The British Columbia Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) is very pleased to announce that approval has been received for funding under Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR-NIF) to establish a sophisticated provincial on-line database. This 3-year project will procure and implement a province-wide on-line ISRID-compliant database (software) that will accumulate extensive information on past operational history, as well as collecting statistics on all aspects of GSAR operations, including the ability to capture subject behaviour profiles. The data generated will guide annual training plans and provide guidance on changes in capacity, such as regional resource optimization. The project may be expanded to also provide incident management, GIS and task reporting functions.
All 80 SAR groups will receive training on using the software and have access to generating and viewing data, as well as printing reports. Database utilities will allow groups to maintain training records and manage capital assets. On a provincial level, the data will generate training projections derived from operational analysis. This will ensure that training is planned and funded to address identifiable trends, resulting in improved volunteer safety and an efficient and effective SAR service to the public.
The BCSARA Board would like to thank everyone that participated in the drafting of the proposal. As well, thank you to the National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS) of Public Safety Canada for their on-going support, including through the SAR-NIF program. For more information on the project please contact Neil Brewer at grants@bcsara.com .