Search and rescue volunteers will benefit from B.C. government funds in their efforts to locate missing people in the Shuswap.
Shuswap Volunteer Search and Rescue (SVSAR) received $63,651 in B.C. government funding as a part of the government’s one-time $10 million funding commitment to the B.C. Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA).
“When a loved one goes missing, the men and women of search and rescue are a beacon of hope,” said Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo. “These dedicated volunteers give assistance whenever they’re needed, often in the worst conditions, and I thank them for their efforts.”
The funding will be distributed over a two-year period and go towards updating or replacing equipment, providing administrative support and covering the costs of training.
John Schut, search manager of SVSAR said that the funds would be spent on a new mobile command centre. Shuswap search and rescue has already acquired a new Dodge 5500 and are having a custom built 18 ft. cube on the back of the truck installed.
“The vehicle will be equipped with the latest in computer mapping and communications systems to facilitate our command centre capability,” Schut said.
The search and rescue volunteers’ current command centre is a school bus that dates back to the 1980s. Schut said that the new vehicle will be easier to get set up in remote areas.
Intercontinental Truck Body, in Surrey, is currently constructing the new vehicle.
“These units are quite specialized so we wanted a company with a proven track record and one that could give use useful feedback on the few changes we had contemplated,” said Gordon Bose of SVSAR. Delivery of the new vehicle is expected in November.