[SaraHap] SARA Happenings November 2008

Fri Nov 21 10:57:32 MST 2008

Hi All: 

SARA Happenings is issued to foster communication within the Search and Rescue community in Alberta. It is going to 328 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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SAR ALBERTA STANDARDS COMMITTEE UPDATE

(It takes a lot to get the train rolling, but once it gets moving.)

Wow! Since the approval of the Draft Terms of Reference at the July2008 SAR Alberta Board meeting we've been busy. Four members with experience and diverse backgrounds came forward to participate as well as others who have expressed interest in working on specific standard areas. The Committee members are: Cindy Heselton, Les Brace, Allan Tomalty, John Chaychuck and Matthew Christopher. We've created an internal web-page for organization and discussion, added a page to the SAR Alberta Wiki http://saralberta.dnsalias.org:8080/SARAlbertaStandardsCommittee and had our first in-person meeting on Sunday November 16. The key outcome of the meeting was the scheduling of consultation sessions in conjunction with AEMA for ALL SAR stakeholders. We also recognize that our Committee needs to expand to include tasking agencies and other SAR stakeholders and will be starting to make contact.

One of the key outcomes of our Nov 16 meeting was the scheduling of consultation sessions in conjunction with AEMA for ALL SAR stakeholders. We recognize that this is an extremely aggressive schedule with short notice, but we were in the situation of playing catch-up to AEMA on their Fire and Emergency Services Training Initiative.

We are committed to doing the best job on behalf of all SAR volunteers and we encourage your participation and input. Please log on to the wiki page or contact any one of us if you have questions or comments.

Cindy Heselton sarasouthcentraldirector at yahoo.ca 

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OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO AEMA AND THE SAR ALBERTA STANDARDS COMMITTEE

(Round 1 - Six Consultation Sessions Planned between November 21 and November 29)

The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) and the SAR Alberta Standards Committee have planned six (6) joint consultation sessions to check the current status of search and rescue within Alberta. This will complete the initial consultation with fire and emergency services started under AEMA's Fire and Emergency Services Training Initiative (FESTI). The sessions are open to ALL SAR stakeholders including volunteers, tasking agencies, industry or anyone else having a stake in search and rescue - now and in the future. Information is also being sent out to the SAR Alberta Regional Directors and Deputy Directors.

I expect that future sessions will be planned with much more notice, but in the meantime I am asking that everyone recognize the opportunity that is being created, do their best to participate and go forward with the attitude and ability that SAR is so well known for - to perform on short notice under extreme conditions. Please make every effort to notify your members and others whom you think might be interested, to help us generate the excitement and motivation needed to make this a success. We will also be arranging for alternative ways you can provide feedback should you not be able to attend a session. Note that you can provide your feedback directly via the wiki page indicated previously.

Fred Tyrrell, Manager of Stakeholder Relations for AEMA will be coordinating the logistics and facilitating the consultation process. Please RSVP directly to Fred at fred.tyrell at gov.ab.ca  or register by clicking the link shown beside the date you plan to attend. 

Fri Nov 21 Calgary (7 - 10 pm) http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Event_Master_Item_Public.aspx?ID=1818 

Sat Nov 22 Lethbridge (1 - 4 pm) http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Event_Master_Item_Public.aspx?ID=1823 

Thurs Nov 27 Red Deer (7 - 10 pm) http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Event_Master_Item_Public.aspx?ID=1824 

Fri Nov 28 Edmonton (7 - 10 pm) http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Event_Master_Item_Public.aspx?ID=1825 

Sat Nov 29 Cold Lake - (9 - 12 am) http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Event_Master_Item_Public.aspx?ID=1826 

Sat Nov 29 Grande Prairie (3 - 6 pm) http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Event_Master_Item_Public.aspx?ID=1827 

More information on the SAR Alberta Standards Committee can be found on the SAR Alberta Wiki at http://saralberta.dnsalias.org:8080/SARAlbertaStandardsCommittee 

The next step will be the development of an appropriate accreditation / certification process, etc. which is scheduled to begin in mid to late January. 

Cindy Heselton sarasouthcentraldirector at yahoo.ca 

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SAR RELATED TRAINING INSTRUCTOR LIST 

http://saralberta.dnsalias.org:8080/CourseInstructors 

(Who you gonna call?)

