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AWARDS

B.C. Pep Volunteer Award Recipients 2008

Public safety lifeline volunteers were honoured at the B.C. Provincial Emergency Program’s (PEP) Volunteer Awards Recognition dinner, which was held on April 26, 2008. This year’s recipients were Charles Pachal, Chuck Henderson, Brian Lamond, Dave Clift, Bev Wilson and Gord Hogaboam. The following three people were particularly recognized for their contribution to search and rescue:

Charles Pachal - LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

In 1969 Charles (Chuck) Pachal retired from the Canadian Armed Forces, moved to Kelowna, and offered his aircraft and skills as a volunteer search pilot and he’s been giving back to the community ever since. It wasn’t long before Chuck was heavily involved in some major air searches and became the Kelowna Air Deputy. From 1972 to 1985, Chuck was the Kamloops Zone Air Chief and set up an improved training plan not only for the zone, but for the province as well. This was a tremendous undertaking since some areas of the province didn’t have formal training plans. Chuck then went on to become the province’s Deputy Air Chief and introduced a substantial training plan for spotters, pilots and navigators, parts of which are still used today. Additionally, he has held volunteer positions as both the Deputy Director and the Director of PEP Air. In his years of volunteering for PEP Air, Chuck flew over 500 hours on actual searches to help those in need. Chuck’s continued commitment to helping those in need went far beyond his community. He was elected as the President of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) in 1989 and served for six years.

CASARA is the organization that is responsible for the financial and operational efficiency of PEP Air. The Lifetime Achievement award salutes the extraordinary contribution that Chuck has made to the PEP Air program. His dedication has greatly enriched and enhanced the program throughout the province.

Chuck Henderson - PEP AIR

Chuck Henderson, who received the award for Air Search began his PEP Air volunteer career in 1979, while living in the province’s northeast. He moved to Kamloops in 2005 where he has continued to volunteer his time and energy to help those in need. Chuck is the Kamloops Area Air Deputy and his role is to coordinate local air search and rescue activities and train other PEP Air volunteers. As well as being the Area Air Deputy, Chuck is currently the Deputy Provincial PEP Air Training Officer and assists the military to conduct zone evaluations. Not only does Chuck help search for lost people, he is always willing to share his knowledge and experience with other PEP Air volunteers. Long before becoming the province’s Deputy Training Officer, Chuck was instrumental in initiating weekend fly-ins to the northwest where PEP Air volunteers practiced search, safety and first aid. He also taught navigation, spotting and fly search patterns. Chuck’s long term dedication and achievements speak volumes about the kind of volunteer he is. No matter where or when, Chuck is always enthusiastic to use his talents and abilities when they are needed.

Brian Lamond - SEARCH AND RESCUE

Brian Lamond started his volunteer emergency services involvement in 1978 in the north as a local volunteer fireman and eventually became the Syncrude Fire Chief. In 1999, a family move took him to Vancouver Island where he offered his expertise as a volunteer fireman. There were no openings as a firefighter, so Brian offered his services to the Campbell River volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR) team, where many of the skills he had acquired over the years were a welcome addition to the team. Another career move sent him to Fort St. John in 2002, where he continued to volunteer in search and rescue, joining the North Peace SAR Team. Brian is in his third term as President of the North Peace SAR Society and has been the PEP SAR Advisory Representative for the North East zone since 2004. As a SAR representative, Brian sits on industry and government committees and he also works with local communities to enhance emergency preparedness around area pipelines. Operationally, Brian supports North Peace SAR as a team leader in ground search, rope rescue and as a Swift Water and Ice Rescue Technician. Brian doesn’t just volunteer to find lost people; he uses his skills and abilities to help train others as a rope rescue instructor with the Justice Institute. Brian’s commitment and dedication to search and rescue and to helping those in need is strong. He recently had access to national funding to bring swift water and ice rescue equipment and training to the North Peace Region so that northern SAR teams can be better prepared for local challenges. Over the years, Brian has supported his community in many other areas through proactive involvement as a part of a ski patrol team, as a scout leader, and with the BC Winter Games.

Information was obtained from the following Web site: http://pep.bc.ca/volunteer/awards2008/ awardwinners08html.htm.

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FPTT Award

On June 2nd, the Canadian Space Agency, the Communications Research Centre Canada, EMS Statcom, National Defence and the National Search and Rescue Secretariat were awarded the Federal Partners in Technology Transfer Award for the successful development, transfer and commercialization of SARSAT, an inter-institutional and international search and rescue collaboration that has helped save the lives of 22,000 people worldwide. From left to right: Mr. Gilles Leclerc – Canadian Space Agency, Mr. Jim King – Communications Research Centre Canada, Major Randy Rodgers – National Defence, Mr. Peter Howe – National Search and Rescue Secretariat, Mr. Richard Renner – EMS Satcom. Photo Credit: FPTT Awards Committee

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