Are you able to drop your work or family engagement at a moment’s notice to help a person in distress at any hour, day or night?
If you have the time, like to be outdoors and want to make a difference in someone’s life, Coquitlam Search and Rescue (SAR) wants you on board.
On Tuesday (April 12), the volunteer team that serves the Tri-Cities will host its first informational session in five years to recruit prospective members.
And, if candidates pass the series of tests and interviews, it’s expected they’ll be on the ground — or in the air and water — this summer.
"We’re focused on people who really have the time to volunteer," recruitment director Shakuntla Sharma told the Tri-City News today (April 6).
"It’s not a social club," she added, "and search and rescue isn’t the only thing that we do; it also requires training and community outreach. There’s a huge commitment to participate in every aspect of our volunteer program."
Up to a dozen candidates are being sought to join the 50-member crew and the minimum age to sign up is 19, Sharma said.
HOW TO REGISTER
After the April 12 session, candidates will be required to formally apply by the April 19 deadline.
On May 7, the team will assess select candidates on their physical and mental fitness on a group hike at a popular Tri-City location; interviews and background checks will follow for those who make the grade.
Sharma said the need for more volunteers comes as some SAR members retire and as the demand rises for SAR assistance. “With COVID and the increase in population, our outdoor areas have really become busy with hikers.”
• To sign up for the April 12 informational session, which runs from 6:45 to 9 p.m. at the Terry Fox Theatre (1260 Riverwood Gate, Port Coquitlam), go to coquitlam-sar.bc.ca/recruiting. Face masks inside the theatre are required.
