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National Criteria for Volunteer Ground Search and Rescue

On September 12, 2002, all provinces and territories agreed to adopt a common set of criteria on which to base their standards of Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) training and proficiency.

By doing so, they hope to provide the basis for harmonization, and ultimately, certification of the skills of GSAR workers across Canada. In turn, this will afford greater recognition of the skills and efforts of police agencies and volunteers in Ground SAR across a very large and diverse country, and hopefully provide the following benefits:

• define GSAR, enable national identity for GSAR
• identify necessary common skills, focus training
• provide police agencies with confidence in meeting Canada Labour Code responsibilities to greater use can be made of volunteers

• permit police and tasking agencies greater freedom in providing cost-effective services
• permit mobility of volunteers (known skills are transferred)
• enable mutual assistance agreements (know what you are getting)
• create national pool of skilled emergency personnel
• create large base for corporate, academic, political attention
• precedent for future trans-provincial/territorial discussions and agreements on GSAR

The RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and the Parks Canada Agency, support these criteria and their intended purpose.

BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

THE VISION

PRINCIPLES

THE CRITERIA

Volume 1 - BASIC

Volume 2 - ADVANCED

Volume 3 - MANAGEMENT

Glossary of Basic Ground Search and Rescue Terminology