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• About the Awards
• Award program rules
• Guidelines for preparing nominations
• Nomination form: html pdf
• Award Recipients 1995-2002 Video
• Qs and As

About the Awards
Search and rescue in Canada is an activity undertaken by a large group of people working together across many jurisdictions. Significant events have taken place over the past decades and only rarely are the efforts of the SAR personnel recognized for their accomplishments. Specific acts of heroism have drawn honours and awards from a program established by the Federal Government, but others who have made contributions to improve SAR in Canada go unrecognized.

While individual organizations within the National Search and Rescue Program may have programs to recognize the efforts of their own personnel, such recognition often does not reach the public or others involved in the SAR world. In its role to develop a national SAR program, the National Search and Rescue Secretariat has established two annual national awards to recognize worthy achievements in the field of search and rescue in Canada.

Nominations should be sent in by the date indicated on the nomination form (html pdf). The awards are announced by the Lead Minister for Search and Rescue, who also presents the recipients with the award and the certificates of achievement at SARSCENE, the annual search and rescue workshop.

Outstanding SAR Achievement Recipients

Implemented in 1995, the annual award honours the person or group who has made the most significant contribution to search and rescue in Canada during that year or over a sustained period.

Certificates of Achievement Recipients

Implemented in 1996, this certificate is awarded to a person or group to recognize excellence in search and rescue in a particular field.