from BC PEP and PEP Air honoured for dedication to search and rescue
Outstanding volunteers throughout the province are honoured at an annual awards night held in conjunction with Emergency Preparedness Week. This year's awards night banquet was held on April 30, 2005 and Chuck Elliot of Revelstoke SAR and Keith Bennett of Abbotsford/Salmon Arm region of PEP air were honoured.

Second Annual Report shows gradual downward trend of marine and air SAR incidents
The second Annual Report of the National Search and Rescue (SAR) Program in Canada is now available online.
Produced by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, the report includes information about the organization of the National SAR Program, activities during the past year, and the issues and trends that are being addressed, such as response to major air and marine incidents, multi-jurisdictional exercises, interoperability and the growth in high-risk recreational activities.
Included in the report are statistics about ground, marine and air SAR incidents:
• Over the past five years, there has been a gradual downward trend in the number of marine SAR incidents
• In 2004 the SAR system responded to 693 aeronautical incidents, down slightly from 2003 but not far from the five-year average of 708
• Humanitarian cases represent approximately 8 per cent of federal SAR cases annually.
For the full report, visit the Secretariat website.

New Ground SAR Association formed in PEI
On June 27, 2005, the first general meeting of the Prince Edward Island Volunteer Ground SAR Association (PEIVGSARA) was held. The following executives were nominated: Kris Gaudet, Chairperson; Claude Martel, Vice-chair; Philip Whittaker, Secretary; and Mike Desroches, National SAR Board representative and ex-officio member.

According to its mandate, PEIVGSARA represents all volunteer ground search and rescue teams on Prince Edward Island and acts as the liaison with the provincial government, the national association and the federal government.

Canada Post announces a search and rescue stamp
A new 50-cent stamp was unveiled on June 13, 2005 in Victoria to honour search and rescue in Canada.

The stamp panel is surrounded by images of the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system, whose international headquarters will be moving from London, England to Montreal this fall. The stamps are available for sale at Canada Post outlets until June 2006. The stamp was initially proposed by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat and developed with the help of SAR organizations across the country.

To help celebrate the unveiling, the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Victoria organized a demonstration involving Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and Canadian Forces Cormorant and Buffalo crews.

The demonstration began with a CCG 47-foot lifeboat releasing smoke flares to signal distress. A Buffalo aircraft arrived on scene and the SAR Techs parachuted to the lifeboat. After stabilizing the casualty, the CCG hovercraft arrived and transferred the casualty onboard and proceeded to the nearby jetty.

After the unveiling and demonstration, guests toured the hovercraft, Cormorant and lifeboat.

Canada Post's recognition of search and rescue is a significant tribute to the efforts of agencies and volunteers across the country.

Fundraising in the voluntary sector
Volunteering in Canada is no small venture. Statistics Canada analyzed trends in the voluntary sector and found that if the sector were measured by the value of productive activity it generates, it would account for almost seven per cent of Canada's total economy, and that equals $57.5 billion.

If your SAR group is looking for innovative ways to raise money, there is a tool kit of ideas to improve your volunteer group's fundraising on the Canadian Heritage site.

To learn more about the Voluntary Sector, visit
http://www.vsf-fsbc.ca/eng/resources_tools/press/apr05c1.cfm

442 wins commendation
Members of the 442 Squadron Buffalo crew received a Commendation from the United States Coast Guard for their role in an October 2004 incident involving a vessel in the waters off Washington State. The incident was previously reported in the Vol 14, #3 issue of SARSCENE Magazine online, the crew responded to the call to locate and support rescue operations after the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Center received notification of a signal from the emergency beacon of a 55-foot vessel, Kamaa.

With the Buffalo crew acting as a communications platform and on-scene commander of air resources, the joint American and Canadian search effort saved the lives of two men.

The Commendation notes, "The team's coordinated efforts were instrumental in the successful rescue of two lives that would certainly have otherwise been lost. The dedication, pride and professionalism displayed by this International Joint Service Search and Rescue Team reflect great credit upon themselves, their units, Canadian Forces, the United States Navy, and the United States Coast Guard."

CCGA member receives Operational Merit Medal
While boating on the St. Lawrence River in September 2004, Serge Massé heard a distress call over the Canadian Coast Guard's radio frequency.

As a member of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA), Mr. Massé came to the rescue of nine people whose boat had capsized near Barques Island, Quebec, near Sorel.

Mr. Massé was awarded the CCGA Operational Merit Medal for Exceptional Services at the CCGA-Quebec Annual General Meeting in March 2005.

Urban SAR multi-agency training centre opens in Calgary
With funding from Emergency Management Alberta and the City of Calgary, the city's urban search and rescue (USAR) team will be better able to provide assistance to communities. The multi-agency training centre was officially opened during National Emergency Preparedness Week. The centre gives Calgary's USAR team expanded capabilities for both operations and training.

The Government of Canada contributed nearly $1 million through the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program, with another $700,000 that will be used for interior equipment and training aids. Currently, Toronto, Halifax, Vancouver, Montreal and Manitoba either have or are developing national USAR capabilities.

For more details, visit
http://www.psepc.gc.ca/publications/news/2005/20050506_e.asp

Use of defibrillators in SAR
An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) can be beneficial to the search and rescue community, especially in rural areas or marine environments where emergency response time can be as long as 90 minutes.

AEDs are small, lightweight devices that look at a person's heart rhythm (through special pads placed on the torso) and can recognize ventricular fibrillation, also known as sudden cardiac arrest. AEDs are designed to be used by first responders and can be used anywhere. They do not, however, take the place of Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). AEDS are a tool that can be used in conjunction with CPR.

The unit automatically activates when opened and if the signs of sudden cardiac arrest are present, the AED will advise the first responder and talk him or her through steps to defibrillate.
The equipment performs automatic self-diagnostics daily, weekly and monthly to check placement and readiness of pads and electronics. If a system error is detected, an alarm sounds. Batteries can last up to four or five years.

To learn more about AEDs, visit http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/courses/aed.html

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