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What's next for the SARSCENE Conference and Exposition?

By Kim Fauteux

After a very successful SARSCENE 2008, Canada’s premier search and rescue (SAR) conference and exposition, the National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS) has decided to postpone the 2009 edition, and resume in the fall of 2010. The 2010 conference will be held in Regina, Saskatchewan, and co-hosted by the Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV) and the Ministry of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing, Government of Saskatchewan.

Géraldine Underdown, NSS Executive Director. Photo Credit: Manon Langlois

One may ask why such a successful and well attended event is being postponed, but as the NSS’ Executive Director Géraldine Underdown explained, the conference needed updating.

“The SARSCENE Conference and Expo is one of the main vehicles that supports and brings together the members of the National SAR Program (NSP). In that respect and after 17 continuous years, it is now time to pause and look at the format and content of the conference and exposition, to ensure it continues to deliver on its mandate”, she said.

The Executive Director, who has been with the NSS for two years, stated that feedback received from the SAR community indicated the time was right to revamp the event and ensure that all participants receive top-quality value for the time and expense they invest in attending SARSCENE.

Broad review

The conference, which has been an annual event since its beginning, will undergo a broad review. The NSS and its SAR partners will examine many aspects of SARSCENE, including content selection and the NSS Awards Program.

“The award and certificates will not be given out this year because we are revamping the Awards Program, and the conference is the venue at which they are presented and recipients honoured. We are looking for engagement from our SAR partners to make it more reflective of the SAR reality of today,” explained Mrs. Underdown. “The Awards Program was created to honour leaders in the field of search and rescue across Canada and will continue to do so in years to come.”

The NSS will also look at making use of communication technologies in order to bring the SAR community together and move the conference and the NSP forward.

Steering Committee

In order for SAR partners to become more involved, the NSS established a steering committee, chaired by the NSS and co-chaired by the co-hosts of the 2010 conference. Federal partners, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada and other key senior SAR collaborators are also members of the committee. Ground SAR will be represented by members of the police force who are the SAR responders in provinces and territories.

A “rescue” at the public demonstrations during the 2008 SARSCENE conference. Photo Credit: Doug Allen

The committee will provide strategic advice on the conference’s approach, themes and content, as well as guidance related to the NSS developing a multi-year plan for the event. It will also concentrate on increasing cross-jurisdiction integration in support of the NSP to ensure the continuing progress of seamless SAR service delivery across Canada. The NSS intends to resume holding the event annually after 2010.

“The SARSCENE Conference and Expo is an opportunity to strategize together, which is crucial. This preparation makes us better at search and rescue, and we are hoping to get more involvement from the air and marine sectors,” stated the Executive Director.

Mrs. Underdown added that feedback from the community is vital to the revamping of the conference. “The SAR community can send us any thoughts, comments and suggestions that they want to share on the conference and exposition in general. Their comments do not have to be specific to any one conference, and all ideas for the future of the conference are welcome.”

You can send your views on how to improve the SARSCENE conference and SAR Awards by contacting the NSS via: E-mail: sarscene@nss.gc.ca Fax: 613-996-3746 Mail: SARSCENE Conference National Search and Rescue Secretariat 275 Slater St., 4th floor Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2

You can send your views on how to improve the SARSCENE conference and SAR Awards by contacting the NSS via:
E-mail: sarscene@nss.gc.ca
Fax: 613-996-3746
Mail:
SARSCENE Conference National Search and Rescue Secretariat
275 Slater St., 4th floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0K2

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