Information for Applicants to the Terrace Search and Rescue Team
General Information
Applications are brought in throughout the year with a yearly recruitment conducted in the fall. The team’s normal complement of active members is 25 members. Recruitment of new personnel will generally reflect the need to maintain an adequate strength to fulfill the team responsibilities.
Training
When applications are confidant they want to join the team they are introduced to the Ground Search and Rescue Course (GSAR), this course is intended to provide participants with the skills necessary to safely and efficiently function in a SAR operation. Formal training is provided and it is essential that members attend on a regular basis. Training is performed on bi-weekday Monday evenings from 7pm to 10pm and occasionally on weekends. This forms the basis of time commitment. Although the team provides most of the specialized technical equipment to perform SAR work, members are expected to equip themselves with appropriate clothing, footwear and personal items.
Terrace Search and Rescue’s Responsibilities
The role of the Terrace Search and Rescue Team includes the following:
- Assisting policing agencies and the BC Ambulance Service in the search and rescue of missing and injured persons;
- Assisting policing agencies and the Provincial Coroner’s Service in body recovery operations;
- Assisting municipal agencies in search, rescue, communications, and other roles during civil emergencies;
- Promoting education of the public in mountain safety, first aid, and search and rescue techniques.
Call-outs are unpredictable, but tend to occur mainly on weekends and evenings. In recent years we have averaged around 22 callouts per year.
Members should expect to experience incidents including small-scale searches in both urban and wilderness environments; embankment and/or high-angle rope-rescues; swift-water rescues; body recoveries; and searches on lakes and rivers. In addition, the team delivers community education programs to educate people on techniques for dealing with wilderness incidents. Assistance to other community groups may also be provided by SAR members to facilitate fund-raising for the team.
Although they are volunteers, the life saving service provided by the members of the Terrace Search and Rescue Team requires that they maintain the standards of unpaid professionals in assisting municipal and provincial agencies.
Terrace Search and Rescue,
4524 Greig Avenue,
Terrace, BC,
Phone (250) 635-4669
Click here to download the Terrace SAR Volunteer Application Form
