After 46 years of service to the Comox Valley and to the Province of B.C., the Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue Society is rebranding as Comox Valley Search and Rescue, and is proudly adopting a new logo.
This past winter, CVGSAR members reflected upon the long history of the team, and established a five-year strategic plan to help carry it forward into the future. Out of this process came recognition that the deep roots of selfless service to the community that were fundamental to the creation of the team back in 1974 remains the core of its fabric. But the team has undergone significant changes over the past four-plus decades.
Search and rescue teams across B.C. grew from a long-established tradition of civilians stepping forward to provide assistance, first in times of war and then to support civil emergencies post-war. The Civil Defense movement was the genesis for the creation of the initial society and its strong relationship with the Provincial Emergency Program, now Emergency Management British Columbia.
In its infancy, the society responded to few calls for assistance each year. As skill sets advanced and equipment and training improved, so did the demand for service. With each callout, the team’s reputation grew locally and provincially.
Today, the dedicated men and women of Comox Valley Search and Rescue respond to upwards of 60 emergent events per year at home and throughout the province.
CVSAR is a team focused upon excellence, possessing highly skilled, highly trained, deeply committed team members utilizing sophisticated technology and researched-based, data-driven decision-making to support risk management, planning and operations. Skill sets are deep, providing provincially recognized instructors and leaders in rope rescue, K-9 operations, tracking, avalanche response, incident command, lost person behavior and search management.
The now retired logo upheld the traditional B.C. Civil Defense logo colours and design, the yellow circle, surrounding the blue triangle. The new logo tries to reflect the traditions of the old, while projecting today’s realities.
The new bold, modern logo reflects this new reality depicting the environments in which CVSAR operates: on the land, on inland waters, in the air. Reflected in the logo is the tradition of triangle as well as colours that have been part of the group’s hallmark since the beginning. The term ‘ground’ has been retired to better communicate a broader scope of operational environments.