Search and rescue volunteers take part in province’s first large-scale training course in PA National Park
More than 50 people were on hand in Waskesiu this weekend to embark on the province’s first large-scale search and rescue training course in Prince Albert National Park.
Hosted by Parks Canada in collaboration with the Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV), Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC), and Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), the 40-hour training course was covered over two weekends in May and included search and rescue teams from across the province, including Big River First Nation, Little Red River Reserve, Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Muskoday First Nation, Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, along with multiple SARSAV chapters and SPSA personnel.
SARSAV President Bobbi Buchanan gave some background on some of the training exercises that the attendees did over the first half of the 40-hour course.
“It’s designed to bring in entry-level (search and rescue) responders to support communities in the north and across the province,” she explained. “The first weekend we had some in-classroom sessions where people would learn some theory. Then we got out into the outdoors and practiced search techniques, learned about preparedness like what they needed to bring in search packs and we also learned the basics about navigation.”