About Us

 What  We Do

 

Search and Rescue is divided into three basic categories, Air, Marine, and Ground and Inland Waters. Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue is tasked to Ground and Inland Water responses within our boundaries. 

The response area includes the Canada/USA border to the south, Vaseaux Lake to the north, Mount Kobau and Orofino Mountain to the west, and Conkle Lake to the east.

As members of a Provincial Response Team through Emergency Management & Climate Readiness (EMCR), we are requested to provide mutual aid response elsewhere in the province and to RCMP and regional governments during civil emergencies.

 

SAR Personnel in British Columbia are unpaid Professional Volunteers.

 

There are 78 Search and Rescue (SAR) groups in B.C. They are maintained and coordinated by the Emergency Management & Climate Readiness (EMCR). The EMCR is responsible for emergency preparedness and planning for disasters, fires, floods, earthquakes etc.

 

Training for SAR is developed and coordinated by the Emergency Management & Climate Readiness (EMCR) at the Justice Institute of B.C. The training is standardized province wide. 

 

The basis for all SAR training is the Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) course.  This is a 100-hour course and includes wilderness survival, mapping, compass and GPS usage, amongst other skills.

In addition to the topics in the GSAR manual, volunteers are expected to complete at least 8 hours of First Aid training, participate in a mock search, and participate in an overnight campout.

 

Once a volunteer is certified in GSAR, he or she may take further training and become certified in a variety of different specialties, such as: 

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• Avalanche Rescue

• Rope Rescue

• Swiftwater Rescue

• Tracking

• Helicopter External Transport System (HETS)

• Ice Rescue

• SAR Manager

• Team Leader

• GSAR Instructor​