If you are an instructor, institution or service provider that is able to provide search and rescue related training, please take advantage of this opportunity and add your information to the wiki pages (see link above). THIS INCLUDES VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTORS IN THE VARIOUS ERI COURSES SUCH AS BASIC SAR SKILLS, SAR FUNDAMENTALS, TEAM LEADER, ETC.

While AEMA and SAR Alberta are sorting stuff out, in the meantime, ALL teams are busy trying to organize and coordinator their current and upcoming training. This is just a reminder of the wiki page that was created to list potential training providers (free advertising!!!) for SAR groups to access if they are seeking instructors in a particular topic area. Please note that the pages are completely self-serve and that SAR Alberta (and AEMA) has not vetted them and therefore does not endorse any or all of the information provided. It is up to the individual SAR group to confirm the credentials and qualifications of the instructors they employ as well as to ensure their courses or programs meet any applicable standards or requirements. It's a good idea to document this.

Cindy Heselton sarasouthcentraldirector at yahoo.ca 

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The following stories our compliments of the Red Deer Advocate and SAR Alberta appreciates their support in allowing us to share them with you (1 article - CASARA Pilot & 2 articles on a bear mauling) 

SPRUCE VIEW MAN DIES IN PLANE CRASH

By Stacy O'Brien - Red Deer Advocate

Published: November 09, 2008 5:06 PM 
Updated: November 10, 2008 8:23 AM 

Many Central Albertans are mourning the loss of a life-long pilot who was one of the founding members of the Innisfail Flying Club. 

Herluf Nielsen died in an airplane crash late Saturday night, shortly after taking off from Red Deer Regional Airport heading to the Innisfail Airport. He was the lone occupant in the aircraft. 

He once told the Innisfail Province that he got the flying bug watching Harvard trainers fly out of Penhold in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a boy. He didn't have his first flight until 1960 and had his pilot's licence by 1961, around the time the Innisfail Flying Club was getting started. 

Alvin Hand, who is one of the original members of the Innisfail Flying Club, said Nielsen was a capable pilot and had his night endorsement, meaning he was able to fly at night. Hand, a pilot himself, said losing him is a big loss to the club. 

Nielsen was a strong supporter of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program. 

As part of the program, Nielsen and other Innisfail Flying Club members would take youngsters from Bowden and Innisfail up for 15 to 20 minute flights over Central Alberta, pointing out landmarks and sometimes flying over their homes. Hand said Nielsen was one of the most enthusiastic pilots doing the program. 

Nielsen, 67, loved flying so much that he had a hangar and landing strip at his farm in Spruce View, where he lived with his wife of more than 30 years Alice Nielsen. The couple's children Kevin and Kristine and their significant others gathered in Spruce View Sunday with other friends. 

Nielsen had retired from farming barley, canola and a little wheat, but he continued to take part in other ways in the community. He was an active member of the Bethany Lutheran Church in Dickson. 

"He was very involved and got a lot of people in the community flying as well," said Nielsen's daughter-in-law Nicole Nielsen. "He was a very safe pilot, so it was very surprising for this to happen." 

She said he had owned his Cessna 182 for at least 30 years and her husband Kevin (Nielsen's son) had his first ride in it as a baby. Nicole and Kevin joined Nielsen and Alice on a trip from Whitehorse to Dawson City this summer. 

"Given what has happened it is something that is nice to look back on," Nicole said. She said Nielsen's wife Alice was the navigator and they were quite a pair. 

Nicole said her father-in-law was a very humble man and known for being calm. "You would never hear him raise his voice," she said. 

Nielsen's parents had immigrated to Canada from Denmark and he spoke some Danish. "He loved his coffee, like any good Dane," she said. 

Besides the flying club he also volunteered with Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA). 

Nielsen had been taking part in CASARA exercises earlier Saturday evening before his plane went down. The CASARA volunteers regularly practise doing search patterns so they are ready when they do have to search for a downed aircraft. 

"We finished our exercise around 10 p.m. (Saturday) night. We were finishing up and he was on his way home," said Jim Thoreson, zone commander with CASARA. Nielsen left the airport around 10:30 p.m. and shortly thereafter was reported overdue at the Innisfail Airport. 

Thoreson said around 14 CASARA volunteers, along with Red Deer Search and Rescue started looking for him. Their search was hampered by heavy fog. 

"We were covering all the land around the airport as much as we could," Thoreson said. It took until 5 a.m. Sunday morning to find the wreckage near the Innisfail Airport. 

