PRRD Search and

Rescue Teams

Activities 2014 and Beyond

Search and Rescue Primary Responsibility

• Tasked with supporting Land

and Inland Water search and

rescue in the Peace River areas.

Secondary Responsibility

• Assisting with implementing

evacuation alerts and orders.

• Radio communications during

emergency events.

•Chetwynd Search and Rescue

•North Peace Search and

Rescue

•South Peace Search and

Rescue

•Tumbler Ridge Search and

Rescue

Search and Rescue

• We do not work on our own, but are activated by one of the following: – R.C.M.P.

– B.C. Ambulance

– Local Fire Departments

– Emergency Coordination Center (E.M.B.C.)

– Joint Rescue Coordination Centre

- Local Government

Search and Rescue

• We are Emergency Management B.C.

recognized, professional volunteer search

and rescue groups, and trained to

provincial standards of the Emergency

Management Division of the Justice

Institute of B.C.

Teams and Commitment during

2014 in the PRRD • Chetwynd Search and Rescue = 500 training

and tasks hours, 20 members.

• North Peace Search and Rescue (Fort St John)

= 3,300 training and task hours, 38 members.

• South Peace Search and Rescue (Dawson

Creek) = 1,200 training and task hours, 46

members.

• Tumbler Ridge Search and Rescue = 1,000

training and task hours, 15 members.

Task numbers by Area

Team 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total

Chetwynd 5 3 14 6 11 3 37

North

Peace

13 18 23 10 20 15 86

South

Peace

12 7 7 6 8 5 33

Tumbler

Ridge

4 4 8 2 13 7 34

Total tasks - 190

Search and Rescue • Provincial Statistics

*Note 2003 Firestorm

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14

SEARCH AND RESCUE INCIDENTS 1991/92 TO 2013/14

LAND INLAND WATER AIR OCEAN

Search and Rescue • Provincial Statistics

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14

SEARCH AND RESCUE RESULTS 1991/92 TO 2013/14

NOT LOCATED

LOCATED DECEASED

LOCATED ALIVE

Current State of SAR in the

Peace - Increasing volunteer turnover, means a new group of volunteers requires training each year.

- A formalized occupational health and safety program mean more training and equipment requirements for all members.

- Increasing public expectations that individuals can go further into the backcountry and that someone will assist them if they are lost or injured.

- Increasing accountability means more administrative and record keeping requirements.

- Technology improvements.

- Increased call volume.

- Decreased funding reimbursement by Emergency Management BC for responding to tasks.

- Decreased access to no fee courses and training.

=

Co

sts

Training

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

North

Provincial

Search and Rescue

• Operationally available resources for 24/7 tasks:

– Search Management

– Ground Search and Rescue teams • GSAR lost person

• Rope Rescue

• Swift Water

• Avalanche

• Class D External Transportation

• Wilderness First Aid delivery

• Support for other duties as requested by tasking agencies

Recent Enhancements

Search and Rescue

• All our members are

trained in Ground

Search and Rescue

(G.S.A.R.). From this

basic training they are

able to get involved in

one or more of our

specialty teams.

Search and Rescue

• Some Teams Support

Specialty Teams :

– Rope Rescue

Search and Rescue

– Tracking

Search and Rescue • Ice and Swiftwater

Rescue

Search and Rescue

• Avalanche and

Mountain Rescue

Search and Rescue • H.E.T.S. – Human External Transportation

System

Backcountry First Aid

Search and Rescue

• Part of our training

and tasks are to

support the R.C.M.P.

with evidence

search’s and the

Coroner with body

recovery.

Search and Rescue

• Secondary Responsibilities

– Support for Local Government:

• Evacuation Alert notification to affected residents.

• Evacuation Order delivery to residents.

• Emergency Communications during Local

Government emergency conditions.

• Coordinating/assisting with other non SAR related

local emergencies.

Search and Rescue

Public Education

• We get involved in

preventative

education with the

public about outdoor

activities:

– Trade Shows

– Adventuresmart

• Hug a Tree program in

the schools

• Survive Outside

Search and Rescue

• Along with training

and operational tasks,

we also do

fundraising:

– Parking at the FSJ

Airshow, Truck Rodeo,

etc.

– Corporate sponsorship

– PRRD funding

(currently 22 K)

– B.C. Gaming Fund

applications

What SAR Teams in the Peace

need.

• Sustainable delivery of training to meet the

needs of the public

• Lower exposure to risk

• Enhanced favorable task outcomes

• Appropriate and timely training for all team

members

• Sustainable funding

Search and Rescue

• Request

– The Peace River Regional District Board to authorize a feasibility study to examine whether a service area and function could be developed to provide for the long-term financial contributions to sustain safe and effective delivery of Search and Rescue Services in the Peace River Region of B.C..

Search and Rescue

Don’t make us come out there

looking for you!

QUESTIONS?