Interested in getting involved in some important volunteer work?
Inspired to help people and have a love for the outdoors? Time available to dedicate to training and helping people in danger?
A Recruitment and Open House Information Session is being held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the Campbell River Search and Rescue hall in Willow Point for anyone interested in learning more about this exciting volunteer opportunity.
Campbell River SAR is responsible for a huge geographical area, including all land and inland waterways from the Oyster River north to Port Hardy, east to Bute Inlet and sections of the B.C. mainland coast, west to Nootka island, encompassing one of the largest response areas in B.C.
Because the terrain in this region is so rugged and varied, a wide range of training throughout the membership is needed. There are many different specialty teams to choose from such as Ground Search and Rescue, Rope Rescue, Water Rescue, Helicopter Operations, Avalanche Rescue, Mountain Rescue, Tracking and K-9 Rescue.
Becoming a CRSAR member gives you the opportunity to be trained in some amazing disciplines. The orienteering, survival skills, river and mountain awareness training alone is a great asset, not only for the CRSAR team, but also in the personal life of any individual who enjoys the wilderness.
This last year, members chose training in the following areas: AdventureSmart Presentation, Organized Avalanche Response, Light Urban SAR, Rope Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Tracking, K-9 search and rescue, and Wilderness First Aid. There are endless opportunities to learn, grow and train as a Campbell River Search and Rescue Member.
With so many required specializations to support our region, it is really important to have a large member base to ensure the highest quality and capacity for call-outs. Currently the group maintains about 50 active members who respond to 30-40 emergency related calls per year. Doubling the membership wouldn’t be an unreasonable goal for Campbell River.
The backgrounds of the members are diverse. Having a wide range of individuals – including a mechanic, fish farmer, banker, auto-body repair tech, manager, doctors, a lawyer, an engineer, electrician, a producer, marketer, social services worker, parts associate, postal worker, accountant, miner, teachers, a stay-at-home parent, construction worker, self-employed person, web programmers and designers, and more – allows CRSAR to function highly beyond searching and rescuing in every respect, from grant writing to vehicle maintenance to public speaking. In order to operate a society of this caliber, CRSAR relies on the value of members from every background and skill set imaginable.
If all of this sounds like a fit for you, please take careful note of the following and mark your calendar!
To kick off the recruitment drive, there will be an open house and information session at the hall, 261b Larwood Rd (Behind the #2 fire hall), Campbell River, on Oct. 11 from 7–9 p.m. This event will give you a chance to meet some of the members, tour the facilities, ask questions and learn more about being a search and rescue volunteer.
For more information, visit CRSAR’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CRSAR/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/campbell_r_SAR), Instagram (www.instagram.com/campbellriversar/) and our website (www.crsar.ca) or email recruitment@crsar.ca.