To SAR Groups and agencies:

On December 18 2015 BCSARA  and EMBC representatives met on the ‘Alternate Support Model for SAR in B.C.’ proposal. Following a presentation on the  reports from which the proposal was developed and revisions to the document reflecting feedback from the SAR community, the proposal was accepted for internal review and action by the provincial government. EMBC and BCSARA reconfirmed a commitment to work cooperatively to address the issues outlined in the proposal; whether it is through the proposed new support model or other approaches. The next steps are to conduct more detailed review and consultation within provincial government. EMBC has committed to providing feedback to BCSARA by end-March.

We will update the SAR volunteer community and agencies as work continues towards increasing support for all SAR volunteers in B.C.

Chris Kelly
BCSARA President

Pat Quealey
Assistant Deputy Minister,EMBC