Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue is once again searching for interested volunteers who are in good health and are interested in the outdoors.
Are you able to drop everything on a moment's notice to help someone in need? If so, then we can teach you how to use these qualities to serve the community and province.
CVGSAR, one of the busiest SAR teams in the province, commits some 16,000 hours to training, operations and community events annually and maintains an active roster of 60-plus highly skilled volunteer search and rescue technicians with additional specialist teams in the following disciplines: swift water rescue, rope rescue, avalanche rescue, tracking, canine search and search management.
In addition, the team has a highly skilled and versatile membership of auxiliary members who support search operations.
CVGSAR members are on call 24/7, 365 days a year in support of requests from the RCMP, BC Ambulance, the BC Coroner Service, Parks Canada and the Department of National Defence as well as support municipal governments in time of civil disaster.
While wilderness experience and skills in navigation, are preferred, if you are 18 years of age, physically fit and willing to work as a member of a team, CVGSAR may be for you.
New recruits will be asked to make a minimum six-month commitment to training prior to being selected to participate in the mandatory Ground Search and Rescue Certification Program.
The program, running an additional four months provides recruits with training in basic SAR disciplines such as: An introduction to Search and Rescue in British Columbia, Search tactics, lost person behavior, wilderness navigation (map and compass), first aid, communications, helicopter operations, introduction to rope rescue, swift water rescue, avalanche rescue, tracking, GPS navigation, and wilderness survival.
The course runs weekly throughout the four-month period with some weekend demands and culminates in an overnight survival assessment and final examinations, both written and practical.
The information session Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. at our hall at 3001 Moray Ave. in Courtenay. If you are unable to make this night, submit a resume and cover letter to Box 3511, Courtenay, B.C. V9N 5N5.
— Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue