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Indigenous Emergency Management Partnership Table Conference

Ian FossDirector, Search and Rescue January 21, 2021

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• Air SAR– Canadian Armed Forces

» CSARA (PEP AIR)

• Marine SAR– Canadian Coast Guard

» CCGA (RCMSAR) & Coastal Nations Coast Guard Aux

• Ground & Inland Water SAR– Provinces/Territories - Police (Missing Persons)

» GSAR

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Area

• 950,000 sq. kilometers

• 25,000 km’s of coastline

Geography

• Freshwater 1.8 million ha

• Alpine 20.3 million ha

Population

• 5.1 million

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• EMBC is a key SAR stakeholder that along with its partner agencies, act collectively in supporting functions to ensure safe, effective, efficient SAR operations in B.C.

• EMBC assists with the coordination of search and rescue through the Emergency Coordination Centre, when GSAR is requested by a requesting agency.

• Provides support to GSAR through task number issuance, expense reimbursement, developing support policy, facilitating incident debriefs and providing input into training standards.

• EMBC is not and was not designed to be the onsite commander for search and rescue operations.

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Shared Responsibility• EMBC• BC SAR Association• Police*• BCEHS*• JRCC (DND/CCG)*• Local Gov’t/Fire*• Parks Canada*• Coroner*• GSAR Groups

• * Requesting Agencies

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• 79 recognized SAR Groups in BC• 2700 Active GSAR Volunteers• As of Dec 31, 2020 GSAR groups had responded to 1703

• 3 months remaining • Responded to 1676 Incidents in 2019/20

• Ground 1421• Inland Water 221• Air 32

• SAR also conducted• 23 Body Recoveries and 1 Evidence Search

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Trends • 1991-1992 just over 400 calls• 2018-19 - just over 1600 calls• April 1 – Dec 31 2020 - 1703 calls

• 3 months remaining• 2020/21 is already the busiest year

in the history of the SAR Program

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• Ground SAR• Ground Search TL• Search Manager

• Level 1• Level 2

• Rope Rescue

• Avalanche• Swift water• Tracking• Mountain Rescue• SAR dog handling• PS Lifeline Leadership

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• How to get involved in the provincial search & rescue program?• Locate the volunteer GSAR group in your area, or

contact the regional office for an introduction.

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Ian.Foss@gov.bc.ca

236-478-2279

mailto:Ian.Foss@gov.bc.ca