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SAR NEWSNOASARA purchases SAR aircraft
In February, Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) member, the Northwestern Ontario Air Search and Rescue Association (NOASARA), purchased an aircraft which will be a dedicated resource to search and rescue (SAR) for Northwestern Ontario. The C-GQFZ a Cessna 17N aircraft is owned by NOASARA and stored at the Paterson Hangar in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The purchase was a year in the making and was made possible by the Ontario Trillium Foundation who gave $75,000 for the purchase. The Paterson Foundation and the John Andrews Foundation donated a total of $12,000 towards the acquisition. “This purchase is important to us because it allows us to operate a dedicated SAR aircraft that will incorporate specialized equipment,” says Jason Hughes, President and Unit Director of NOASARA. “We will be able to have a dedicated pool of CASARA pilots proficient in the use of the aircraft which will increase training and pilot currency. This will reduce issues like fatigue and pilot availability for a major search." The aircraft will be leased to the Nor' Western Flying Club which will provide NOASARA with a steady stream of revenue to meet the high costs of aircraft maintenance as well as operating a dedicated SAR hangar in Thunder Bay, Ontario. With added benefits like increased training, standards, currency and membership, having a dedicated SAR resource also means that NOASARA will be able to respond to distress calls from the Department of National Defence and the Ontario Provincial Police more effectively. “The purchase of the aircraft has many benefits for us. It will make the question of aircraft availability for searches a thing of the past,” says Mr. Hughes. Canadian ground SAR Champion announcedOn March 7, 2008 the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), William Elliott, announced that the RCMP would accept, in principle, the role of Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) Champion. This is a significant achievement in a long-standing effort to establish a national focal point for the practice of GSAR across Canada. While air and maritime SAR services are led nationally by the Canadian Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard, responsibility for persons missing or in distress on land or inland waters rests largely with the provinces and territories. These GSAR services are successfully delivered by provincial, territorial, and municipal police forces; volunteer teams; and emergency measures organizations. As Canada’s SAR Program has continued to mature, however, the need for a national focal point for GSAR – complementing in part the federal air and marine sectors -- has become increasingly clear. In particular, the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada, the Ground Search and Rescue Council of Canada, the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, and the RCMP have all agreed that a central point for enhancing communication, collaboration, advocacy, and support would be of great benefit to the delivery of GSAR services across the country. During the past year, these key entities formally endorsed the proposal that the RCMP take on the role of GSAR Champion. Indeed, as the contracted police service in eleven provinces and territories and several hundred municipalities across Canada, the RCMP is ideally situated and already engaged in this work. The Commissioner’s announcement is therefore warmly welcomed by the GSAR community. While it is a pivotal decision, the successful identification of the RCMP as GSAR Champion is the first step of many in creating this national focal point. Work will now continue to define what this championship constitutes, and the tangible forms it will take, particularly with respect to the volunteer community. Overall, it is hoped that the sustainability of GSAR services in Canada will be well-served by this enhanced national coordination and support, particularly as SAR program capacity continues to be built and enhanced by individual provincial/territorial governments. New book on urban search availableUrban Search: Managing Missing Person Searches in the Urban Environment Authors: Christopher S. Young and John Wehbring
A new resource for search managers has recently been published by dbS Productions. Urban Search: Managing Missing Person Searches in the Urban Environment is a comprehensive 337 page text that takes the reader through the stages of an urban search operation, from the initial report through to the conclusion. Not to be confused with heavy urban search and rescue, this book helps translate the principles of wilderness search management to the search for missing persons in urban areas. Additional information on pre-planning, missing person behaviour, and training for search managers rounds out this practical text. Contact dbS Productions at 1-800-745-1562 or www.dbs-sar.com for more information on this book, including how to order. Search for emergency beacon leads U.S. Civil Aviation Patrol to Houston poolside
Things are not always as they seem. On March 29, the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordinator Center reported an emergency signal near Houston Intercontinental Airport, in Texas. Within two hours Capt. Bob Beeley and 1st Lt. John Clarke were en route to search for the source. The search went until sunset without success. The following morning, Harris County sheriff's deputy and Delta squadron members set out again. After searching the area and seeing no boats or downed aircraft, they asked a neighborhood resident if he knew of anyone nearby who had a large craft. The man didn't but he suddenly remembered that his wife had recently obtained a number of nautical decorations for their yard. The woman had acquired two live 121.5 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and had turned one on to see the cute light on top blink when she threw it in her pool. Although the light of this EPIRB didn’t work, the transmitter did. Both devices were disarmed. As individuals get rid of their older 121.5 MHz emergency beacons for newer 406 MHz models, it’s crucial that the older units be disposed of safely and that the unit be decommissioned. You just never know. German family rescued after using light from cell phoneIn January, a family of four was rescued after getting lost in darkness while hiking in the snow near Immenstadt, Germany. After calling for help from the Bergrettung (Mountain Rescue), they were told to point their cell phone display light to the sky. Using night vision goggles, the helicopter crew spotted the tiny light from a distance of 2 kilometers and was able to rescue the family who had been stranded 1000 metres above the valley. SAR fundraiser brings breakfast to local NB community
“It’s the longest running campaign we have and it is extremely unique,” boasts Kenn Hong, Search Manager of York Sunbury Search and Rescue (YSSR) in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He is referring to YSSR’s annual pancake breakfast fundraiser – a successful event that is held every year in March during sugar bush weekend at Kings Landing. This year’s fundraiser was held on March 29 and 30, a timely occurrence as March marked the 25th anniversary of ground SAR in New Brunswick. Nestled in the St. John River valley, Kings Landing is a historical settlement depicting New Brunswick in the 1800s. This location offers a one of a kind setting for the annual YSSR fundraiser, an event that attracts members of the community from all walks of life. As Mr. Hong notes, the donation of the facility and the volunteers are what make the event possible. “The diversity of participants is wonderful. We not only have SAR volunteers participate, but also community members who come and help cook and serve the food in the facility provided by Kings Landing. We get to see all the people who support and work with us as well as visitors to King’s Landing who may not know SAR. It’s great.” In addition to the proceeds from the pancake breakfast fundraiser, YSSR received a $1,200 donation from the Holiday Inn Fredericton Friends in Need program. “We hope that we will continue to benefit from successful fundraisers and generous contributions,” says Mr. Hong. “It helps us and raises the profile of volunteer SAR in the community”.
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