Thank you for your interest in Comox Valley Search and Rescue (CVSAR). We are regularly on the lookout for people who wish to volunteer for their community.
If you are interested in becoming a member, please read through the following information to see if you are a fit and can make the necessary commitment.
Upon acceptance into CVSAR, you will become a Member in Training. This can be a period of up to two years, during which the MIT participates in regular training and callouts, and receives Ground Search and Rescue certification.
We encourage people who are considering applying for membership to take this free online introductory SAR course developed in cooperation with the BC Search and Rescue Association, the Justice Institute of BC and the RCMP.
Callouts depend on the frequency that people get lost or require rescue but are more frequent when the weather is conducive to outdoor activities. Over the past several years the group has averaged 40 callouts per year.
Callouts can range in time from approximately one hour to overnight, if a forced camp in the backcountry is required. Some tasks span multiple days, although individual members work in rotations or shifts.
CVSAR has 60 members but not all members are active all the time.
Teams are never deployed into the field with less than two people.
GSAR Training is provided through Emergency Management BC (EMBC) and the Justice Institute of BC.
It includes both lectures and practical sessions on evenings and weekends and covers a wide range of topics such as radio use, basic rope work, etc. The GSAR course is conducted based on need so new MITs may have to wait many months before being fully operational. Volunteers are expected to obtain their OFA1 or equivalent First Aid on their own before they can be certified for GSAR.
Being a member of CVSAR is a huge time commitment. Each member can spend literally hundreds of hours a year on team activities. General training is Wednesday nights, plus one weekend per month; there is a minimum requirement of 30 hours of general training per year to be field active. There is additional training for specialty teams such as rope and swift water once or twice a month – both these team require a minimum of 20 hours training per year. In addition, time is required for business meetings, special courses and other activities like fundraising, community events or education. Call-outs are often at night in bad weather.
CVSAR is not a hiking club, nor will we turn you into a mountaineer. Our training is to enhance skills that you already have. It is preferred that applicants already have experience in a variety of outdoor situations (i.e. hiking, climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing).
No. Everybody is a volunteer, providing their own time for training and searches. In addition everyone provides his or her own personal equipment. Some expenses are paid, such as gas for driving to a task, and the team provides most specialty equipment. However almost everything else is paid for by the team members themselves.
You must be 19 or older (or 16 with parent/guardian approval).
Yes, not everyone goes into the field. There is a full range of necessary support roles i.e. communications, media and public relations, fundraising etc.. We have an Support program for people who do not wish to go into the field support members must still complete the full GSAR training, except for the overnight component.