SARScene 2013 is in Chilliwack this weekend.
Hosted by the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association and the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, SARScene is the biggest search and rescue conference in Canada with national and international professional and volunteer SAR experts attending.
This year Coquitlam SAR has members competing in the SAR Games, defending our position won in 2007 as best all volunteer SAR group. We understand that there have been several SAR games held since that date, but to our knowledge no SAR group from BC has entered since 2007, so we consider this SAR games to be defending our “Home Turf” of British Columbia.
Also this year several Coquitlam SAR members are attending the conference as participants. Ton Zajac is attending in his capacity as a member of a medical standards working group, and SAR manager Michael Coyle is presenting in a session on Social Media and Search and Rescue, and facilitating a session on Integrating Technology in Search and Rescue.
Our team’s Argo Avenger 8×8 ATV will be displayed at the Argo (Ontario Drive and Gear) booth, and we will have our own booth with information on the team and our history.
Finally, Roland Webb who was tragically killed in a pedestrian accident earlier this year, will be honoured at the annual awards banquet with the Award for Exemplary Service. Rollie was the person who enthusiastically organized Coquitlam SAR’s SAR Games entry in 2007 – our team will be competing in his memory.
We are looking forward to meeting with SAR volunteers from around BC at the conference!