By TERRY PUGH
The latest crop of volunteer recruits with the North Corman Park Search and Rescue (NCPSAR) faced their toughest test of the year in the snow-covered hills near Asquith on Saturday, December 7.
In the months leading up to their practical field evaluation that day, the nine recruits had learned the technical points of search and rescue techniques; first aid and tracking; outdoor survival skills, including fire-starting and shelter-building. They had a good theoretical grasp on how to take a compass bearing and how to read a topographical map.
But, most of that training had been done online in virtual instruction sessions.
Now, the field evaluation would show if their theoretical knowledge translated into practical success. And it’s pretty hard to fudge the result when Mother Nature, in the form of a Saskatchewan winter day, is the ultimate judge.
Warman Fire Chief Russ Austin, who is spearheading the revitalization of the NCPSAR, said all nine recruits passed the test and received their certification. Another 11 recruits are slated to take the field test later this winter. Those 20 new members will bring the overall membership of the NCPSAR chapter to 30 volunteers.
“The North Corman Park chapter has been around for about 30 years,” said Austin. “But, because of the pandemic and other factors over the last few years, the chapter lost a lot of members.
“We started recruiting, and now we’re in the process of revitalizing the organization. We have a good cross-section of people; some are firefighters, some have experience with the Warman Emergency Response Team, but we also have people who haven’t had any experience in search and rescue prior to their involvement with NCPSAR.”
The NCPSAR chapter is one of 17 local groups across the province which operate under the umbrella of the Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV). Volunteers with each chapter supply their own rescue pack, choosing gear they need to survive outdoors when called upon to participate in search and rescue operations in their local area or elsewhere in the province.
Austin said the field testing in early December involved putting the recruits through several scenarios that required them to carry out a mission.
“This was where the rubber meets the road,” said Austin. “In this kind of work, they had to get your hands snowy, and build a hut out of whatever they could find in the bush; build a lean-to and fill it with snow as protection from the wind; and start a fire.
“Most people from Saskatchewan have a pretty good sense of what camping is all about based on their experiences during summer vacation; but this is on a different level. It’s about survival in what can be very harsh conditions; and not just your survival, but also the survival of the lost person you’re looking for, in the event you find that person. Especially if that person is injured or in some other type of medical distress.”
Austin said the training meets a national standard and is federally-funded.
He added that there are also roles within the NCPSAR chapter for people who may not be able to “pound the ground” but who bring other skills to the table.
“It’s open to people of all abilities,” said Austin. “If you have the physical ability to be a ground-pounder, that’s great. But, some people are also needed in the operations centre to help direct those out in the field. If you have a bad arm or a bad leg, that’s okay, we’ll find a job for you.”
Austin said traditionally, firefighters have composed the bulk of the membership of the local chapter.
“We want to diversify the membership,” he said. “Volunteers of all abilities are very valuable and appreciated.”
He added that even though some firefighters may be search and rescue volunteers, their primary role is as a firefighter.
“Our first priority is to respond to fires and medical emergencies,” he said. “We would never leave the city unattended.”