NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE PROGRAM PLAN 2006

CHALLENGES AND RISKS

Key Risks

The following six key risks have the greatest impact as agents for change in the National SAR Program. They have been identified through the Accountability and Risk Management Framework and are reviewed annually.

• Changing Government Priorities. Ongoing government expenditure review and focus on specific priorities, such as the security agenda, may affect the National SAR Program and must be monitored and addressed.
• Horizontal Program Management. Progress in developing an integrated, seamless SAR system depends on the willingness and capability of the partners to support horizontally led initiatives, and to collaborate and compromise.
• Interoperability. Interagency command, control and co-ordination is crucial to a successful SAR operation involving multiple parties.
• Sustainability of Volunteer SAR Organizations. SAR volunteers are an integral component of the National SAR Program. Rising costs for insurance, equipment and training, as well as demographic changes leading to declining participation, are all putting pressure on the SAR volunteer community.
• SAR Events That Go Wrong. An actual or perceived failure to respond effectively to a SAR event is a constant risk in a program that responds to more than 8,000 cases a year in which lives are at risk.
• The Physical Environment. The single most important characteristic of SAR in Canada is the vast area and harsh physical environment of the Canadian SAR Area of Operational Responsibility.