The most important part of a Search and Rescue team is its volunteers. Without the hard work and dedication of thousands of unpaid professionals, BC's Search and Rescue system would simply not function. Most teams are continually recruiting to fill a variety of roles, and ours is no exception. Considering becoming a part of our organization? Read on...

There are a wide variety of jobs to do and not all of them involve going out in the woods and into the mountains to rescue people. Even if you're not prepared to become a front-line responder, or cannot simply drop everything and attend a callout at a moment's notice, there are still roles you can fill in our organization. 

Search and Rescue members are not paid, but volunteering is an extremely rewarding experience. It is a great feeling to know you've made a difference in a real emergency, and perhaps helped to save someone's life. Also in exchange for your free time we can offer you a broad spectrum of training and/or experience both through in-house training, funding training courses, and various team activities. Some of the training that may be available to you includes:

• First Aid.
• Survival skills.
• Equipment and its use (e.g. Transceiver, GPS, Radio).
• Navigation skills.
• Ground Search and Rescue Techniques
• Technical Rescue (Rope, Swift Water, Helicopter)
• Avalanche Safety
• Off-Road Vehicle Operation
• Emergency Management and Incident Command

We hold a regular practice sessions on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month and while 100% attendance is not necessary, active members who are volunteering in a responder role are expected to attend training on a regular basis. For administrative business, general meetings are held quarterly with notice emailed to all members well in advance. Numerous other training sessions, meetings and events are held throughout the year on an ad-hoc basis.

Below is a list of some of the roles you can fill in our team, after reading if you feel you could be an asset to our organization press the continue button at the end of this page to complete our registration form. If you're not certain where you might fit within the team, or you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us by using the "contact" button at the top of the page.

Auxilliary Volunteer

Auxilliary members are typically volunteers who cannot commit the time required to be a front-line responder, or who only wish to serve in a limited role within the team. Those who are willing to attend SAR callouts might be deployed in low-risk assignments around the Search Base or Staging Areas, particularly on large operations, and generally do not go out into the field actively searching. For this role you need have no specific experience as there are many jobs that need to be carried out at base, including:

• Incident Response Roles:
  • Signing in and out searchers.
  • Manning the radio.
  • Scribes (we need to write down all radio communications).
  • Answering the phones.
  • Calling up more volunteers.
  • Transporting searchers to and from the search site/staging area.
  • Checking in and out equipment allocated to the searchers.
  • Collecting food and supplies from local businesses.
  • Demobilization, in other words at the end of a search readying the equipment for the next search.
• Administrative and general volunteering roles:
  • Administration of Society and Team business
  • Fundraising campaigns and events
  • Equipment, Vehicle and Building Maintenance
  • Public awareness campaigns

Ground Search and Rescue Team Member

Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) members are the front-line responders for searches and are often called out to support a technical rescue operation as well. This level of volunteer requires a significant time commitment as you must actively maintain your skills through regularly attending practice and studying. Some of the expectations of a GSAR member include:

• Have obtained and actively maintain your Ground Search And Rescue certificate (This training is delivered in-house at no cost to volunteers).
• First Aid certificate to at least OFA-1 level or equivalent.
• Be physically fit.
• High level of map and navigation skills.
• Have a ready pack for the season that contains enough equipment to be able to spend at least one night in the outdoors.
• Be available on little to no notice and can arrange for time off work and family commitments often at inconvenient times of the day.

GSAR Member in Training

Members in Training (MIT) are team members who are working toward obtaining their Ground Search and Rescue certificate, or who are bringing their existing certification back to a current status. MIT's are typically deployed to tasks that are within their current skill set, or alongside a GSAR member to develop field experience. MIT's must also commit a fair amount of time to study and attending practice and extra training sessions to build their skills and achieve full GSAR certification.

Technical Team Member

Specialized team members are those who have completed the GSAR training and chosen to continue training in a more technical or in-depth discipline of SAR which could include one or more of the following: 

• High-angle Rope Rescue Technician
• Swift Water Rescue Technician
• Avalanche Response
• Advanced First Aid (OFA Level 3 or higher)
• Mountain Rescue
• Incident Command and Emergency Management

Being a team member in any specialized discipline requires the highest level of commitment, as in addition to maintaining basic GSAR skills the member must also participate in additional training sessions and/or professional development workshops, and assist in maintaining the specialized equipment required for the job.

Do you feel that you could be an asset to our team and your community?

Click here to open our membership application form