At SAR we aim to provide our volunteers with a wide variety of training that essentially breaks down into two areas.

1. General training

   We hold a general meeting on the first Wednesday of every month that last for about 2 hours where we endeavor to offer training on SAR procedures and seasonal specific requirements. These include training on

   • Radio use
   • Transceiver use and mock avalanche searches
   • Use of SAR ATV's and snowmobiles including unloading and loading
   • GPS use and orientation exercises using map and compass.
   • Portable repeater set up

2. JIBC official courses

   The Emergency Management Division's Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) Academy designs, coordinates and delivers Search and Rescue (SAR) training and education, primarily to volunteers registered with British Columbia's Provincial Emergency Program.

   These courses tend to start on a Friday evening and last until Sunday evening and are offered throughout the South East of BC. The exception to this is the Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) course which takes 10 weeks, 1 night a week for 2 hours to complete but is provided by SAR volunteers locally; the GSAR course is a prerequisite to all other courses offered by the JIBC. The GSAR course provides participants with the skills necessary to safely and efficiently function in a ground SAR operation. This course is to train newly recruited SAR volunteers and is delivered by volunteer trainers who are trained and certified by the JIBC.

   Once you have passed the GSAR you are able to attend the following courses

   • Ground Search Team Leader
   • Rope Rescue Team Member
   • Rope Rescue Team Member Evaluation
   • Rope Rescue Team Leader
   • Rope Rescue Team Leader Evaluation
   • Organized Avalanche Response Team Member
   • Organized Avalanche Response Team Leader
   • Track Aware