Local search and rescue agency seeks safe indoor storage facility

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

Southern Alberta Newspapers

The South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue, composed of approximately 50 volunteers, is looking for a city facility or other storage option to operate rescue vehicles from and park the rescue boat during the winter.

The association told recently public services committee members that an indoor facility could save its volunteers up to 30 minutes of time in an emergency situation, especially in snowy conditions.

Currently, SEASAR operates out of the maintenance hangar at the Medicine Hat Regional Airport and utilizes the mezzanine for office and storage space. All four rescue vehicles, a command post/ equipment trailer and a shallow draft jet boat are stored outdoors on airport property behind a chain fence.

The agency says response times to missing-person incidents could be improved if a facility to store their equipment under one roof can be secured.

Del Hope, president of SEASAR, says vehicles are cleared off by volunteers every day in the winter, however due to the lack of storage, volunteers need to load all the electronic search equipment, losing valuable time in a possible life or death situation.

“The load-out from our mezzanine to take that equipment out of there, probably takes us about 30 minutes to do, that’s 30 lost minutes for us,” said Hope. “We can’t just show up, turn on the key and drive out the door.”

Hope also discussed the need for better security for the agency’s search and rescue equipment, estimated to be worth more than $160,000.

“We would like to have all our assets in one place and they would have to be secured,” said Hope. “We keep them behind the wire (fence) as best we can at the airport.”

SEASAR is a volunteer-driven non-profit that has been providing around-the-clock search and rescue services for the region for 25 years.

This season more than 20 local volunteers from SEASAR have been involved in direct wildfire support efforts in Jasper, and last week volunteers joined a search for a missing 40-year-old kayaker who was found safe by HALO air ambulance.

SEASAR attended 12 search and rescue incidents in 2023, as well as 83 training exercises with local first responders, including the RCMP, Medicine Hat Police Service and Medicine Hat Fire Services.

SEASAR volunteers are trained to find missing persons, including from disaster and accident scenes, as well as conduct evidence searches for police.

“SEASAR is a self-contained team that definitely brings significant resources to the region every day, every hour, every year,” said Hope.