Search and rescue volunteers never know what they will be called on next: a missing person, a murder weapon or someone mauled by a grizzly bear.
Kevin Atherton of Elkford Search and Rescue was the search and rescue manager who responded to a call in May to extract an injured victim by plane from a remote area near the border of Alberta and British Columbia
“The terrain was rough, overgrown and quite steep in some sections,” Atherton recalled of the mission.
Currently, as the frequency and severity of disasters continue to increase, search and rescue teams are preparing to respond to more requests.
In May 2023, from Calgary Search and Rescue Association Sent to the northern prairie region to assist in fighting wildfires.
The federal government is currently expanding its existing Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) program, which helps non-governmental organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, The Salvation Army and the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC).
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The expansion is designed to ensure they can quickly deploy emergency personnel and relief supplies.
The program will focus on the needs of at-risk communities, with an initial emphasis on British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
The manager of the Calgary Search and Rescue Association says many professionals and trained volunteers come together to play a vital role in major disasters.
“We're here to support them, to support these professionals. We're not firefighters. We're not police officers. We're trained volunteers, we know what we're doing, and we can actually help those paid professionals and give them time to do their job,” said Mark Demong at a CALSARA event in Calgary on Saturday.
A member of the Calgary Search and Rescue Association attends its annual event in Calgary.
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DeMont said volunteers helped firefighters and police with tasks such as setting up roadblocks and evacuating camps.
He took part in a new two-day course called “Train the Trainer” that allows him to pass on disaster response knowledge to other volunteers.
“Like how to breach a barricade, how to shut off utilities, the basics of firefighting, surveying the area so we can report back to the command post and let us know that there’s significant damage in the area and we need to send someone over right away.”
Demon has participated in similar Pine Lake Tornado and Calgary FloodsHe said the new training will help standardize the education of all search and rescue volunteers.
“I think with the centralization of the HWF program and Alberta Search and Rescue, they’ll bring all the pieces together so we can easily deploy if necessary,” DeMont said.
DeMont added that Alberta Search and Rescue currently has four paid positions to help coordinate the activities, but volunteers remain at the heart of the search and rescue effort.
Atherton said it's rewarding work that helps volunteers learn new skills and sometimes helps save lives.
“You want to help by getting that person to the next stage of care. It's a good feeling — a feeling of a job well done,” Atherton said.
He said Elkford Search and Rescue hopes to double its membership this year.
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