Jon Lee, Western regional manger of the Transportation Safety Board, said two investigators from the board were dispatched Sunday and will be at the site of the crash during the next couple days. He said they'll be photographing and documenting the crash site, as well as trying to find eye witnesses to speak with. 

As part of the investigation they look at the pilot's background, his work/rest cycle and his experience. They will also be examining the aircraft's maintenance records, refuelling history and anything they can collect at the site. They will also take the weather conditions into consideration at the time of the accident. Innisfail RCMP have reported there was heavy fog at the time of the crash. 

Lee said they don't yet know what caused the accident. "We'll be gathering a lot of information over the next couple of weeks and as we analyze it we'll rule out factors that wouldn't have contributed and that will help narrow the investigation down to where we end up with a cause," he said. 

Contact Stacy O'Brien at sobrien at reddeeradvocate.com

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SEARCH ON FOR MISSING HUNTER NEAR SUNDRE
Published: October 01, 2008 7:56 AM 
Updated: October 01, 2008 8:52 AM 

A search is underway for a hunter who went missing Monday in the Sundre area. 

Sundre RCMP were notified at noon Tuesday about the missing hunter, who has not been identified. 

Police say he is an avid hunter who was dressed for the weather. He was hunting in the Bergen area, about 15 km southeast of Sundre. 

About 10 police officers and 20 local search and rescue workers are involved in a ground search. The hunter's vehicle was located along Hwy 22. 

RCMP search dogs and a civilian search and rescue fixed-wing aircraft are also active in the search.

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HUNTER WAS MAULED BY BEAR

By Jack Wilson - Red Deer Advocate

Published: October 03, 2008 6:49 AM 
Updated: October 03, 2008 7:08 AM 

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/Hunter_was_mauled.html

Fear of bears prompted RCMP sharpshooters to accompany searchers who were combing bush for a missing hunter this week, a search official said. 

Monica Ahlstrom, president of Search and Rescue Alberta, said on Thursday that police sent in their emergency response team (ERT) to protect searchers on Tuesday and Wednesday because bears were spotted in the area. 

"The police knew bears were in the area, so they sent in their ERT team" to watch over the search teams, Ahlstrom said. 

The hunter's remains were found on Tuesday near Sundre. An autopsy could determine if the hunter was killed by a bear, an RCMP officer said. 

Sgt. Patrick Webb of Calgary said the body of the hunter showed injuries consistent with a bear mauling but police aren't sure if the attack occurred before or after death. 

Webb said the speed of the autopsy depends on how busy the Medical Examiner's Office is. 

"Usually they try to get it done the same day, but it depends on staffing," Webb said. 

The victim, in his late 40s and from the Didsbury area, didn't return from a trip to the Sundre area on Monday and was reported missing on Tuesday. 

Wildlife officers were immediately dispatched to the area about 15 km southeast of Sundre to hunt for what is believed to be a grizzly bear. 

Sustainable Resource Development spokesman Dave Ealey said the wildlife officers were setting up traps. 

Sundre RCMP said the man's name isn't being released. They described him as an experienced hunter who was well dressed for the weather. 

His body was found about 1,200 metres off of Hwy 22, where his vehicle was parked. 

Webb said the decision to either hunt and kill the bear or trap it is left up to the Fish and Wildlife Department officers. 

"If the examination comes back and says it was a bear that killed him, then we turn around and tell the Fish and Wildlife people it's your call," Webb said. 

If it's confirmed the hunter was killed by a bear, this will be the second fatal attack in less than a year in the region. 

Another hunter was mauled last November in an area about 60 km west of the area of the current fatality. 

Ealey said that anyone hunting in the area is urged to use extreme caution. 

Jim Pissot, a Canmore director of Defenders of Wildlife Canada, said it's been a difficult year for bears because of a lack of buffalo berries. 

He said although hikers tend to make noise when walking and exploring, hunters do the opposite. 

The police officers accompanied various teams of searchers from organizations in Sundre, Olds, Red Deer, Didsbury and Rocky Mountain House, Ahlstrom said. 

The Civil Air Search Association Central Alberta branch also contributed a search plane, Ahlstrom said. 

She said the search area was just off Hwy 22 and consisted of farmland and trees. 

"It was a huge inter-agency effort. 

"I wasn't down there but from talking to our people there, it went very well. The co-operation between all the agencies went really well." 

Contact Jack Wilson at jwilson at reddeeradvocate.com

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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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