[SaraHap] SARA Happenings September 2006

Chris Hoare choare at shaw.ca
Sat Sep 16 10:50:04 MDT 2006 

Hi All: 

This is our regular mailing intended to improve communication within the Search and Rescue community in Alberta. It is going to 322 e_mail addresses that are listed as the primary contact of SAR Alberta member groups or which were requested to be added to the mailing list.


Subscription and unsubscription information is at the end of the newsletter. 


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SAFETY OFFICER COURSE 

The Search & Rescue Dog Association of Alberta held a Safety Officers course this September 9_10th in Edmonton. This Training Grant funded course was very informational and is recommended to others. 

While not intended to make a safety officer out of you in two days, this course gives you the tools for becoming a properly trained safety officer to aid you team. Whether it is for team training or a search incident, having a designated person to look at the hazards out there and keep the team informed of these hazards will help keep your members safe. Donovan Hoggan puts on a entertaining course and did a fine job of getting the message of safety first across to those that attended.

Mary_Ann Warren mwtracks at netzero.net or (780) 939_2675 Training Director SARDAA 



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ROUND TABLE MEETING IN RED DEER 

The following from Michelle Maschke mdmaschke at yahoo.com Secretary, SAR Alberta I would like to remind the membership that, the Search and Rescue Association of Alberta round table meeting is coming up on Nov 4, 2006 in Red Deer. The groups need to watch for the package coming registered mail to each and every one of them. 

There is a bylaw change request that we will need the membership to vote on at this meeting. Groups will need to sign for this package at the local post office. It is time sensitive material, so it must get to the appropriate persons on the teams for consideration and voting purposes. There will be further information in the package regarding the agenda and other activities of the meeting. 


See the SAR Alberta website for more information, updates and details. 


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CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF BRAZEAU REGIONAL SAR 

>From Jennifer Smith, Brazeau Regional Search and Rescue, drebertj at telus.net _ this item which reminds us of all the background work our volunteers do to make the work of search and rescue possible. 

I just would like to give a pat on the back to our group. BRSAR has worked so hard on training and fundraising over the past couple of years. We have purchased a command post and a brand new YELLOW equipment trailer, along with lots of other equipment. The group has been faithfully training 2+ times a month and we are always striving to do our best and keep up our professionalism. 


Good job BRSAR and keep up the great work. 


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PLEASE UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO 

This is a call for all teams to keep their contact and capability information up to date. Please ensure you inform Brett Wuth wuth at castrov.cuug.ab.ca of every change of your group's information _ he cannot keep the central information current without your help. This editor seconds the call for current contact information. He needs to be able to canvass information for each monthly issue without bothering people who are no longer contacts for their groups. 

On a recent Edmonton Regional search (for a missing toddler _ Smith area _ that went about 18 hours), they had difficulty calling out some teams (both in time and effort), and they needed to call a lot of teams. The information they had to contact some teams was not up to date. 

While some teams are very good at keeping up their info, some teams have lapsed on this small but extremely important task. Yet, all teams want those call outs. Edmonton Regional is one that regularly calls other groups in whenever they can. It is important that they have the information needed to contact teams in an efficient and timely manner. It is also equally important to call the resource with the proper equipment and training to get the job done _ hence needing training and equipment information in addition to call out contacts. 

All teams know and deeply appreciate the work Brett puts into all of the projects he does, but a collaborative effort is needed to maintain this important information. New group information must be shared with Brett/SAR AB too. 

We thank those teams that do keep up their info. Would it be possible to ensure all info is current as per the SAR AB site, and elaborate on the training and equipment aspects of the teams as well? This is an initiative Edmonton regional has taken on to benefit everyone involved. 


Jo Janssen < jokena at telusplanet.net Edmonton Regional Search and Rescue 


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1-- 800 NUMBER FOR SAR? 

The following from Cochrane Search And Rescue _ 

Our area groups talked about using the Star Links Centre to take our calls. Ideally, we would suggest a 1_800 number that could be used throughout Alberta. This would make it easier for any tasking agency to get hold of SAR. If any tasking agency required SAR all they would have to do is call the 1_800 number, ask for a select group or inquire what group is in that region. 

Cochrane SAR are also coming out with an information page that will be sent to our tasking agencies. This page would tell our tasking agency what each group has to offer. Most agencies know this, however not all tasking agencies know other groups' ablilities. 

We would like to bring this up at the SAR meeting on Nov 4. If all groups could agree we could look at Telus donating the 1_800 number and the air time.


Tony Romano aeagle at shaw.ca Cochrane Search and Rescue. 


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SAR ALBERTA WEBSITE 

Just a reminder to everyone to log on to our SARAB website to check the new items about SAR posted there. 

This editor must offer a vote of thanks to Brad Marshall who keeps us up to date with events. There have been some months when the SARA Happenings' submission cookie jar has been empty and without the information from the website this newsletter would have been one sentence long. 'Hi _ please send news'. 

This website http://www.saralberta.org/ is an excellent information source for us, please be sure to use it. 



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SARA HAPPENINGS SUBMISSIONS 

Our regular publication date for mailings of SARA Happenings is the middle of each month. Please note that the deadline for material is the 14th of each month. 

Does your group have an event posting for the SARA Happenings mailing? If so, please send information 1_1/2 months prior to the dates you wish advertised. It will then give ample time for those reading it to respond. 

Please send all material to the editor; Chris Hoare at choare at shaw.ca PLEASE DO include contact information for members to gain further information. 

To subscribe or unsubscribe visit http://castrov.dyndns.org/cgi_bin/mailman/listinfo/sara_happenings enter your e_mail address and click on "Edit Options". Automatic subscribers will need to click on "EMail My Password to Me". You can subscribe and unsubscribe on the same page. 


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