SAR Volunteers in Canada

Volunteers form the backbone of the SAR system and play a critical role in

the delivery of search and rescue on the water, in the air, and on the ground.  Across Canada, volunteers sacrifice their time, their money and sometimes their own careers to answer the call for help to locate lost children, Alzheimer patients, boaters, hunters – everyone and anyone who needs their help. Numbering more than 21,000 – and bringing with them millions of dollars in assets such as vessels, aircraft and SAR equipment – volunteers contribute significantly to achieving both the prevention and response objectives of the National SAR Program. 

Whether it is the hours spent in schools, community centres, marinas, and flying clubs, educating the public about safety and how to avoid triggering a SAR situation volunteers are truly at the core of Canada's SAR system.   

For example:

• Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary members go out in all weather to respond to distress calls from their fellow mariners

• CASARA volunteers fly in the mountains looking for downed aircraft; or search for emergency beacons that have been set off, day or night

• Ground SAR volunteers across Canada search in the cold, wet and darkness for a lost child, backpackers, or hunters.

The National Search and Rescue Secretariat –           working with volunteers

The Secretariat’s Strategic Directions for the National SAR Program identify support to volunteers as one of its six strategies. These strategies will provide guidance in the development of policies and program activities within the National SAR Program.

The NSS works with volunteers in the following ways: 

• The SARSCENE workshop. This annual workshop offers great educational opportunities for SAR volunteers from all sectors. It also provides an environment for volunteers to learn from each other, share experiences and receive updates on what is happening across the broader SAR community, both in Canada and internationally. 

• National Search and Rescue Program: Awards of Excellence .  Search and rescue in Canada is an activity undertaken by a large group of people, many of whom are volunteers, working together across many jurisdictions. The Awards of Excellence was introduced to acknowledge outstanding work by SAR professionals and organizations, and to raise awareness of SAR efforts across the country.

  SARSCENE Magazine online.