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Ground Search and Rescue in Canada

Ground SAR in Canada is conducted under the legal authority of the individual provinces and territories. This authority is delegated for operational response to the police service of jurisdiction. At the provincial level, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are the operational authority for GSAR in all Canadian provinces and territories except Ontario, Quebec, and parts of Newfoundland and Labrador. Canadian volunteer GSAR teams are among the best you will find anywhere, but the form of their organization and support varies across the country due to the diversity of authorities and historic development.

Despite this diversity, exciting changes are taking place in the way Canada approaches GSAR, and we hope to make advances in national organization and strength over the coming years.

The provinces and territories have appointed representatives to a working group to discuss how provincial and territorial GSAR standards of training and competency might be described in a national framework, and see how much they can come together into a national picture. If national consistency could be built into provincial/territorial GSAR systems, it is the belief of the participants that many doors would be opened to improvements in GSAR identity, training, opportunities for mutual aid, funding, and other potential benefits. To date, the working group are developing "National Criteria for Ground Search and Rescue Standards" at a Basic, Advanced, and Management levels. Once defined and described, these criteria will need to be discussed within each individual province and territory, and then with other involved jurisdictions before they could be considered acceptable and applicable across the country. Although the majority of provinces and territories are represented, not all are active participants.

Further information about Canadian GSAR activities and issues is being refined now, and will be available shortly.

National Ground Search and Rescue Council of Canada

National Criteria for Volunteer Ground Search and Rescue

‘SEARCH MANAGER’ Software